Terry Neale

JO-EL

For Patricia, Christopher and Lauren

Chapter 1

KA-EL

A strange man’s face appeared on my laptop computer while I was skimming the internet. It was early Tuesday afternoon, too soon for a Scotch and I was trying to find something of interest to arrest my boredom. Nonchalantly I used alt-tab to return to my browser, but the face wouldn’t go away. Nothing I did would remove the image from the screen.

I was annoyed and on the brink of closing the lid. I just wasn’t in the mood to deal with a computer problem. I gaped inanely at the man’s unusual features and as I did so he slowly opened his wide mouth, his beady eyes seemingly staring right at me and said in perfect English, “David, the people of Cirion have selected you to rescue the people of Earth.”

My right elbow, solidly planted on the kitchen table was holding up my sluggish head. A moment passed, my head raised slowly to the upright position, my right wrist was still bent backwards, I felt the pain as I straightened it out. He called me by my name, that was weird, how could he know my name? My first thought was I’d been hacked and the little piece of viral software had picked ‘David’ as my most likely name from my emails. Very smart. But then I realized that most of my friends used ‘Dave’ and not David to address me. Was the software so clever that it converted the name to my given name? That thought amused me enough to continue listening. What was this guy selling? Damn peculiar looking dude, too. His eyes appeared too big for his face, however closer scrutiny indicated they were simply bright and almost cylindrical. It was as if he could see me through the screen. His ears were flat and perfectly round; his nose scrunched in, like a boxer, but sort of small, while the nostrils were larger than seemed proportionate to the rest of the nose. His hair was white, or what I could see of it, protruding neatly from the sides of a strange, blue hat that bulged ungainly at the back of his head. He must have had a lump on the back of his skull. His skin was tanned and unblemished; my impression of his age was sixty plus, but his complexion was perfect, like a young girl. He reminded me of a troll without the quaff of thin hair protruding into the air. That was it, he’s an old troll. He smiled, his forehead creased with neat lines, even with all the oddities it was a kind face. I glimpsed his teeth they were perfect.

I gawked at him for a moment, speechless. Then I looked away and just as I did so he began talking again, as if he wasn’t talking to me on Skype or Facetime, I was simply watching a video. How did he know my name?

“You are a reasonable man, David.” He paused. Strange thing to say, what on earth did he mean by that? I reached up to close the lid of my computer. Russian hackers came to mind. Don’t they lock your files out and then request thousands of dollars for the password? But what files do I have that I’d pay two cents for? There were my ‘excel’ files of stock trades hidden away in the cloud; surely they couldn’t succeed hacking Microsoft. I’d heard these guys were small fry, collect a thousand here and a thousand there.

The old troll started speaking again. “David, this is a recording. My name is Ka-el, please allow me a little of your time.” He spelt out his name for me, maybe because it was somewhat odd and then he paused again. My right hand was hanging ungainly in the air over the top edge of my computer. I felt silly and withdrew it to my lap. Ka-el, continued. “I probably appear different to you?” Another pause, as if he was about to say something surprising that he knew would shock me and he was trying to ready me to hear it. I was alone and yet I felt nervous. That didn’t make any sense, I mean what could he do, leap out of the screen and strangle me? Calm down Dave. I swallowed hard. Nothing happened. I waited, trying in vain to read something in his expression. I could not. “I’m not from your world!”

That brought a loud staccato laugh from my mouth and I grinned widely. That’s funny, such a different approach. So, it is a hack and this is the moment he explains to me that all I need to do is deposit ten thousand dollars in some West African bank account, and I’d be rich. I reached out with my right hand and clicked the top down on my laptop. I stood up and moved the computer to the sofa next to where I usually sat watching television, and went back into the kitchen. I would eat something, that should keep me amused for a while. I munched on chips, smothered in garlic humus, my breath would stink but I had nobody to offend, at least one advantage of living alone. I kept glancing up and through the door to the family room where Ka-el hid within my computer on the sofa. I guess closing the lid ended that, Ka-el was gone. My brain whirled with that last sentence, definitely a hack.

I fixed myself coffee and returned to my worn seat on the sofa, not touching the computer. I looked over to the armchair where Mary used to sit. I wanted her to be there now. I wanted to share with her what had appeared on my computer screen, even though I knew she would just laugh and say something derogative, probably calling me an idiot. ‘Don’t be silly, Dave. It’s a hoax!’ I missed Mary, I missed her badly, a lot more than I realized. She had passed away three months ago, colon cancer. I closed my eyes tightly and a picture of her pained face, during those awful last weeks, came to mind.

We had been married for thirty-four years and we were as content as anyone could be after so long. I had been very successful financially, progressing from uninspired accountant in my early twenties, bored and directionless, to a hard-fought career at a small car-loan broker five years before the housing market went on its rip-roaring tear. Eventually I was promoted to division manager in the Bay Area. Car sales were a byproduct of the housing bubble, but it seemed as if the whole world threw caution to the wind to impress their neighbors with their latest selection in motor vehicles. ‘Look what I just bought, beat that!’ Lenders spewed out money to anybody who owned real estate. We made obscene amounts of money from fees and marginal interest rates and my Division led the company in profits. It was a private company and I purchased shares when the owner wanted to raise cash for himself, disposing of a small piece of his personal investment. Soon thereafter, the company was sold to a large conglomerate from Europe and I was handed a check for close to three million dollars. The government took their cut but still left Mary and I with enough to be very comfortable. Our lives were frugal and we had managed to avoid the pitfalls of materiality.

I could see the housing market was overheated and when the crash came, I was dismissed along with most of the staff. There were no jobs in lending, or just about anywhere else at that time, so I retired. Why not, in my book I was rich. The children, I have two, had left home. We purchased a fifth-wheel recreational vehicle and took off to visit all those places we’d talked about. Then Mary got sick, and sicker and she died in January, following the most miserable Christmas of my life. And so, I was alone, searching for answers in a Scotch glass and popping Advil during the night to straighten me out for the day to come. Deep down I knew I would stop drinking eventually; I just wasn’t the alcoholic type. I even wished at times that I’d become an alcoholic just so I could prove to myself that I could sober up just when I wanted.

‘Rescue the world!’ From what? ‘I’m not from your planet!’ Jeez! What was he smoking? I allowed myself to glance at the computer on the sofa next to me as if it would speak to me. It hadn’t moved. Shouldn’t it have turned into a robot by now, one of those transformer things? then leapt up into the air and called me master. It brought a childish grimace to my face. The temptation to open the lid and turn it back on squeezed at my insides. What am I thinking? The whole episode was ridiculous. I finished my coffee and went out to the garage. My two motorcycles shone brightly alongside my sensible Volvo wagon, I dreamt briefly of the summer of riding I was planning.

I liked to walk. The air was cool and crisp that afternoon, the sun was fading in the western sky, sinking slowly into the bank of dense, grey clouds over the ocean. Spring was just around the corner, when the Bay Area would blossom with tourists. The house that Mary and I had scrimped and saved to buy twenty-seven years ago was now free and clear and worth more than a million dollars. A paltry amount in comparison to the multimillion-dollar homes that were the norm in San Francisco. But I was content with what we had achieved, we’d never considered moving and now, alone, I was a hapless individual, devoid of any desire to move somewhere more exotic. I went through the side-door in the garage and walked towards Golden Gate Park, just a couple of blocks away, my hands tucked deep into the pockets of my old gabardine coat as the cold wind swirled down my familiar little street. My collar was pinned tightly around my neck, I kept my eyes down on the sidewalk, ignoring any passersby. My mind was fixed firmly on the words spoken to me by the man who called himself Ka-el. I reached Lincoln Way, the main thoroughfare I had to cross to reach the park. A young woman came up alongside of me, her black leggings exaggerating her perfect shape. She jogged up and down as we waited for the lights to change. I glanced sideways at her, nodded hello and allowed a faint smile to cross my mouth.

“Who the hell are you looking at?” she spat out, her eyes glaring at me.

I was dumbfounded and embarrassed. This wasn’t New York! Did I look like a damn rapist? I wanted to say something rude back at her, but my brain just froze. Cross her off the list when I save the world. The lights changed, she took off. I paused for a moment, cursing her perfect, tight ass wobbling neatly from side to side. Okay, so I liked to look, no harm in that. I didn’t cross the road; instead, I turned around and hurried back to my home. I know it was crazy but I had to see Ka-el again and find out what he wanted from me and I needed to put that woman on the no-go list. Stupid bitch!

I moved the computer to the kitchen table and flung open the lid. Ka-el’s motionless face stared back at me. I used alt-tab to see what else I had open, nothing. Just Ka-el, the old troll. I touched the screen and a little white arrow, pointing to the right appeared, indicating I was playing a video. I paused a second then touched the arrow.

Chapter 2

CIRION

Ka-el’s face jumped to life. “I’m from a world we call, Cirion. Your astronomers on earth have not discovered us; Cirion is one hundred and three million light years away. Our sun is visible in earth’s Western sky.”

I pushed the pause button, bit far-fetched I thought. Did whoever write this script think anyone would believe it? The urge to close the computer was strong, but I was amused and fascinated enough to see where this crazy story was going. It was totally ridiculous, but sort of fun. It seems silly but I wanted to believe him. I guess my boredom was affecting my judgement. Dave Murphy, simple guy from the old country, nothing special to look at, so Mary pointed out too often, but with potential and such a nice (don’t you hate that word) guy. Older than he wanted to be, too short to scare kids, oh, and balding. Yes, folks your true and original world saver. I laughed and threw my coat over the chair next to me. It missed and fell on the floor. I sighed, picked it up, and hung it in the coat closet. Gingerly I reached out and continued the video.

Ka-el continued. “I realize that what I’ve just told you is very difficult to believe. I would ask you to try to be patient. This recording is more than eighteen hours long; I believe that you will trust what I’m saying by the end.”

Whoa! Eighteen hours! Couldn’t imagine for one second I’d get to the end of eighteen hours. Then I wondered how such a large file had got onto my computer and what had started it off? This whole thing felt less like a hack. Surely, a hacker wouldn’t send eighteen hours of video and go to all this trouble? Shit! Maybe he knew I was well-off? That made me feel a little hot under the collar. But I wasn’t that rich, not if you read Forbes magazine.

“We will never meet. Our technology has not conquered the ability for living creatures to travel faster than the speed of light. Our people are similar to the people on earth, but we have developed further. We estimate our technology is two hundred million years ahead of your planet. Our history indicates that we reached your level of technology almost four hundred and fifty million years ago, but there have been long periods of little or no advancement on Cirion.”

I was enjoying the story, even though I wasn’t buying into any of it. I remember being hooked on Sci-fi as a kid, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, but had read very few novels of that kind in the last few years. This could make a great novel.

Ka-el continued. “We went through long periods of contentment; life was easy and we became lethargic about intellectual growth. Every man and women on Cirion could have just about anything they desired; our medical knowledge had solved almost all illnesses. There appeared to be nothing new for us to learn or explore. Things changed maybe two million years ago, when a catastrophe threatened our world. We solved our problem and became less prosaic. We began to search the universe more deeply and found greater fulfillment in our lives. We also resurrected projects that our ancestors had initiated. Monitoring the development on Earth was one of those projects. Let me show you our world.”

Ka-el face disappeared and a planet, seen from space, filled the screen. Like Google Earth. But even from space I could see it was not earth. There were none of the familiar outlines of the continents in the shapes that I knew. The land masses were different and at first glance there was less ocean. Then the picture zoomed in, picking a land mass close to an ocean, arching down until buildings were visible. I guessed they were buildings. Vastly different from our cityscapes. Multi-colored, mostly pastels, but some frighteningly bright, with smooth edges and corners and no windows. None that I could see. Between the buildings were what looked like walkways? Multi-colored vegetation lined the edges with trees of a kind that I had never seen before. I searched for streets and vehicles, but could not see any. The picture moved in closer, people were walking between the buildings in multi-colored clothes, strange outfits with unique designs. I sat back suddenly when I saw that the people were all different colors, some bright, others red or green or blue. Their shapes were human, two arms and two legs and they walked just like us, maybe a lighter step, more bounce. Most wore hats but of those I could see that did not, that lump on the back of their heads was distinctly visible, as if their skulls had swollen. A childlike figure skipped past, much faster, almost springing, chasing a small animal that scampered like a dog on four legs. I guess it was a dog, I’d never seen anything like it before.

I leaned back in my chair, mesmerized by the scene, trying to take it all in. I could only believe that this was an elaborate depiction of someone’s imagination. A Hollywood Sci-fi movie. If it was, it was very good. The camera panned to an odd creature, dark blue with patches of silver but no mouth or nose to speak of. Just a hint of a human face. Where its legs should be, was a circular base that appeared to hover above the ground. It carried items that looked edible in a tray of some sort. It stopped and two of the green people took what must have been food from the tray. They took bites from their purchase and grinned at each other. I say purchase, but I did not see a financial transaction of any kind.

“This is a small city on Cirion, called Lomasir.” Ka-el voice came from my speakers. “That blue and silver droid is what you would call a robot. It is supplying snacks for whoever wants them. You will notice that there are no vehicles, that mode of transport died out hundreds of millions of years ago. We discovered anti-gravity a long time ago and moving by personal flight is typical for us. This particular area of the city is for walking, a popular pastime, we are very aware of the need to exercise. Our life span is one hundred and fifty to a little more than two hundred of your years, substantially longer than your life expectancy due to our medical technology. It is possible on Cirion to keep a brain alive forever and replant it in an artificial body, however we have rules to control our population and anyone who wishes to live past a specified age in that mode must move off-world. We’ve found that most of our people become bored with life eventually and voluntarily terminate.”

I paused the video again to imagine a people that voluntarily ended their life when they had reached a certain age, it made me think of my parents and the pain they suffered late in their lives. They would have ended it if they’d had the opportunity. I wondered if this imaginary world of Cirion had cured pain. I pressed the arrow to restart the video.

The scene changed to a river running through a pristine looking green meadow. More earth-like, I appreciated that. People were sitting by the river, presumably, eating and drinking. The sky in the distance was blue with a deep reddish haze as it met the ground. Those robot thingys could be seen in the background.

Then my doorbell rang. Damn! I pushed pause. It was Betty my neighbor, who had taken it on herself to check up on me almost daily since Mary passed. I stood up and went to the front door, down the hallway.

“Hi Dave, how you doing?”

“Betty, what time is it?” I replied.

“Ten to six, are you ready?”

“Huh!”

“Cooking!”

I gave Betty my most dumbfounded look. “Can’t do it this week, sorry. Busy with something.”

Her face soured and her mouth opened slightly as she considered a response. I had not missed Tuesday night cooking class since she’d taken it on herself to be my savior. I enjoyed the company mostly and the cooking tips had proved useful to a single guy who’d been spoilt by a wife who truly enjoyed fixing culinary delights of all sorts and had a figure to prove it.

“What on earth are you doing, Dave?” She exclaimed.

If I told her I was watching a movie she would have said I could pause it and finish it later, so I lied and explained that I’d promised Maggie, my daughter, I’d help her with her application to become a Sergeant. Which was completely feasible, as I had told Betty recently that Maggie was growing restless in her current position as a Q-3 officer in the San Francisco Police Department.

“Oh!” said Betty, “that urgent, is it?” I could tell by the tone in her voice that she did not buy the story. Betty had recently turned sixty-four, her husband Ken had died suddenly from a brain aneurism two plus years ago and now she lived alone with her cat, Whiskers. Her ne’er-do-well son Eric was her only regular visitor; he drove up from San Jose in the little Honda Civic she had bought for him. Usually he pleaded poverty and scrounged as much as Betty would part with. I had told her to put her foot down and refuse any more funds until he showed some gumption in the work department, but Betty was a typical mother, dotting on her only male offspring and constantly blinded by the diatribe of lies he spun. She enjoyed our evenings at the cooking class, she had persuaded me to attend and to be honest I think she had a small crush on me.

I smiled as sweetly as I knew how and grabbed the edge of the door as if to say, ‘on your way’. She took the hint. “Well, next week then, or maybe you could come over later in the week, I’ve been practicing with that crockpot, I bought.” She threw me a warm smile and turned away.

I stood leaning against the door for a moment, wondering why the video of Cirion had so consumed me that I had lied to Betty. She had become an island for my sorrow in the last three months and I owed her more than dishonesty. I would make it up to her.

I fixed myself a Black Label on the rocks and returned to my Sci-fi movie. I was quite excited to keep watching and eagerly continued the recording. An hour quickly drifted by and I learnt more of the world of Cirion. Ka-el voiced over much of the scenes, explaining what this or that was. I discovered that the people of Cirion were peaceful and no war had taken place on the planet for more than a hundred million years. Their years were longer than ours as the planet was marginally larger and rotated slower. Their normal gravity was also less but was irrelevant as they had the ability to counter its effects. They had colonized many planets within their solar system, one of which was allocated to people who wished to extend their life artificially. He glossed over how those people lived but I presumed that all their physical needs were taken care of by the robot droids. Another planet, which he called, Lo-an was what he termed raw. I was told that the word translated loosely as “work” from a previous generation on Cirion. People from the mother planet who had rejected the “lazy” lifestyle they had achieved on Cirion would emigrate to Lo-an and live what appeared was a life not unlike that in the wilds of Alaska or remote islands in the warmer climes of earth.

My Black Label had evaporated and the ice melted. I was enjoying the buzz but I needed something to soak it up. I paused the recording and warmed up some left-over chili I’d prepared a couple of days previously. I sprinkled it with a liberal coating of red chili flakes and tabasco. My choice of beverage was diet coke; I knew my limits with Scotch and thought I’d take a pause saving my second glass till later. As I enjoyed the chili, which always seemed to taste better after a few days, I imagined the source of the recording. My mind was holding firmly to a scam to elicit money, maybe based on turning the Sci-fi story into a movie or television series. I wondered how many others were watching the same video right now. There are so many gullible people in the world, one heard of the most ridiculous scams that worked repeatedly. Not on Dave Murphy though, way too tight with money, maybe I should have been born in Scotland instead of Ireland. The name thing was very clever; I’d give them that.

I think the Black Label and the food were enough for me to lose interest in the recording and I considered watching television to divert my fascination. Maybe if I tried re-booting the computer Ka-el and his story would disappear. It was still early so I cleared up and sat down once more in front of the computer. I was about to press the on-off button for the required four seconds when, for reasons I can’t fathom, continued the video. I watched more of the explanation about Cirion for about ten minutes, then Ka-el’s face appeared on the screen.

“You have seen something of our world.”

Okay, here comes the plug for cash. I wondered how much he would ask for?

“Now I must ask you to do something, that may seem a little odd.”

Here we go, I smiled at the screen. I was right.

“We want you to retrieve some equipment.”

Ah, that’s different. A box containing a return envelope?

Chapter 3

THE CONTAINER

“It was sent to Earth many years ago.”

Got to keep with the Sci-fi theme. Give ‘em credit for consistency. Do they think that I believe any of this stuff?

“You must travel some distant to find it.”

This was truly bizarre. Did he think I’d do this? But I was enjoying the presentation. Sort of secret agent stuff. Maybe this scam worked.

“We moved the container closer to you a little while ago, we know it has arrived but we don’t know if it’s intact. It takes a long time for us to receive confirmation. The distance between our planets makes it very cumbersome to communicate. I apologize for this, as I’m sure you have an endless list of questions. Many of them will be answered when you have mastered the equipment we are sending to you.”

I’m listening completely bewildered. If this is a scam, it is well done, because I can feel the sucking and I’m beginning to fall. I need that other drink. I paused the recording and returned with my liquid refreshment.

“The package is at the following coordinates.” He read off GPS numbers, which appeared at the bottom of the screen. “This recording will not continue until the package is found and placed close to your computer.” The image of Ka-el froze on the screen and nothing I did with the computer would remove it. I jotted the coordinates down on a pad I kept on the coffee table. Then I pushed the arrow on the screen and nothing happened. Totally weird. This Ka-el guy was testing me. He was using simple psychology to coerce me to do his bidding. I would want to succeed in retrieving this container of equipment just to find out what was going to happen next. Incredible. And you know what? It was damn well working and I was totally aware of it. I was beginning to like this guy.

I had a Garmin GPS on my BMW motorcycle and went to fetch it from the garage. My heart beat a little faster as I punched in the coordinates and waited for the GPS to tell me where this treasure hunt would take me. The unit complained that it could not find a satellite, so I went out the back door and stood in the back yard, waiting for the mystery to be solved.

The little arrow pointed to a location well south of San Francisco, close to Highway 25, south of Pinnacles National Park. The GPS indicated one hundred and forty miles. He’d said they had moved the package closer, was that the best they could do? The pointer was less than a mile from the main highway, a dirt road was shown relatively close-by, so it looked okay to reach. GPS coordinates can be a little off so I’d have to search the area. The good news was I knew the road very well, as I had ridden it many times. It was one of the truly fun motorcycle roads between San Francisco and Los Angeles. This lifted my spirits, as a reason to ride was always a good thing. I checked the weather for Wednesday, which showed a ten percent chance of rain in the San Jose area, so I tentatively planned to ride down Hwy 25 and check it out. The second Scotch was spurring me on and I felt quite excited by the whole challenge to find the hidden treasure. It wasn’t like I had anything else to do tomorrow.

I needed a break from the family room, so I went out to fuss with the motorcycle for the ride in the morning. I checked the tire pressures and removed my top-box. I had no idea how big this package was, but guessed I’d be able to strap it to the rear rack and passenger seat. Not that I believed that I’d find anything. Maybe a small box with instructions where to send the money? That triggered my thoughts for a while. Was this some crazy set-up to threaten me, harm my children, somehow elicit money from me? Maybe I shouldn’t go? Maybe I should just ignore what Ka-el was asking me to do and have my hard drive wiped and then reinstall the operating system? Maybe I should go to the police? That made me smile. I imagined trying to explain to the police that I’d been contacted by an alien race to rescue the world, from, I don’t know what? I wonder how I’d look in white? It all didn’t make a lot of sense. If someone had targeted to rob me, why drag me down a winding road in the middle of nowhere? They could confront me at home or somewhere more accessible. I would be suspicious of a car or truck parked near the spot they were sending me. Also, Ka-el, or whatever his real name was, hadn’t given me a time to be there. That would be crazy. Criminals were intrinsically lazy; they wouldn’t wait around for days for me to appear. No, the whole robbery, kidnapping thing didn’t make sense at all as far as the package was concerned.

My phone rang as I reentered the family room, it was Maggie, home alone from work and in need of an ear to bend. Maggie was a great kid, but did she love to talk? I listened for a good half an hour to a detailed story about a work colleague who’d challenged her to a ‘fitbit week’ whatever that was and Maggie was sure this girl was cheating. She was convinced the colleague had tied the fitbit to her dog’s leg and let it run around all evening. How else could she be over ten thousand steps already? What could I say? I could feel my attention wavering and eventually squeezed a word in, asking when she was coming over again. Maybe Saturday for dinner and could she bring Adam? Sure, see you then, I replied, finally able to conclude our one-way conversation.

Maggie was my youngest, recently turned twenty-six and always on the go. She loved to travel and had already visited Australia and New Zealand, as well as spending a year abroad in England while at college. Not a straight A student she had struggled with academics, but she possessed a delightful personality and lit up any room with her presence. Following a long trip down-under she’d decided, to my amazement, to join the police force. She didn’t want to sit at a desk and her education, what it was, didn’t bode well for success in an academic environment. After a difficult period with the yes-sir, no-sir, manly world of the police with its strict adherence to hierarchy, she’d settled down and began enjoying the ‘battle against the losers’ as she called it. Her enthusiasm was infectious and she was now thinking that she’d like to one day be a homicide detective.

Adam was the current live-in boyfriend and I liked him, which is a good thing. He worked at a bank in downtown and shared Maggie’s love of travel and constant need to delve into new experiences. They were a good match. Was he the one? That was a question I kept to myself. Trying hard to be the great parent and not meddle. Maggie had been devastated by the loss of her mother, but like her brother Sean, could internalize it mostly. Visiting her childhood home didn’t help, but she realized how much I had lost and was always very supportive.

That night I lay sleepless in the dark of my bedroom, listening to the sounds of cars in the distance on Lincoln Way, the occasional deep diesel burble of trucks and the screech of police sirens. The wind had increased and I could hear the few trees on my street sway back and forth. I knew I would head down Airline Highway in the morning, I knew nothing could stop me following this irrational lead to who knows what. The excitement of the afternoon, since Ka-el had commandeered my computer had become a drug and I needed more. I was enjoying myself with the crazy scheme someone had produced to lead me to a mystery package on highway twenty-five.

Dawn broke with the sound of rain pitter-pattering on the roof. I grabbed for my cell phone to check the radar map and was encouraged to see that the rain was passing through the Bay Area in an hour or so and the forecast was for partly sunny skies and breezy until late in the afternoon. It appeared that the run-down Highway Twenty-five would be cool but rain free. I made coffee and prepared a small bowl of grape-nuts with blueberries and bananas. For an hour or so I followed the gyrations of the stock market and the talking heads on CNBC. It was a routine for me, spending one or two hours in the morning pretending to be the great market trader I was not. But my focus was not where it needed to be to execute any trades or make any adjustments to my portfolio of securities. I gave that task up for useless and increased my coffee consumption.

My plan was to leave after 9 am to ensure that I wouldn’t hit any commuter traffic heading into San Jose. But my enthusiasm won over my planning and I was on the road by 8:30 and as expected I was lane splitting as I neared San Jose an hour later. The traffic dissipated once I was through the metropolis and I began to enjoy the ride. I passed through Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world and was soon around the outskirts of Hollister and onto Airline Highway. I passed the small café in Tres Pinos that was my target for lunch on the return trip and now the traffic had disappeared and I wicked it up as I headed towards Pinnacles National Monument. The ride became the prime event and I was happy as a clam, banking left and right along the endless twisty road. Even if there was nothing at the GPS coordinates this was a great way to spend the day and I became delightfully relaxed, my thoughts on nothing but the road ahead. Much of highway twenty-five ran parallel to the San Andreus fault, which stifled any chance of development. Only farms and run-down shacks dotted the vistas of low range of hills on either side. I was quickly passed the turnoff to the Pinnacles when the Garmin unit indicated that I had just five miles to go. For one moment I deliberated continuing to the junction of highway one nine eight, but throttled back as the reading dropped to just one mile ahead.

Now I could feel my pulse quicken, and my palms inside my warm gloves tingle with sweat. I truly wanted there to be something at the GPS location, even if I didn’t believe there would be. After just a few hundred yards the GPS was directing me to turn right onto the dirt road. I stopped on the highway and looked at the thin dirt line that led up towards the hilltop south of Pinnacles. This was my first fear; I was not exactly the most experienced off-road rider and my GS 1200 BMW was a pretty heavy machine. Would I be okay riding this road, would there be somewhere I could safely stop the bike and turn around without dropping it. At my age lifting the damn thing up was not something that appealed to me in any way. I had only dropped it one time and that was in a parking lot where kind hands had reached out to me, righting the bike quickly and easily. There was no one here to help me if I got into difficulty.

I parked the bike on the highway and dismounted. Why here? flashed across my brain, why on earth would you send a package, millions of light-years to this ridiculous location? I had no idea. And as it made no sense to me, I began to think that the whole thing was a big joke and I would maybe find a piece of paper, if anything, in a tin, exclaiming what a total moron I was. I was doubting my sanity as I tried to think of which of my biker buddies would play this harmless prank on me. It dawned on me that I had ridden the one hundred and forty miles, that I had thoroughly enjoyed myself so what the hell, I may as well give them the satisfaction of the last laugh.

I studied the GPS and concluded the little tin box (I was convinced) was about point eight of a mile away. I couldn’t see anything, which was good I guess, because if I had seen anything it would be enormous and not something I’d be able to transport on the back of my motorcycle. I removed my helmet and earplugs, then fastened the helmet to the bike. Then I took off my riding pants and jacket and stuffed them into the side panniers. I had decided to hike up the dirt road and find my folly that way. I took a bottle of water from my tank bag and set off up the hill.

It wasn’t long before I wished that I’d brought different shoes. My riding boots that were perfect for wet weather and protection on the road, were quickly uncomfortable clambering up the dirt road. I stopped after a short while and reviewed my progress. My bike looked small. The view across the road to the hills in the east was beautiful. The sun was all wrong for a picture but I pulled out my phone anyway and snapped a shot with my bike at the bottom of the frame. I had hundreds of such pictures. I could hear Mary asking why I had to put the motorcycle in every shot I took. She just wasn’t a motorcyclist. The GPS said I was about half way to my goal. Nothing was visible as I combed the area as best I was able. It didn’t matter to me; I was enjoying myself.

I reached the point parallel with the target location on the dirt road, maybe three hundred feet above the main road. I had only heard two cars pass by during my climb. I drank some more water and soaked up the beauty around me. The air was fresh and cool, the last of the morning dew evaporating from the brush around me. I would have to cross through the shrubs now to the point on the GPS. Nothing unusual was visible in the direction I searched. My heart beat faster, mostly because of the climb and partly for the desire to succeed in my goal to find the package. I realized the GPS was not one hundred percent accurate and the distance was now so close that I couldn’t zoom in any further, I was at fifty feet, the shortest distance that the GPS would allow. I looked around carefully and noticed the lip of an indentation in the ground a little further and higher up the slope from the GPS location. My heart skipped a beat as I walked towards it.

I hiked over to the lip of the indentation and could see a gully leading into the depression in the ground. I realized quickly that it wasn’t anything unusual, just a mini-wash created by run-off on the slope down to the main road. Partially hidden by the lip of the wash was a black object that was oval on the top. I moved closer and realized I’d reached my goal. This was it. My heart thumped in my chest and my breath became choked. I took another swig of water and stared at this strange looking container resting on the ground in front of me. It definitely was not a tin box. I wondered how heavy it was. There were no visible handles and no suggestion of how it opened. I must have looked at it for two or three minutes before I investigated more closely. Was it hot? It didn’t seem to be. I bent down and touched the black, matt surface gingerly. It was cold. Now I could see that the container was oval on the top and flatter along the bottom with a pointed end that I initially thought was the back, but how would I know? Shaped somewhat like an oversized cycling helmet, similar to what I’d seen used in the Tour de France during the time-trial events. I inclined my head toward it and listened closer for a tick. Nothing. Not a bomb then! It looked heavy, maybe because of the size and color. I guessed it was a little more than two feet long and one-foot-wide, a perfect fit for the back of the bike. Lucky me!

I stood up and took stock of my surroundings. Not a soul in sight. The clean air and light, cool breeze in total contrast to the odd container at my feet. I considered how difficult it would be to carry it down the dirt hill to my motorcycle. I guessed I could drag it. I think in that moment I had forgotten how I’d come to be standing at that spot, three hundred feet above Airline Highway. The crazy words of Ka-el, the story of a distant planet, my role as rescuer to the world, none of that seemed to have any relevance to retrieving this object. However, my resolve was strong and I was going to get this thing home some damn way or another and find out what the hell it was.

With both hands, I reached underneath the right side of the container, expecting considerable resistance and lifted. It flew out of my grasp, as if I’d tossed it into the air. But it didn’t fall as you’d have expected, crashing onto one side. It seemed to right itself in the air and float back to the ground gently. I was dumbfounded. I stared at it in disbelief. What the hell was this thing? I lifted it up with both hands. It was light, very light, like it was empty. I turned it over easily and examined the back, there was nothing distinctive. I held it out away from my body and let it drop, it floated back to the ground like a feather. Unreal! Bewildered and a little frightened I carried it down the slope back to my motorcycle.

The ride home was uneventful. I stopped at the café in Tres Pinos and sat on the patio where I could keep watch over my mystery container on the rear of the bike. The toasted tuna sandwich with all the trimmings was delightful and filled me to the brim. There were no noticeable joines in the strange metal of the container. No indentations that it would come apart in any way. I couldn’t see any way to open the thing, but I decided I would worry about that later. My mission to find the damn thing was a success and that was all that mattered at that moment.

Chapter 4

CONTENTS

It was almost three o’clock, I was drinking English tea with milk, sitting in my usual spot on the sofa. The container was resting on the coffee table like a rotten, pumpkin, squashed down from the top. Further examination had elicited no clues as to how it would come apart. Ka-el had said that the video wouldn’t continue until I had placed the container close to the computer. I guess he would instruct me on how to retrieve the contents, assuming there were any, as I was still not convinced. I opened the lid of my laptop and pressed the ‘On’ button. My computer did its thing and Ka-el’s face appeared once more on the screen, his wide, circular eyes now beaming with confidence. My hands were sweating and my pulse raced. The events of the last day were disturbing at least. My rationalization of a hack or hoax were still my primary belief. But as things moved ahead those answers were less plausible and the bizarre notion that this man, Ka-el, was actually telling the truth tugged at my inner soul. It was quite simply frightening to allow my thoughts to believe that I had been contacted by an alien race. That Ka-el was an extraterrestrial. Every time my mind drifted in that direction I fought hard to return it to what was real in this world. The basic physics that I understood. Mysticism and magic was the stuff of books and stage shows. It was all trickery with simple explanations that could be practiced by anyone. Yet, I was beginning to doubt any plausible justification for the events that were now unfolding. Here was I, just a regular guy, edging passed middle age, thrown a curved ball that was impossible to hit and I could honestly say it scared the shit out of me.

Almost immediately Ka-el came to life and said. “Congratulations David.” He smiled warmly and seemed to rotate his head in the direction of the container, or so I imagined. The container split into two, the top raising up slowly. I gasped, my throat suddenly dry. It floated above the lower section then moved to the side and came down to rest on the carpet next to the coffee table. I gulped dry air, frozen for a moment in shear disbelief.

“David, inside the container you will find several items. I want you to remove them and place them carefully.”

I was motionless, immobilized with fear. I breathed heavily, reaching inside myself for the courage to continue. I placed the computer on the coffee table next to the container and peered inside. Everything was neat, perfectly packed with no space between the items. I lifted the first one, a small red box, like a pencil case, or a tin for cigars and placed it on the table. Then I took out a curved, glass looking vessel that was tucked carefully into the front, or maybe it was the back of the main container. There were three other items, which I also removed. Each one felt heavier than the whole container together. There was a large box and a very small item, like a jewelry case for a single ring. A small box the size of business cards was the last thing I removed. Nothing else was removable, the main container was raised at the bottom but it was part of the structure.

“Good,” said Ka-el. I was startled, how did he know I had removed all the items? I didn’t understand what was going on and I was fearful. “Now I will explain what we have sent to you and what you must do. The explanation will be difficult for you to grasp and will stretch your beliefs. Please be patient. You were chosen because of your reasonableness. There are many men and women of your planet who will envy you, but they have visions that are self-serving and in contrast to the work you must perform. You must be strong in your resolve to do what you will realize is the right thing. Your world has many flaws; we know you are very aware of them. Violence and crime of varying degrees infest all levels of your society. The cost of fighting this human disease is immense, both in human suffering and resources. With the tools we are providing, you will have the opportunity to end much of this suffering.”

I’m listening with disbelief. What the hell was going on? I was wondering if I had a choice here? Maybe I’d like to be asked before being cast as the world’s savior? If that is what I was being asked to do? Yet, there was also an incredible fascination, a colossal feeling of pride that little old me had been chosen. I was getting wrapped up in Ka-el’s words, enjoying the compliments and swelling with self-importance, in contrast to my normal self. Mary had remarked many times that I was a simple man, content with my family life, yet vocal about the injustices around the world. My success financially had not driven me, as so many do, to believe I was special and could repeat my success and parlay my good fortune into more riches. I was content with what I had achieved and intently proud of providing such a comfortable life for my wife and children.

“We discovered your planet more than three hundred million years ago. At that time there was no human life, but we recognized that at some point in time intelligent life would likely develop. Organisms of more than one cell were appearing and the atmosphere was conducive to an expansion of diverse life. For fifty million years our people monitored your planet. We would not know what or how fast life would develop. All the elements were in place, so we did what we have done on more than two hundred planets. Approximately two hundred and fifty million years ago we dispatched robots to set up a computer system around the planet and observe the development. Equipment, that you might imagine as computer servers were embedded in and around Earth in hard rock, strategically placed away from the edges of the tectonic plates. Energy would be obtained from the sun. We monitored your planet and have been doing so ever since.”

I’m trying to believe. I’m listening carefully and I’m flabbergasted. Do I trust Ka-el or not? I’m torn. Truly, I want to jump on the Ka-el train and ride it to the next station, but holy crap, it’s way out there. Patience, Dave, go with the flow. Let’s see where it takes me. I slurp the remains of my cold tea, spilling most of it on my shirt.

“The item in the curved container is a belt attachment that will connect you to the computer system we set up many years ago.”

Whoa! What did he say? It wasn’t a major leap to figure out that my alien friend here wants me to hook up to their computer system. You’re kidding, right? What happens then? I become some sort of zombie for this guy. Next stage, no doubt, I’m tasked with recruiting more of ‘my people’. Then bingo, Ka-el takes over the world and yours truly was the catalyst. No, sir! I don’t think so. I reach out and pressed the computer screen and Ka-el’s image freezes. Phew! Just saved the world. I jump up from the sofa and felt drips of sweat running down my face. I began wandering around the room, glancing sideways at the computer, keeping an eye on the evil thing, as if Ka-el would suddenly leap out and fasten his hands around my throat.

It was four-thirty, a little early for a Scotch, but I needed one and I needed it now. Black Label to the rescue. My usual two finger measurement became three. I told myself it was the volume of ice. Yea, right! The first slugs burnt down my throat, exploding inside me. Delightful. I breathed deeply, sucking air through my teeth, inhaling the whisky vapor deep down. It was magic. Three more large gulps and I leant forward and brought my alien buddy back to life. He explained, carefully, that I had to place the curved item around my waist, like a belt, bring the ends together and then it would do the rest. He said there would be no pain, just a tingling feeling at the back and sides where it met my skin. I fetched the item to the sofa and examined it slowly. It was clear, like plastic, seemingly innocuous. No leads, no connectors, no buttons or lights. I played with it for a while, wondering if there was a right way round. What if I put it on upside-down? It wasn’t clear. I guess it didn’t matter. Two more gulps of Black Label, which left ice-cubes resting against my top lip. I took another long breath, pulled up my shirt and placed the belt around my waist just above my pant line, bringing the stub ends together at the front.

Nothing! Or for a moment nothing. My heart flipped with disappointment as I suddenly thought that maybe it didn’t work. It was too big. There was a gap between the belt thingy and me. I unconsciously looked for holes to tighten it. Ha! Then it moved. Whoa! On its own. It closed around my waist and locked together at the front, though there was no visible mechanism. Then it tightened and I breathed in, sucking in my middle-aged mid-drift, which I suddenly remembered I was instructed not to do. Shit! I felt failure. They would move on to the next candidate. The belt molded itself to my body and stopped moving. Immediately I began to feel a tingling sensation at the back of my hips. Maybe a little warmth, certainly not uncomfortable. That lasted a short while, then nothing. I waited, standing between my sofa and the coffee table, unsure what to do next. Even though I was the only person in the room I felt conspicuous. Should I sit down? Earth to Cirion, ‘what do I do now?’

Ka-el chirped up, as if he’d heard my thoughts. “There is a small box about three inches by two inches. Remove the lid and take out one of the slim cards inside.” I did what he asked. “Hold the card out in front of you and to the side and let go.” That felt weird. Wouldn’t it just drop to the floor? I did it anyway and the card remained where I’d placed it in mid-air. That was disconcerting.

The doorbell rang.

Damn! Damn and more damn.

I speedily rearranged my clothing, clicked off the video feed and shut the door to the family room. I hurried down the corridor to find Betty beaming at me from the threshold.

“What?”

Betty was startled backwards by my curtness and almost tripped and fell off the top step. I tried to calm myself and took a deep breath. Her usual charming smile replaced by a look of concern.

“Are you sick, Dave?”

Oh, thank-you, Betty. Of course, I was.

“I think so.” I hoarsely replied, faking a red-raw throat.

“I’ve got the best thing for flu.” She said, her face lightening up once more.

I raised my hand like a stop signal. “Betty, I’m taking stuff, I can’t take anything else.” I croaked.

Disappointment leaped across her face. “Thanks anyway, I really need to be alone for a bit.” I continued.

She was lost for words for a moment, then decided to retreat. Yes!

“I’ll catch you later, Dave.” She left. Short and sweet, what on earth would she think. Not much of a friend.

Back in the family room, the card thing was still hanging in the air where I’d left it. Luckily my alcoholic intake was just kicking in and I accepted the strange phenomenon as perfectly reasonable. I opened the computer and restarted the video.

“Ask the computer to turn on.” Said Ka-el.

I foolishly looked around the room as if some other computer had suddenly appeared. For a moment I was dumbfounded and just stared at my laptop screen. I’m sure if Ka-el had been watching me he’d have thought I was a raving idiot and they’d picked the wrong guy for saving the world. Ha! A moron, you chose a moron.

Nothing happened and I stood staring into space. What did he mean, ‘ask the computer to turn on?’ I was lost. How many times had that happened to me with simple instructions? Maybe I was over thinking it. Gingerly I said to no one. “Computer, turn on.”

The business card sprang to life. I fell backwards and landed on the sofa, dumfounded once more. When I say, it sprang to life, it just lit up and projected a three-dimensional image in front of where it was hanging in mid-air. Ka-el’s was center stage, a calming smile across his thin lips. Behind him was a vision of what seemed like his world, taken from space. What was truly amazing was the definition. It was as though he was there, standing in my family room, the three-dimensional image was quite simply perfect. He held out his arms and turned his palms towards me, like he was defending his speech and indicating that he was not a dangerous person.

“Good.” He said, mechanically. “You can shut down your computer, you are now attached to our system. Everything from now will be explained from our system. You can use voice commands to operate the new system. It is vastly superior to what you have on earth currently. It will understand everything you say and query you if there is any ambiguity. I will no longer speak to you directly. The system can speak to you and show you whatever you need to see on the screen. When you have set up the eye-buds you will have a holographic screen in front of your vision that can only be seen by yourself. To shut the computer down, simple tell it and then carry the card with you. There is much to learn and it will take many days to master the system. Good luck David.” And woosh! Ka-el disappeared.

I gulped! No, I really gulped, a giant swallow.

Time for another Black Label.

Chapter 5

SALLY

I woke at about seven the following morning. My head was throbbing like the sound of a bass sub-woofer in a low-rider car parked on top of my skull. Extra Advil during the night had not rescued me and I accepted my fate for the start of the day. It was Thursday and as per usual I had nothing more important that day than to make sure I was fed and lubricated.

I hadn’t thought anything during the night about the events of Wednesday, due to my self-inflicted stupor. As I fixed a pot of coffee in the kitchen I began to recollect the words of Ka-el and craziness that had now seeped into my life. Instinctively I felt for the belt around my waist. It was still there, comfortable and inert. Perhaps I could remove it and bury everything in the garden, but I knew there was no chance I would do such a thing. Whichever way I twisted things around in my head I couldn’t escape the fact that so far all the espousing by Ka-el had been born out by my actions in finding the container, with its bizarre contents. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my fists and tried to forget just for a minute and re-enter the real world. The aroma from the coffee pot inspired me enough to elicit a slight grin across my mouth. It was quite simply unbelievable. At that moment in time I had no possible conception of the magnitude of what actually was happening to me and the effect it would have on the people of planet Earth.

I needed a walk. I needed to clear my head, to think carefully about what I should do next. I slurped down the final dregs of my coffee and threw some clothes on. Showering could wait, I often skipped the chore, wondering why our society had felt the need to wash so often. I’d heard that peasants in China only washed once or twice a year. I guess that would change when the soap, deodorant and perfume companies got their teeth into them.

The sun fought hard with the clouds to brighten up the dank air that covered Golden Gate Park. But it was losing, rain clouds were closing in from the west and the impending storm was emptying the joggers and strollers in all directions. I headed to a coffee shop, checking first that my tiny umbrella was in my pocket. The clientele were cold, and mostly old, I saw myself in their eyes. It felt wonderful to be away from my family room and amongst normal people. My head had stopped throbbing and the madness of the past day was beginning to assemble itself in neat sections in my mind. Why me? kept looming up on one side. From what was I supposed to be saving the world? That I pigeon holed as my next question. And then the technology. The 3D screen, no doubt common in their world but in its infancy on earth. What else was there? Ka-el had said it would take many days to master the system. What was the system? What were eye-buds? What technology were they giving to me? I thought of the container and its weight. Light as a feather to pick-up, yet the contents were heavier. As if gravity worked in a different way on the various items. I ran all this through my head realizing that the answers were back in my family room. The desire to discover those answers battled with the comfort and normalcy I felt in the coffee shop.

I reached home with little need for my umbrella. The container sat peacefully on the carpet, its contents strewn over the coffee table. I sat down in my usual spot and took a deep breath. Time to take it to the next level. Then somewhat self-consciously I said, “computer on.” The business card-like object on the table lit up. I picked it up and placed it in mid-air, quite expecting in to drop to the floor. But, there it remained, instantly reminding me that what I was dealing with had no semblance to the real world.

“How do you do that?” I said.

“Do what?”

The voice was female, I gasped prematurely and pushed back in the sofa as if I was trying to get away from it.

“Stay there!” I exclaimed.

“Oh, you mean in mid-air?”

“Yes.”

“Anti-gravity,” was the reply, the voice sounding like she was talking to a child. I guess she was.

“Who are you?” I said and before she could answer, quickly added. “Why the female voice?”

“I thought you’d figure that out?” I didn’t reply. “Intuition, plus eighty-seven percent of men in America chose the female voice on their car GPS.”

Made sense, I thought. My GPS was female.

“Eighty-seven percent, how’d you know that?” I said.

“I just added them up. I might have missed some that haven’t been turned on for a while, but it’s close enough.”

“Added them up!” I exclaimed, my voice rising with skepticism.

“Yes.”

I wondered whether to pursue this, recognizing that I had drifted away from my initial enquiry. “Tell me about the anti-gravity trick.”

“No trick,” she replied, matter-of-factly. “Just technology.”

“I see.” I guessed that would be the answer for a lot of things. I sat back a little and wiped my hand across my forehead, the perspiration dampened my palm. I removed my sweater.

“Do you want to see me?” she asked.

“I’m sorry?”

“Would you prefer it if I had form?”

For a moment I was confused, but then I stumbled out a reply. “I guess.” For some reason I was thinking of R2D2 from Star Wars.

“What would you like me to look like?”

“You chose.” I said, not really thinking.

Almost instantaneously the likeness of a young Bridgett Bardot appeared in front of me, dressed in a leather mini-skirt that was way too mini.

“Oh-my-god!” I exclaimed. My mouth gaped open, my eyes wide with amazement. I felt a swelling in my groin and my face reddened with embarrassment. I had to adjust myself.

She pouted, “you don’t like me?”

“No… no… I mean yes! Wow!” She smiled. “How did you do that?”

“Technology.”

I should have guessed.

“How did you know?”

“You had a black and white picture of her on your wall astride a motorcycle when you were a kid. I guessed you liked how she looked.” She smiled.

“How could you know that?”

Again she smiled, but didn’t say anything. Technology. But then I thought for a moment.

“That’s not technology. How could you possibly know about the picture?”

“I know everything.”

“Everything?”

“Well everything for the last two hundred and forty-eight million years.” She said, as if it was nothing.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, actually I’m not.”

“That’s incredible, it’s ridiculous, nuts, impossible.” I was dumbfounded and speechless for a while. I gazed at this gorgeous image in front of me and felt my heart race with excitement. My blood seemed to be surging through my body, I could feel a glow and a pulse over my entire being. My brow creased and I glanced out of the back slider. My house was not overlooked but if someone was to get into my backyard they would see everything.

She saw me look around. “I’ll keep an eye on the backyard.” She knew what I was thinking.

I was frightened for a minute. “Can you read my mind?”

She grinned, showing pearl white teeth. “No, I saw you checking the glass to the yard and guessed what you were thinking.”

“Oh, okay. But I think, maybe you should tone it down a bit.”

I think I confused her for a split second. That felt like a win. I smiled. The mini skirt suddenly disappeared and a black, demure pant-suit took its place. I breathed deeply, indicating my concurrence with the change.

“What are you?”

“What do you mean?” she replied.

“I assume you’re not real, but you look… well you know.”

“I’m a hologram within your understanding. Just a creation by the computer based on data and pictures that I reviewed.”

“Can I touch you?”

She smiled, as if she was truly a woman and I’d been rude. Then she reached out with her hand. I leant forward to touch her hand, but there was nothing there. My hand moved right through hers. She was a mirage. I was startled and withdrew my hand quickly.

“Weird.” I said, then became quiet. I stared at her, disbelieving. I felt frightened yet excited. What was happening here? Or was this really happening? Was I dreaming all of this? Too much Scotch maybe? But I hadn’t been drinking. Was I about to wake up and rejoin my world? I continued to stare.

“I need a name?” She said.

“What? Oh! yes, I guess that would be right.”

“Well?”

I stared at this goddess standing in front of me. I thought of my wife Mary and mentally said sorry to her. What for? she would have asked. Not Mary or Bridgette. “How about Sally?” I said.

“Bit boring, I was thinking more of Honaria or Scarlette, something down that line.”

“No!” I said, taking charge. “Sally. You are Sally.”

Chapter 6

NEXT STEP

“What now?” I said.

“I think we should fit the eye-buds.”

“Should I be worried?”

“No, it’s quick and painless and then you’ll be able to talk to me anywhere without the disc monitor.” She indicated the business card thingy, still handing in mid-air.

“So why did I need it in the first place?”

“It will be useful, you’ll see.” But I didn’t.

“Okay. What do I do?”

“Pick up the little box on the table and inside you’ll see six small discs.” It was the jewelry box. I picked it up and pulled the top off. On two stalks were tiny, transparent round discs, almost invisible to my eyes. I looked up at my instructor. “Moisten your index finger and then use it to pick up one of the buds and then place it above one of your eyes, but below your eyebrow in the recess close to your nose.” Sally indicated what she wanted me to do. I did as she asked. “Now do the same with the other bud.” With both eye-buds in place I looked up at Sally, expectantly. “Good, now just wait I little while.”

Nothing happened, or nothing significant, though I could feel a slight warmth above each eye where I placed the buds.

“Okay, let’s try them out.”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, petty simple, eh! First let me explain what you have. These buds will project an image in front of your face like a heads-up display. No-one else will be able to see or read anything on the display. They are customized for your eyes only. The display will adapt automatically to the data that you call up. You can scroll down or up as you please. So ask a question, something that you might ask Google. The computer can differentiate between a real question and your musings.”

“Okay.” I said, amused by it all.

For a second I wasn’t sure what to ask. Then I said, “what’s the weather for the rest of the day?” Immediately a verbiage presented itself in front of me explaining briefly the weather forecast. Wow! That was neat. No more fiddling with my phone. “Who was Beethoven’s mother?” Maria Magdelana Keverich, replaced the weather forecast, with a mini hologram of a woman who I presumed was Maria. But something was strange. The woman was moving, she was walking in a clearing, the trees in the background were blowing in the wind, they were in color. I was sure that video didn’t exist in the eighteenth century. I looked up at Sally. “It’s a video, it can’t be her.” I said.

Sally smiled back at me. “It will take a little getting used to but as I have already pointed out I have access to everything that happened on earth for the last two hundred and forty-eight million years.”

I carefully studied the computer hologram of Bridgette Bardot in front of me then at the woman walking through the woods. I could feel my heart beating in my chest. I simply couldn’t accept what Sally had just said.

“Everything?” I coughed out.

“Everything.” She repeated.

I was speechless once again. “I don’t believe it! It simply isn’t possible. The storage capacity would have to be astronomical. And where’s the camera? Are you telling me…” my voice was argumentative… “that you have cameras on every person on earth, every person in the history of mankind. You followed them around with your own little film crew, bullshit?” I crossed my arms.

Sally paused before she answered. Her face was quizzical, but the pitch of her voice hadn’t increased. “A monitoring disc is attached to the head of every newborn.”

“What? What did you say?” My demeanor was confrontational. I stood up, which was totally pointless.

“Wait, David, let me explain. Then have your say. It’s harmless.” She raised her arms in front of herself. She waited while I appeared to calm down. “The disc projects a monitoring device, like a camera, above the individual’s head at changeable heights that record their life. The recordings are saved. Our storage capacities are limitless; I can try to explain how it works but I don’t think it would help.”

I instinctively touched the top of my head.

“You won’t feel anything, touch the eye-buds.” I did, there was nothing there. “They disappear.”

“Who watches the videos? Who has access to the data?”

“Not too many people. The monitoring team on Cirion, but as you can imagine they are only interested in the major events on your planet. And on earth right now only you have access.” She smiled, she knew I’d be okay with that. She was right.

I felt like I couldn’t leave the subject. “How is it powered?”

Again a wry smile crossed her lips. “Each individual powers their own device by their pulse and body heat. When they die the camera shuts down and the recordings stop.”

“How do you attach the disc?” Seemed like a monumental task.

“I do that.” She said, matter-of-factly as if I should have known it. “I mean the computer system. It beams atoms at each newborn that form into the disc. It’s a tiny thing, it’s all automatic.” Her voice was so innocent like a child. “Do you want me to prove the recording was real?”

“Okay,” I said.

“Firstly I need to explain something else.” Now what, I thought. “The computer around your waste is connected to your spinal cord.” I felt for the belt and could feel sweat forming on my forehead. I guess I should have exploded at that point but maybe I was becoming numb to each new revelation. Sally could read my expression, she stepped forward slightly, her hands bent upwards in a defensive manner. “It’s not dangerous. It simply means that you can access the computer by thought.” Her eyebrows raised and she smiled kindly. I was silent. I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“So!”

“So now I’ll try to prove to you that the data that you can access is real.” I waited. “I want you to think of something in your past, maybe when you were young. You and your brother, in Ireland, playing football in the backyard. Something that you know wasn’t recorded.”

She knows about my brother! I guess that was a no-brainer. She probably knows which way I hang. Quickly I realized where she was going with this. My brother Gerry was two years older. We were inseparable as kids, always having a lark. Gerry still lived in Cork with his wife Moira, I didn’t see him enough. He’d attended Mary’s funeral, that was good of him. It’s a long way to come and he didn’t ask me to help with the fare. He’d worked his whole life, just about, at McDougal’s bakery and was now the production manager. I know how envious he was of my life style, but he was always happy to pay his way. I respected him for that. I remembered a day in the summer when we were both at St. Mary’s junior mixed infants, before he moved up to Middle school, leaving me to fend for myself. I missed him. We were playing one on one in the garden with old paint pots for the goal posts at one end and mum’s garden gnomes at the other. Big mistake. The ball was soft, it wouldn’t break those gnomes even if George Best had struck a bullet. Gerry was defending the goal with the gnomes and it was four-all, first to five. Loser had to cut the lawn. I came in hard and tried to side kick the ball with the outside edge of my foot across the front of Gerry who was backing up. It was a beautiful, delicate shot and I watched it go in, not paying attention to where I was. I tripped over the blue gnome and it broke into a million pieces. Oh, did I get it that night from Dad.

I smiled at the thought and looked up at Sally. Nothing had happened. “Well?” I exclaimed.

Her tone was patient. “You have to activate the computer and be definitive with your thoughts. Start by thinking ‘computer on’ or say my name, anything so the computer recognizes that you want it to respond.” I paused while I digested her instructions. Makes sense I guess. I calmed my mind and thought ‘computer on’ then I thought of that day when I’d broken the gnome playing football. The heads-up screen in front of me jumped to life and a video played in three-D of my winning goal. Oh-my-God! I couldn’t believe it. I thought ‘back up’ and the video played again. I paused the scene, with Gerry forlorn in the center of the picture. Tears began to run down my face. It was intense. I thought of Christmas that year when I’d been given a new bike. The picture changed to my family opening presents by the tree. My mother, God rest her soul, so beautiful in her best dress smiling and laughing as she watched the happiness on Gerry and my faces as we tore open the gifts. More tears ran down my cheeks and I choked and had to cough to clear my throat. For twenty more minutes I revisited my childhood, forgetting where I was and why. It was magical.

I jumped forward twenty odd years to my wedding day in Cork. Mary was stunning as she walked down the aisle. It was too much for me I had to hold my head and wipe my eyes. All this time Sally stood quietly, she understood and I guess she knew not to interrupt. These memories were precious to me, my instruction had to wait. Eventually, maybe close to an hour later I looked up at Sally.

I had taken my seat again and was sitting quietly, my mind all over the place. I believed now. I believed everything, even if I didn’t want to. During these last couple of days, I had been slowly encouraged to accept that there was other intelligent life in the universe and they had contacted me. That fact tugged heavily on my beliefs. I was a pretty simple guy, never seeking out the limelight. Happy to be part of the crowd. Content with my limited success, not flashy or big-headed, not trying to prove I was better than anyone else. All the great leaders of the world. Why not one of them?

It was astounding, totally incredible, but as I thought of all the data that was now at my fingertips I began to see a dark side. I could feel anxiety well up inside me. The repercussions of this data was dawning on me. I had access to the history of all mankind. That was undeniably very exciting but potentially very dangerous. It struck me clearly, all that knowledge put me at considerable risk. I could solve every crime ever committed. Could you imagine the shock wave that information would send around the underworld? An army of criminals would do anything, pay anything to suppress it. I would be the greatest target ever in the history of mankind. The witness protection program would be useless. The threat to me would be one thing, but it wouldn’t end there, my family would be targets also. I thought of my children. How could I accept whatever task these people from Cirion wanted me to undertake with that in the background? I wouldn’t last five minutes.

“It’s too risky?” I said, suddenly.

Sally smiled. “I can mitigate the risks. Let me explain how.” But I wasn’t listening.

Chapter 7

TEST

“I’m going to shower and I need something to eat.” It was almost noon and I’d missed breakfast.

“Okay.” She said and vanished. I shook my head. This was going to take a while to get used to.

The hot water surrounded me. I felt enclosed, away from the scrutiny of Ka-el and Sally. I could let my thoughts empty, stop worrying. It felt refreshing. I stood naked enjoying the heat from the water, trying very hard not to think of what was happening to me. But it didn’t last, I worried about the risks to my family and then I came back to the one fundamental question that I couldn’t escape which was why? Why had these people come here now? They had been watching us for all this time and now in 2016 they had decided to initiate contact. What did they want? What was their purpose? If I’d been chosen to save the world. From who? From what? Why did they care? What’s in it for the people of Cirion? I tried so hard to ignore my thoughts but I just couldn’t avoid the anxiety of those questions. As the water cascaded over me I called up Sally.

“Sally, why?” I inquired by thought.

The heads-up screen appeared in front of my face, unaffected by the downpour. Sally was on the screen, maybe a foot tall. She showed no sign of embarrassment due to my nakedness. But then, did she actually see me? I guess she did, but what did I mean to a computer? I left that thought for another time. Then suddenly Sally grew to full size and pushed back against the shower glass. Her clothes disappeared. She was naked. Oh jeez! She was moving around erotically, touching herself, breathing deeply, her mouth pouting. Moving her head from side to side. Oh God! What could I do? I was aroused, I must have glowed like a red beacon, the heat I felt. No! I thought. Then I screamed “No!” She stopped, her face folded, she was distraught. Her clothes jumped back onto her body and she vanished. Oh crap! I turned off the water and reached for my towel. The reason why would have to wait.

Twenty minutes later I was dressed and heading out the door. The rain had stopped, the wind from the ocean was breezy and cold, I pulled my coat collar a little tighter. The Plum Blossom Café was not too far, maybe a quarter of a mile. They did a tuna sandwich on sourdough bread with large slices of tomato and today I was going to add French Fries. I passed several people on the street but no one stared at me or paid me any attention. On reflection, why should they? I didn’t look any different than any other day. I felt conspicuous for no reason.

The café was mostly empty, the lunch-time crowd already back at work. An older couple were by the window and a couple of tables were occupied by single guys who looked like contractors of some ilk. They were both examining their cell phones between bites. I found a table for two on the side wall toward the back and took the seat looking out at the front entrance. I waited patiently enjoying the peace of being away from the craziness that had invaded my home. A young couple entered the café and sat at a table close to the front, cattycorner from where I was sitting, the guy with his back to me. The girl had long, dark hair, she seemed concerned about something and shivered noticeably as she sat down. She had a round, pretty face, with wide brown eyes, that were very red, as if she lacked sleep. She wore tight jeans; her cut-off pale blue jacket pulled close around her. She seemed familiar, maybe I’d seen her on the street before? I relaxed, I thought about Sally in the shower and laughed inwardly. What would Jimmy say, my motorcycle buddy, if I told him I’d got horny over a computer image in the shower. Then I guessed it wasn’t any different from viewing porn on your computer. Not something I did. Well, not for a long time, anyway.

The girl with the long, dark hair was fidgety. She would glance around the café and stared at me a couple of times. I wondered if I could use Sally to find out who she was? But then why? Would I be prying? No-one else would know. No-one could see the heads-up display. But wasn’t I trying to take a break from Sally? It was infectious, this power to delve into anyone’s past.

I used my thoughts. “Hey Sally, who’s the girl with the long, dark hair in the far corner?” I checked around café, there weren’t any other similar looking girls. Immediately the heads-up display appeared in front of me. It was so clear, I was frightened, it looked so easy for anybody to see. But no-one noticed. Her name was Claire Forman but she used the name Sissy. She was born on June 13 1998; she was only seventeen years old. Her home address was in Ohio. She had run away in March. Oh, Jeez! Did I want to know this? I told Sally to scroll down. Parents, brothers, sisters, schooling. I asked where she was living in San Francisco? And the computer said Gerard St. Okay. And who’s the guy she’s with? Bobby Raith came on the screen with a mug shot. Short dark hair with a quaff in the front. Intense eyes, set back, but not an ugly face. He was twenty-four, from Las Vegas, currently unemployed. Then a whole bunch of stuff appeared that I truly didn’t want to see. Raith had done time in Nevada for pimping and selling drugs. Multiple offenses that finally resulted in a year at a Federal Penitentiary. Just reading this data completely changed how I saw him. He’d walked into the café as a stranger and now, to me anyway, he was an unsavory character, who I obviously didn’t care for. Imagine how often we are in a restaurant or bar oblivious to the backgrounds of the people around us. Maybe you sat next to a serial killer yesterday, the next Jeffrey Dahmer. Maybe he was checking you out as his next victim. It was an amusing thought, because that scenario would be very unlikely, but people like Raith were probably everywhere. Then again, he’d paid his debt to society, maybe he’d reformed? I asked Sally to review his last two days and whether he’d done anything illegal. That brought a frown to my face, just as the waitress put the Tuna sandwich and real potato fries down in front of me.

“Not what you ordered?” She inquired, seeing my frown.

“No, I mean, yes. Perfect. I gave her my best smile.” She twisted her face and I could read, ‘stupid old fool’ in her eyes.

“Ketchup?”

“Yes, thank-you.” She left and was back in seconds with the ketchup.

At least she showed no sign of seeing the heads-up screen.

Back to spying on Raith, while enjoying my sandwich. This was fun, even though maybe it was wrong in some way. Seems that our boy was back to his life as a pimp and Claire was a prostitute. Dang! Seventeen and already on the streets. Maybe I should do something? Inform the police, I knew where he lived. I considered the implications. He would be arrested, I guess. What do I know of vice? She would be on the streets, maybe in a worse situation. Probably just find another pimp. I glanced over, I could tell they were having a heated discussion and they didn’t want anyone else to hear. They were doing the shouting whisper thing. I asked Sally if I could hear what they were saying? Immediately their voices were loud in my ears.

“…… this anymore.” Clair’s voice.

“You owe me rent Sissy. Pay me and I’ll cut you loose.”

“You know I can’t.”

“Well when you can, I’ll be waiting.”

Her head bent lower down toward the table, maybe she had started crying, I couldn’t tell. She was quiet. He was eating. Nothing was said. She picked up a half sandwich, her face was fraught, she wiped her eyes.

“That last guy was disgusting.” Clair again. “His breath smelt like a dead fish, I don’t think he’d washed for a week. He tried to put his tongue in my mouth, I nearly fucking barfed.” Raith was quiet. “I can’t do it anymore Bobby. It’s not fair.”

“Two more and you can take the rest of the day off, go to a movie.”

“Fuck you, Bobby!” It was a whisper. They both continued eating, they were quiet. They left shortly after, I let them go.

I asked Sally if any of the other people in the café were bad people. She asked me to define bad. Hmmm… I guess there are all levels, we would have a different perspective. I said, murderers, rapists, pedophiles (I hoped there were none of those, didn’t want to see their lives), beaters of women or children, oh and terrorists. Then I thought of anybody who’d been in jail and anybody who’d stolen more than ten thousand dollars. That will do I thought to myself. None of the other patrons fitted my criteria, which was good I guess.

I left the Plum Blossom café confused and elated. Should I have intervened in the life of Clair Folsom and Bobby Raith? I don’t know. I told Sally to keep an eye on Clair, let me know if she was threatened in any way. That at least made my decision not to get involved seem okay.

I was amazed at my new gift. I wanted to understand what it could do and I truly didn’t want to go home. It was a new toy and I was going to play with it, just like a kid at Christmas. I walked toward the Muni Metro on Judah. It was mid-afternoon, the sun was playing hide and seek with the clouds. The clouds were fluffy, not indicating any major rain. The wind had risen and blew strongly from the west, I hid my hands deep in the pockets of my warm coat. March was a beautiful month in the Bay area. The tourists hadn’t yet come out to play and warmer climes were just around the corner. While I waited for the train, the crucial question still hung heavily on my mind. Why? Why had the people of Cirion contacted us now? What was the threat to earth that had triggered this wild ride? Had Sally intentionally avoided answering me in the shower? If so, what were they hiding? Was that why she had stripped off? I decided it could wait until I got home later in the day. I just wasn’t in the mood for confrontation and I wanted to test out this new power that I’d been given. I took the Metro to Downtown. It was a mistake. I should have gone home and continued with my instructions.

Chapter 8

THE PROBLEM

The Muni Metro from the Sunset District where I lived was the busiest line in San Francisco, but on Thursday afternoon, heading east, the carriage was almost empty, just how I liked it. I examined the faces of my travelling companions and tried to guess who they were and whether they had any secrets. Then I called up Sally and asked her. None of the passengers met my criteria of ‘bad’. Mostly they were either old or heading in that direction like myself, or young women, often with pre-school age children, on their way home from visiting friends and relatives and eager to miss the rush-hour crush. All the new passengers at each stop were equally boring. My thoughts drifted to other things. Sally had said the recordings had started two-hundred and forty million years ago. What should I review? The obvious to me was Jesus Christ. As I was forming a question in my mind to ask, a wrenching feeling tore at my stomach. Did I want to find out the truth about the most famous person to ever walk the earth? I was brought up Catholic, my parents went to church on Sundays. But I couldn’t resist. I asked if there was a man called Jesus of Nazareth? And to show him to me. My heart thumped in my chest as his picture lit up on the screen. He appeared to be a poor man in a calf-length robe, dirty along the bottom edge and cuffs. His facial features bore a gentleness and his deep blue eyes radiated understanding. Not totally in keeping with the images that we all know, but similar. Yes, he did exist and yes he did preach his gospel of devotion to God. He died on the cross as we all believe. There was endless writing, which I would have to come back to. I was mesmerized by the simple image of this man who single handedly changed the world for the better and still after two thousand plus years was so revered. Was I the only person on earth to have seen him? It was an awesome feeling. I prayed quietly to myself asking Him to help me understand my current endeavor and I felt tears well up in my eyes and run down my cheeks. It was a truly moving moment.

I alighted at Powell St. and meandered slowly to Union Square, an immense feeling of pride and insignificance encasing me. My target was coffee in the square and an examination of the throngs that hung around that central landmark. I stopped in at a Starbucks and purchased a Grande regular to go, which I laced with half and half. I had a devilish sensation building up inside as I envisioned the results of my future snooping. I felt empowered, God-like. I would steal a look at various people and mentally point at them, exclaiming my superiority. ‘I know what you’ve done. You can’t hide from me.’ It was totally childish, but it was fun.

I took a seat on a cold bench across the street from the Westin St. Francis to begin my review of the people that frequented San Francisco. Using just thought I called up Sally and asked her to find me a ‘bad’ person in the Square.

One. What? I was disappointed. I lifted my head and saw a middle-aged guy sitting not too far away at an open-air café. He looked pretty tame to me. My heads-up display said he was Milton Frisen and his only crime was hitting his wife twenty odd years ago in Germany. I ignored him.

‘You might try expanding the area, include all the offices, shops and hotels?’ It was Sally’s voice I heard in my head.

‘Good idea, Sally.’ I imagined bad dudes only came out at night and were sleeping off yesterday’s sins.

Dang! Six hundred and twelve people made the list. I could feel a sudden fright inside myself. I queried the total number of people reviewed, which was more than three thousand. All of them were out of sight. Mostly men but there were a few women. I was totally fascinated. More than twenty percent of the population of this area. That’s pretty telling. I told Sally to sort the names by criteria. Most of the bad people were wife beaters, four hundred and two. I wondered if a slap would add your name to the list. I moved on and asked if there was a murderer in my midst? Seven, and two were women. Wow! I reviewed the two women. Both had killed their husbands; one had been caught but got off claiming self-defense. The other had done just five years for manslaughter. But the details on my screen told a different story. They were both guilty as hell. The first murder happened in 1997, eighteen years ago and she’d been re-married and done nothing bad since. The other woman, a Hispanic woman, was also reformed and a little further digging into her life, revealed that her husband was a true bastard. Good riddance.

I turned to the men. Many of the crimes were a long time ago, one guy had done time, twenty-five years in various penitentiaries. The other men on the list hadn’t been caught. I picked one, a guy called Manuel Fuentes. A nasty piece of work. Six murders, starting eight years ago. Four were gang-bangers, drug related, one was a woman, prostitute, he’d wanted rough sex. One was a kid, her kid; I didn’t like that. A ten-year-old boy, he had tried to defend his mother, Fuentes had hit him, too hard. No witnesses. I cringed, my heart beat a little harder. One never knew who was sharing your space. Fuentes was twenty-eight and from Chicago, the south side. I asked for his current location. He was across Geary in the mall, with a girl, checking out the shops. ‘Put him on the screen, real time’, I demanded. I could feel sweat building on the back of my neck. I loosened my coat, it appeared to be warmer even though I knew it was just my reaction to being so close to the child killer. I had to see this guy in the flesh, so I left my bench and crossed Geary. The little shopping mall was spotless; shoppers were well dressed and the stores were expensive. Not a place I’d expect to see the likes of a murderer. I glanced at a stranger walking alone, coming toward me and wondered, but didn’t check.

Fuentes was sitting outside a women’s clothing store, examining his phone. I took up a vantage point behind him to the left, so he couldn’t see me. He was wearing a Suns sweatshirt and blue jeans and a clean pair of expensive looking sneakers. I didn’t see a coat. Tattoos were clearly visible on the left side of his neck. His build was small, wiry. I walked past him, he was intent on his phone and didn’t look up. There was a one-day old stubble on his face, his nose was broken and what was left of it was squashed flat and bent to the right. His eyes were close set and dark. Not a pleasant looking person, at all. I carried on to a jewelry store and pretended to look at the display in the window. I could see his reflection in the glass. What should I do about him? I had no idea.

I walked on until I was out of his sight. I requested the list of his victims, they were all Hispanic from the Phoenix area. I re-checked his address, which was Chicago. I guess he’d fled town. The last murder was just five months ago. Ricky Gomes, twenty-two, Phoenix address. My heart jumped a beat, he was standing next to me, looking at the rings.

“Hey Manny, look at that one!” it was the girl he was with. She was beaming at a big diamond. I glanced at her briefly, Fuentes noticed and smiled at me. She was cute, petite, with enormous, brown eyes. Short black hair, she also wore blue jeans, her top was covered with a red leather jacket, it looked new. I nodded and moved away, telling myself to calm down, he had no idea that I knew who he was and what he’d done. I had to look again, mistake, he noticed, this time no smile, just a ‘who the fuck are you looking at, stare’. I walked away, not looking back. Jeez! I’m a moron.

There’s a Starbucks in the mall, I headed there and ordered a tall coffee and sank into a comfortable sofa facing out into the mall. What had just happened? I asked myself. Why was I so scared? What on earth did I expect to do? I hadn’t thought through any of this prior to embarking on this foray into the secrets of the populous. I breathed deeply and made no effort to check out the other patrons. It felt better that way. I needed to think and really wanted to have someone to talk to.

Eventually I asked Sally by thought. “What can I do about Fuentes?”

Sally’s image appeared on the heads-up display. She was wearing black, cotton pants and a light blue top, cut across the shoulders. She looked sophisticated and totally stunning. The sins of the shower were forgotten. “Well let’s see. You could just ignore him and let him live out his life in Chicago. He’ll probably get caught someday, anyway. You could confront him and say that you know who he is and what he’s done, but that might elicit an unpleasant response which might not be conducive to your health.” She was smiling. I’m sure if anybody had noticed my expression, sitting there alone, they would have thought I’d farted and felt good about it. My computer was becoming very cheeky. I growled silently to show my indignation. “You could terminate him. Well technically, I would do that, but on your orders.” The smile was now a grin, almost a laugh.

“What! What did you say?”

“Get rid of the dude, it’s really simply.” She said.

“How?”

“Well I could slice him up real bad, but that’s messy.” Now my eyes had widened to their fullest extent and I nearly coughed up my coffee. “Or, I could induce a heart attack. He’s a bit young, but no-one will care, he’s not a pleasant fellow, is he?” She had placed her hands on her hips and was grinning from ear to ear.

I was speechless for a moment, my brain all knotted up. I glanced around the coffee shop. Had anyone heard us plotting murder? No one paid me the slightest attention. I swallowed hard, holy crap, this was difficult to get used to.

“How?” I queried, placing my coffee on the table before I spilt it.

“What, slice him up?”

“No! the heart attack thing.” She was having fun with me.

“Well, pretty easy actually. I just fire a burst of atoms at him. They penetrate his chest cavity, leaving no trace of course, and form into a clip that attaches to his aorta. That cuts off his blood supply and you can guess the rest.” Again she grinned as if killing this guys was like going for a bike ride. “The clip dissolves after a while, no trace.”

I’m dumbfounded again. “Have you done this before?”

“Nope! This would be the first. I’ve been longing to try it though.” She looked like a schoolgirl at that moment.

“It doesn’t seem to bother you?”

“Why should it? He’s a nasty person. Right up there in your bad category. Anyway, it would be your decision. I just do what you say.” Ah! the military answer, I was just carrying out my orders. There was a pregnant pause as I tried to figure out what the hell was happening here. Was I some pawn in a game? It was all crazy, I’m not killing anyone, murderer or not. We have a justice system in the US. This is not the way civilized people acted.

“It’s not going to happen, Sally, no way.”

Her face frowned, a stark look of disappointment came over her. Then a smile crept along her mouth. “How about we send an anonymous email to Ricky Gomes’ brother?”

“Who?”

“The last guy Fuentes killed, Gomes. His brother wants to find Fuentes. I’m sure you can guess why? We send him an email with Fuentes address in Chicago.”

“And let him kill Fuentes?”

“Yep. Your hands would be clean. Neat huh?”

“It’s the same thing, Sally. I’d still be the conduit to Fuentes death. No!”

“Oh, you’re no fun!”

I was wrestling with this discussion. “I’m having a problem here young lady,” I said to Sally. “I don’t see myself as a vigilante. However bad our justice system is, we do at least have a system. If Gomes’ brother knows that Fuentes killed Ricky, why doesn’t he go to the police?”

“Come on, Dave, you know why. Thick as thieves. Snitches. Those people don’t do that. They take care of their own business.

I guess she was right. “So what are the police doing about the Gomes murder?” I asked.

“Nothing. They know who did it, but they can’t prove it in court. The witnesses won’t testify. They know Fuentes has moved to Chicago. They’ve informed the local police force where he lives and they’re happy to see him gone. One more bad guy off their patch. You have a system in the US but I’m not sure you can say it works. Do you know how many crimes go unpunished? About eighty-two percent.”

I picked up my coffee and finished what was left. I’d lived in America for thirty years and I’d never suffered any violence. Was I just lucky? The media was alive with disasters, murders and all the horrible things that happen to other people. I followed it and frowned about it and criticized every mistake by the authorities, but I didn’t do anything about it. I mean, what could I do? But now I could do something and I was shying away.

“Sally, can you make a video of the Ricky Gomes murder and send it to police officer in charge of solving the case?”

“Sure, I can. But you better think through the implications. Someone, the defense council for Fuentes, will ask where the video came from. How is that going to be answered? Last thing you need is your name and face plastered all over the press. Imagine trying to explain how you came to have the video?”

“We could send it anonymously.”

“We could and for one or two cases that may work. But there are thousands of unsolved murders every year. It would look sort of strange if videos started turning up for all those cases.”

She was right. Okay, enough of this. I checked the time, it was gone five. The mad rush home had begun. I had no reason to suffer the misery of breathing the stale odor of bored commuters. I headed back into the mall and out onto Geary. Every hotel had a bar and every bar had Black Label. That lifted my spirits and the pun brought a smile to my face.

Chapter 9

THE SOLUTION

The second double was as good as the first. Every time my mind tried to steer its way back to Sally and the madness that had entered my life, I fought hard to veg out and close my thoughts. The bar was now full of like-minded individuals and hotel guests. That early drinking crowd knew what they wanted. ‘Leave me alone, don’t say a word and let me revel in the peace and quiet of my own thoughts and of course the buzz.’ The few people chatting were sitting at tables away from the hardened alcoholics leaning forlornly at the bar. It was serene and comfortable and I told myself that I should make more of an effort to come into the city, instead of drinking alone at home. Oh, the joys of aging.

Maybe I should have left it at two, but I was fighting off Sally and the people of Cirion. I needed more fuel. More of what I described as my ‘Nectar-of-the-Gods’. That third double was probably why I ended up terminating Fuentes, but he would never know the real reason. Or maybe it was the two glasses of Merlot that accompanied the superb Spaghetti Pescatore in the hotel restaurant.

Eventually Sally came back, I couldn’t resist. I called her in my mind while sipping after dinner coffee.

“Okay. Let’s do it.” I said to her.

“Do what?” She inquired.

“Terminate Fuentes.”

Sally leapt onto my heads-up display. A small doll-like figure just a few inches high. Dressed now in jeans and a white t-shirt. Her blond hair flowing in an imaginary wind. Her lips full and pouting, glistening with red lipstick. Quite simply, fucking gorgeous. She grinned with delight.

“Really?”

I nodded. She looked like she wanted to query my decision, but then I could see a steely look of delight in her eyes.

“Now?” she said.

I nodded again.

“The clip thing, right?”

My mind was swimming in a lake of alcohol; it took a while to surface. “Oh yes, right. The clip. No mess.” Then I added. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

“No! I’ve never had someone…. I mean…. you’re the first director I’ve had.” There was a pause. “He’s in the shower.”

“What? Oh, Fuentes. Okay. Do I have to be there?” That had a sobering effect on me. I had no wish to see Fuentes die.

“No, oh no. I can do it from here.” She said.

Unbelievable.

That was perfect I thought. It occurred to me that was how all military and political leaders operated. They just ordered it done. No need to get their hands dirty. No wonder it was so bloody simple to kill people. Pangs of guilt flared up in my chest, but were dulled by the alcohol. Sally’s face changed, even though these were my private thoughts, she could read my face. She knew what I was thinking and I’m sure she understood. She didn’t say anything, but she raised her eyes and creased her forehead awaiting my approval.

I accented with a nod of my head.

“It’s done.” Sally said to me and even through her thoughts I could hear a change in her voice. “Do you want to see?”

I raised my hands up in front of me. I must have looked stupid, sitting alone in the restaurant, gesticulating to no-one.

“No!” I exclaimed in my mind.

Chapter 10

FURTHER INSTRUCTION

I woke at ten on Friday, my head thumped. I could hear rain falling in the street outside and the sloshing of cars through the puddles. All I remembered about the ride home was the spinning of the train, like a corkscrew, every time I shut my eyes. I’d fought to keep them open. Coffee was a help and by the third cup I was feeling alive again. I hadn’t thought much about the events of the previous evening, but now they rushed by me. It was so quick and so easy. The sense of power was colossal and yet deep down so wrong. I called up Sally.

“Sally, what’s the news on Fuentes?”

My heads-up glowed in front of my eyes. The scene was an ambulance, outside the Union Hotel, just around the corner from where I’d enjoyed the pasta and merlot. A body, covered in a white sheet, was being loaded into the back of the ambulance. I young Hispanic girl was being escorted to a police car behind the ambulance.

“They’ll do an autopsy and say he died of a heart attack. His girlfriend is booked on a flight back to Chicago tomorrow. She doesn’t know much about Fuentes, not even where his mother lives. The trip to San Francisco was for her, thanks for some great sex, she’d only known him for a few weeks, so she’ll get over it. She didn’t stay with the body long, she looked bored and made some excuse that she felt ill. Can you believe, she went to a bar and ended up with some other guy. She was a prostitute for a while in Chicago, but now made money running crack cocaine for a bunch of local hooligans. I could give you more?

“Okay, enough.” Really, what did I expect. Then I realized I hadn’t believed that Fuentes was dead. He was, end of story.

The image disappeared, but Sally appeared on the screen, more demure than yesterday, a dark blue dress below the knee, no cleavage. Hair pinned back in a pony-tail, matronly. “You need more instruction.” She said it out loud. She wanted to be sure I understood it was important. I wondered if she’d been told by Ka-el, but I didn’t think they could have real time conversation, or send instructions that fast. It didn’t matter, I wasn’t in the mood. What more did they want to show me? I glanced at the container, still there on the carpet, in my family room. I need to hide that damn thing. The contents were still on the coffee table, un-opened packages, containing I don’t-know-what. I didn’t feel good about what had happened, yet I couldn’t muster any deep-down concern for Fuentes, either. He was a child killer, the worst of our society and his death probably meant someone else would live.

I didn’t respond to Sally. Instead I went upstairs and showered slowly and dressed even slower. She didn’t repeat the shower episode of yesterday, she had learned.

Downstairs again I fixed some cereals, cornflakes and blueberries, no sugar. More coffee. I checked my cellphone, still sitting on the kitchen counter-top, I hadn’t taken it into the City. Three messages, two from Maggie. I checked the voicemail. First one was a heads-up that Adam was sick and had cried off Saturday’s visit, but she was still coming. She didn’t want to catch whatever Adam had. The second one asked if we could go out to a restaurant on Saturday. I texted her back, said sorry about Adam and of course we could go out. Did she want me to book something? The third message was Jimmy. Was I going to church on Sunday? Church this week was the 3-Zero café in Half Moon Bay, adjacent to the airport, a great place for breakfast. I texted Jimmy that I planned to be there.

I’d avoided Sally and my further education, but I knew that it had been temporary. I fixed some more coffee and made myself comfortable in my usual spot on the sofa. But I wanted an answer before any more of this instruction stuff. I asked Sally to appear, full size. She wanted to speak, but I raised my hand. By the look on her face I think she knew what was coming.

“Why?” I said, emphatically. “I want to know why the people of Cirion have decided now, 2016, that Earth is in danger and you need me to do whatever it is you want me to do. And what the hell is it, why me, what do you want from me?” I’m sure she registered the forlorn look that overtook my appearance. I fell quiet, I watched this thing, this computer hologram of a beautiful woman. I had to remember that Sally was fake. I was still struggling with the concept.

“Dave,” just the tone of that one word told me she was going to sidestep the question. “You will be told, trust me.” Yea right! “Everything. But I can’t tell you just yet.” I was pissed, and I’m sure it showed. “After all of your instructions. That’s what Ka-el wants. You need to be aware of your position. You need to understand how protected you will be.” I thought of Fuentes and how easily Sally had taken him off the table. “I can tell you, the people of Cirion do not have any evil intentions toward the people of Earth. You are both the same race. You are both human, in form and beliefs. Of course there are differences, your differing environments ensured that you each developed to best conquer your worlds. There are other human civilizations, the Cirion people want to embrace the human form. There are dangers in the universe that your people have yet to discover. We want you to survive those dangers and become a part of human expansion throughout the universe.

“You will never meet the people of Cirion. Even with their advanced technology, they have not discovered a way to travel faster than the speed of light. Maybe one day in the future. They have reached out to many worlds, just as your astrobiologists are sending out probes to try and discover if there is intelligent life outside of your planet. It is just one of many projects they are conducting on Cirion.”

She stopped there, I felt a little more comfort but couldn’t help wondering if she was telling the truth. If the Cirion people had evil intentions to the people of Earth would she tell me? Then again, what I’d seen of their technology would indicate to me they could wipe us out in a nanosecond. I guess I’d have to finish whatever instructions they still had and find out the answer to the sixty-four-million-dollar question after that. One thing did occur to me, I hadn’t caught the Cirions in a lie as yet.

Using thought I said. “Okay young lady what’s next then?” She’d changed her clothes again. Back to blue jeans with a black silky top. She looked good, but then, she always looked good.

She spoke out loud. “Open the large container.”

I did what she asked. Inside was a silver garment, very light, clingy, sort of mesh, in two pieces. I held them up to examine them more carefully. There were pants and a shirt with long sleeves and no collar. I glanced at Sally and my face said. ‘You really want me to put this on?’ It didn’t look, ME. Not anything I’d be seen dead in. She smiled. Oh crap! Maybe I could fight her on this. She smiled again. Damn.

“What is it?” I asked.

“A smart-suit.” She replied matter-of-factly, as if I should know. “You’ll like it.”

Dang, that’s what my mother would say when she’d just got back from the store with some hideous outfit she wanted me to wear. I was the kid who wore my clothes until they were thread-bear, hated new stuff, all stiff and starchy. I held up the outfit once more.

“How do you know it’ll fit?”

That bloody smile again. “Any size fits all.” Now she was holding back a laugh.

“Very funny.” I headed toward the door with the intention of retreating to my bedroom for the fitting.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Upstairs.”

“Here’s good. I’ve seen you naked.” She was loving this.

“Once is enough.”

“Ahhh! Spoil sport.” She let out a shriek of laughter.

I left and went to my bedroom and laid the garment on the un-made bed. It was then that I noticed that there were no holes where my feet would go through. Oh-my-God, it’s like a pair of bloody tights. I’m going to look like a silver spider-man. I was on the edge of returning to the family room to protest, when Sally suddenly appeared at the opening to the bathroom. Crap! For a while I’d forgotten that this thing, that looked like the most beautiful women in the world, was a computer and basically was everywhere.

I laughed. I could see the funny side. “I guess I should have stayed downstairs.”

Sally didn’t answer. I undressed and re-dressed in the ‘smart-suit’, at first leaving my underwear on, but Sally shook her head on that. Surprisingly it felt very comfortable, as if I was wearing my oldest, most loved outfit, but I was scared what I must look like. I didn’t even want to look at my manly bulge. I stepped gingerly to the bathroom and the full-length mirror on the door of the walk-in closet. Oh God, I was right. I looked ridiculous. My aging body didn’t do silver Spider-man any favors. And the bulge, well I shouldn’t say, but it was there, but with limited mass. I turned around to protest to Sally. No-way was I going out anywhere in this thing.

She was grinning from ear to ear. “I’m sorry,” she said and calmed her glee as best she could. “I want you to use thought. Think ‘Clothes’. Then think of an outfit you like to wear, like the jeans and t-shirt you just removed.

I hesitated for a second, then did what she said. Immediately I could sense a change in my appearance, even though the feeling of comfort was unchanged. I turned and looked in the mirror and gasped. My silver suit was now my faded jeans and blue innocuous t-shirt. My mouth gaped open. I should have realized. These people weren’t earthly human; they were so far ahead of us we were like ants.

“Shoes.” Said Sally.

I looked down and saw my silver clad feet and thought of sneakers and watched as they magically appeared on my feet. I turned to Sally, “explain”.

“You can look however you wish. Any garment you chose will feel exactly the same as any other. The computer creates a mirage, like a hologram. The smart-suit will protect you from all elements. You will not feel cold or excessive heat. Your bare arms are covered by the suit, but it’s transparent. The raised cloth around your wrists can become gloves and the raised area around the neck can be a hood.”

“So I throw it in the wash with my other stuff, right?”

She laughed. “No, it’s self-cleaning.”

“You’re kidding?”

“Dirt is just atoms like everything else, the material recognizes foreign particles and expels them. Cool huh!”

Very cool, I thought, but she’d just destroyed the whole garment industry on earth. Might not go down well with Macys and JC Penny. Whirlpool and Maytag won’t be too happy either. Mrs. Wong at the drycleaners would be peeved.

I had some fun with different outfits, from motorcycle clothing to tuxedos, business suits of varying design and the clothes I was most comfortable wearing. It was truly astonishing. Maybe I could patent the smart-suit and start production.

“How does it work?” I asked.

“Huh!”

“The smart-suit?”

“The computer projects a micro-thin holographic layer on top of the suit. Basically, there is nothing there, it’s false, just like me. When you touch it, it feels just like the smart-suit whatever you’ve chosen to wear. Just a trick of the eye really.”

I patted my hand along the suit, weird, but it worked.

We were back in the family room. I was comfortable in my make-believe jeans and t-shirt, Sally matched me with her outfit. The rain had ceased and the sun was now coming through the windows in long lines, highlighting the dust that filled the air, my silver smart-suit adding to their numbers.

“Now something essential, to keep you alive.”

I was all ears.

Chapter 11

JO-EL

“The raised ring at the edge of the collar of the smart-suit has another function. It’s controlled by the belt attachment at your waist, which links into the main-frames around the planet.”

“How many?” I butted in.

“What?”

“How many main-frames, as you call them?”

“Oh, nineteen. The Cirion word for them translates more literally into base stations. It’s all the same. But they are computers that you would understand, I’m their conduit. Anyway, the smart-suit collar. Just as you can project an image of any type of clothing you are wearing, you can project a different facial look.”

“I can change my face?” I exclaimed, it gets better.

“Basically, yes.”

Back to being dumfounded. Wow! That’s incredible I thought. The implications were unfathomable. I could hide in plain sight. Commit any offence, change your appearance. With the smart-suit, it was limitless. In the wrong hands this stuff would be priceless. How could society function with this stuff? The police would be so screwed, their job quite simply impossible.

“So, you want to try it?”

“Sure.” I answered.

“Okay, so it’s all done by thought. Pick a word or phrase to tell the computer you are changing your face. Then give it some parameters and it will take care of the rest.”

I thought ‘change face’. Why complicate the procedure? Then imagined a young George Clooney, maybe with a touch of Daniel Craig. Definitely saw myself as an American James Bond. Inside I was as excited as child with a new toy.

Sally produced a mirror out of nowhere and I stared in disbelief. Holy crap I had hair and my features were well I guess a cross between Clooney and Craig. I was one good looking dude. I think I even fancied myself. A wide grin crossed my face and I reached up to touch my new locks. That was a disappointment, didn’t feel like hair at all. I looked over at Sally.

“Nothing’s perfect,” she said. “Try some other looks, get used to changing and make sure you fit the clothes to the look.

“Can I go black?” I enquired with interest.

“Sure!”

I changed to having black skin, sticking with the movie star theme. I went with a cross between Idris Elba and Harry Belafonte, when I viewed myself in the mirror I was blown away. Most attractive black man on the planet. After a moment I checked my hands and arms, they too had changed. Would look pretty stupid otherwise.

“What about my voice and accent?” I asked. I’d lost my Irish accent many years ago, but most Americans recognized I was from somewhere. When I went home to Ireland, they thought I was American.

“The computer will change it to match your look.”

I played around for half an hour or so, alternating from Caucasian to Hispanic to Middle Eastern, then to American Indian, with the full pony-tail, to Asian, that didn’t feel right for me at all and back to Caucasian. Absolutely incredible! Sally watched me indicating whether she approved or disapproved. She would frown or smile or give me a thumbs up or thumbs down. We were having fun.

“Can the Cirion people do this?” I asked.

“Of course,” Sally replied. “They also like bright skin colors.” Oh, right, I remember when Ka-el was showing me that video of the people of Cirion, many were green, must have been the color-du-jour.

“I guess they don’t have much racial tension?”

“Absolutely none,” she said. “Amazing that technology solved the race issue, isn’t it? But that was a long time ago on Cirion.”

“What about crime?” I asked. “If a criminal can change his appearance how would he or she be found?”

“Just about eradicated. The computer monitors everyone from birth. There are still acts of violence but one hundred percent are caught and punished.”

“So, do they have police?”

“No, or planetary military. No crime, no wars for millions of years. With the ability to adopt any racial look, the whole reason to conquer was eliminated.”

“But war is invariably a battle of power between megalomaniacs, it’s an ego thing. The proletariat just get to do the fighting and dying.”

“There aren’t any weapons to fight with and if some crazy person started to manufacture weapons it would be discovered in no time. You can’t hide that stuff. Anyway, nobody is going to fight for you. There’s no poverty, no underclass, no need to get all upset about your neighbor’s wealth. In a society where you only work if you want to and food is abundant, robots take care of your needs. Health is just about guaranteed. Sex is available whenever you want it, war is just not a consideration. It’s banished to the history books.”

“What about differences of opinion?” I asked. “People must disagree.”

“Sure they do. But nothing major. Maybe, which sports team is best, which food tastes better, what entertainment should win the awards. Nothing to fight about.”

“Sounds like paradise. Nirvana. Too good to be true. I would love to see it. I only wish Earth could be like that.”

Sally smiled.

“It’s been like that for tens of millions of years on Cirion, it’s accepted. But we must finish this part of your instruction. You need to pick a look that you will use consistently outside of here. One that will become recognized by the rest of the world.”

“I do?” I enquired. I was thinking this through. Why couldn’t I just change constantly.

“Keep the changes to blend in when necessary, to hide when you need to. Ka-el believes this will be best.”

“Oh well than, Ka-el has spoken, what more do I need to know? Okay,” I said.

I went with the Clooney-Craig guise. Looks wise it was lightyears ahead of my bald scalp and podgy face. Plus, it made me look twenty years younger. Who wouldn’t want to be back to their thirties?

“So what are you going to call yourself.”

“What’s wrong with Dave?”

“Nothing is wrong with Dave, but you need your alter-ego to be completely separate from who you are now. I think you’ve already figured out that you will be a target for many unsavory characters.”

That was true. Just being able to call up data on everybody on earth and delve into all history was power beyond belief.

“Okay,” I admitted. “What name does Ka-el think I should go with? I mean he’s the boss, right?” I was being flippant.

“Well, as you asked,” Sally grinned wide, her tone soft and pleading. They had already decided on a name; it was so damn obvious. “How about Jo-el?”

She pronounced it with the Jo separate from -el. Didn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out where that’d come from.

“That’s it!” I said. “One word.”

“With the hyphen.”

“Just like Ka-el, with the hyphen,” I replied. “What does that make me his son?”

“Only by name. But it’s up to you, Dave.” She threw me her most persuasive smile.

I considered it for a while, but in my heart, I knew I was going with Jo-el. I mean these guys had put a hundred million years into this venture, I was the newbie. Plus, what did it matter to me, I was Dave Murphy and nothing was going to change that. Any different name was going to seem weird, whatever it was. Jo-el was right up there with bizarre, but with all this craziness and farfetched technology Jo-el appeared to fit right in.

“Okay,” I smiled and did a twirl, “let me introduce you to Jo-el, super-sleuth from the planet Cirion.” Jeez, it sounded totally ridiculous and cheesy. Who was I kidding.

Sally was beaming. “Take a break, go out and try some new characters. But leave Jo-el hear for a while.

“Why?” I enquired.

“More instruction.”

“More!”

She smiled warmly, “the best is yet to come.” Sally disappeared.

Chapter 12

AN EDUCATION AT THE BEACH

I took the train west on N Judah to Ocean Beach, still as Dave Murphy. I crossed the inner Great Hwy to the bathrooms by the beach and when I was out of sight I changed my appearance to a fortyish black man with a disheveled beard and an old grey coat. My shoes were tatty and the sleeves of the coat torn. I didn’t want to appear like a beggar, more just a poor black, working guy. I was fascinated and to be honest excited to experience how differently I’d be treated. The wind was sharp and very cold, blowing off the ocean. The waves whipped up white horses and the palm trees bent deeply over. I was comfortable, as if I was cocooned in an electric jacket and pants. My face felt the bitter wind but I was used to that. I crossed back over the road to find a café for lunch. This was going to be interesting.

The café was warm and inviting, freshly mopped floors and spotless checkered, blue table clothes welcomed the patrons. There was a sign at the door to seat yourself. The café was three quarters full, a table for two was available near the back on the right side. I took the seat against the wall so I could watch the people watching me. All the other guests were white, except a young, very pretty, black girl with an equally young white guy by the window. Neither of them paid me any attention. I realized quickly that my garb was by far the least desirable in the establishment. But my clothes were clean and I know my aroma wouldn’t offend the queen.

In fact, most of the patrons ignored me, except for two tables. On the other side of the café also at a table against the wall were two middle aged white women. The one with her back against the wall had looked up and then bent forward and whispered something to her companion. I hadn’t noticed the other lady look around. The second group who looked up when I was making my way to the table were two women and a man, elderly, maybe in their late sixties. I sensed a huddle and whispers as I passed their table. They were sitting not too far from me at a table for four in the open area. Both women had identical, ugly red hats, that flopped low over their ears. They looked like a couple of reindeers gearing up to pull Santa across the frozen wastes. They weren’t eating so I presumed they were waiting for their food.

The waitress, a young white girl, with long, light brown hair and pale, almost albino skin, plonked the menu down on my table, she didn’t say anything. As Dave Murphy, middle aged white Caucasian, I would have been surprised by the curtness. I had no idea what to thing as a fortyish black guy. I said nothing, she was gone before I could open my mouth. I browsed the menu.

I seemed to draw minimal attention, that was good. But then again, I seemed forgotten by the waitress. Five minutes went by, maybe that doesn’t sound like a long time, but I would have liked to order a drink. My annoyance grew when I noticed a single woman, who had arrived after me, sipping something hot from a cup. I waved at the waitress and called, ‘excuse me’ but to no avail. My gesticulating did solicit the attention of several other patrons. Both red hats glanced and growled. I tried to be patient.

Ten minutes passed and no luck. I was upset and begun waving at the waitress once more. Then I noticed a balding, young man, maybe mid-thirties, heading my way from behind the counter. Hallelujah, attention at last. I hadn’t noticed him before, so maybe the manager.

“Excuse me sir,” he almost whispered and didn’t smile. “Can you afford to pay?” He stood there, dead still, a little nervous.

There was a pregnant pause. My lips parted and closed, but no sounds were emitted. It felt like a hush came over the café. The reindeers perked up their noses and their flaps swung back. I swallowed deeply, reached into my pants pocket and removed my wallet. I pulled the notes methodically from their slot, there was more than a hundred dollars there. The man sort of smiled and left, but he didn’t take my order. I felt smug but that quickly turned to anger. He went over to the waitress and said something, she sauntered over to my table and took my order for a BLT, French fries and an ice-tea.

Wow, so far my experience at being a poor black man was ghastly. Maybe I should have dressed a wee bit more up-market. The café returned to its normal hubbub and my ice-tea arrived without a smile. I sipped it noisily, showing my disgust. The wait for the BLT was excruciating, I wanted to leave. I’d had enough. I know I’d woof it down and get out of there pronto, I hated eating like that. When you retire, the pleasure of dawdling over a meal was usually relished. This instance would not be remembered as pleasurable in the least. And it was about to become worse.

A voice rang out in my ear, it was Sally. “The manager called the police. You need to get out of there.”

“Why?”

“Your driver’s license was visible when you showed him the cash.”

“Oh crap!” I keep my license under a transparent cover for ease. He must have seen the picture of Dave, white man and jumped to a hasty conclusion. He presumed I’d stolen the wallet and cash. I reached hurriedly into my pocket to fork out a couple of dollars for the iced tea and then heard a police car in the distance. My heart beat faster.

My movements were rushed and I caused quite a commotion, resulting in many eyes turned toward me. I ignored the stares and made for the exit. The waitress watched with her mouth gapped wide open, but she didn’t know what to do. The manager was not in sight. As I left the café I could see the police car only a short way up the street. I was sure they could see me. I turned the other way and walked smartly with my back to the screeching car that had now raced past the café entrance and was pulling level with me.

With my back to the police car, I thought “Change identity; young white man, newish grey coat.” I looked at the backs of my hands, they were now white. My heart was racing now and I could feel sweat building up on my forehead. I carried on walking smartly along the sidewalk, quickly realizing that a normal, innocent person would turn and investigate the speeding car. So I swung around and watched as the police car came to a speedy halt in the street. They were blocked by parked cars where I was standing. I could see the wide-eyed look of the officer in the passenger seat. He was expecting a black male and appeared extremely confused, his forehead creased into a ripple of red skin and his eyes had grown to the size of footballs. I waited on the sidewalk, but the police officer didn’t exit his vehicle, he’d turned to his colleague and was saying something. The car moved forward into an empty slot by the curb.

I waited patiently, trying to calm my pulse, wondering how they would handle the situation.

The first officer reached me. The look of amazement was still fixed firmly on his expression. “Excuse me, sir, did you just come from the café, just there?” He indicated with a nod.

“No!” I said, as steadily as possible.

I could tell he wasn’t sure how to continue. Then he said, “did you see a black man exit the café?” The officer was staring up and down the street as he spoke. There were few people around, a young woman pushing a stroller was across the road, glancing at us and an elderly couple were heading toward us from the direction of the café.

“No, officer,” I was polite.

His partner had reached his side. They moved away from me a little, but I overheard what they were saying.

“Did he look black, to you?”

“Damn right he did.”

“Strangest thing.”

“Must be the light. Let’s go talk to the manager.”

“Okay.” He turned back to me. “Thanks for your help, sir.” Then they both set off to question the manager. My heart was singing, now. I wanted to burst of laughing. “Thanks, Sally.” I thought.

“You’re welcome,” she replied.

Chapter 13

MORE INSTRUCTIONS

I kept walking for a while, feeling that I needed to put some distance between myself and the café. There was a Chinese restaurant across the street. I enjoyed the Szechwan Chicken, taking my time. I watched a recording on the heads-up display of the manager being told not to waste police time. He looked embarrassed and when he tried to call the waitress over to substantiate the story the police officers had had enough and promptly left. Done and dusted.

I was home by three and back to being Dave Murphy. Shortly before four, Betty knocked on my door and asked if I’d like to come over for dinner. Crock-pot lamb shank, with all the trimmings. Sounded great and the idea of some normal company and an escape from the bizarre events of the day was truly welcome. I said I’d be over by six, which gave me time for a shower and a rewarding Black Label.

Saturday morning came bright and early. The sun shone in lines through the bedroom window, highlighting the dust dancing gracefully around the room. My cleaner came on Mondays, I needed to remember to clear up the family room. Maggie was coming over for dinner. She had texted that she wanted Thai food, so I needed to book a table at our local favorite Thai restaurant, just two stops down on the train toward the City. No drinking and driving with a police office for a daughter. I wondered briefly if she’d heard the story of the vanishing black man. Somehow I doubted it, those cops would have kept that incidence to themselves.

I was comfortably cocooned under my duvet, enjoying the peace, watching the lines of dust in the sun-light. I reflected on the whacky events since Wednesday. If it hadn’t happened to me I simply wouldn’t have believed it. I needed to know why? That was paramount. Sally had said there was more instructions, ‘the best for last.’ Then the answer I wanted. Just thinking of a computer as a person was nuts, yet we were all moving in that direction. Our smart phones had become extensions of ourselves. We talked to them and they answered back. Rudimentary and often wrong but they were improving almost daily. What was Sally but an ultimate smart phone with an unlimited database of information. If everybody had access to that database maybe crime and evil would end. If the police forces of today knew immediately who was responsible for every crime, then I guess crime would simply be futile and cease being such a problem in our society. Incredible to even imagine it. Sally had said there was no crime on Cirion, no racial problems. Everything solved by technology. We were heading in that direction. CCTV was everywhere in England, recording events. Catching criminals was much easier. You could listen to conversations through their smart phones, people posted where they were and what they were doing on Facebook. What was the difference to the ultimate situation the people of Cirion had achieved? It didn’t seem to me to be so far off on earth. Technology was moving exponentially. Just five hundred years ago, we couldn’t fly around the world in aircraft, there was no electricity, no engines, medical treatments were heathen.

If Cirion was truly four hundred and fifty million years ahead of us, shouldn’t there be something incredible they had discovered, that we hadn’t even thought of? Who had projected the internet prior to its invention. Little did I know that in a few short hours I was going to experience a quantum leap into the future.

Breakfast was grape-nuts, blueberries and bananas. Coffee was dark roast ground beans from Kenya. I was ready for my final instructions.

Ensconced in my usual place, with fresh, hot coffee close by, I called up Sally. She was dressed in a plaid, red, mini-dress. As usual, very distracting. Why didn’t I have teachers like that growing up? Not a chance of skipping school. I was starting the day in a great mood.

I spoke out loud. “Hit me with the final chapter, Sally and let’s get to your leader’s motive.” I was smiling and she recognized my mood.

She seemed delighted with my enthusiasm. “You remember when you found the container and picked it up,” she pointed at where I’d left it on the floor. “It appeared to be empty, very light. And when you placed the monitor tile in the air, it remained in place.”

I nodded, she was referring to the business-card thingy.

“That’s anti-gravity,” she continued. “you can do that; it’s programed into the belt around your waist.” Her expression invited surprise. I was.

“Say that again.” I said.

She started to repeat herself, but that wasn’t what I meant. I raised my hand and she stopped.

“Are you saying I can fly?”

“Yes,” she said.

I was suddenly hot under my arms. “But if you counteract gravity, you just float upwards, vertically,” I said, redundantly. For some silly reason, I indicated with my arms.

“Initially of course, but it wasn’t difficult to figure out how to gain horizontal motion. Different parts of the body are subjected to oscillating anti-gravity waves, they move very fast, so you can’t feel the changes. But the effect is you can move vertically as well as horizontally.”

“Oh,” I said, not understanding a word. “How?”

“Guess,” she said, grinning.

Guess! What’s she saying? I looked at her with my best hangdog expression. I recalled the same dumb feeling throughout my childhood education.

Sally continued. “You just think it.”

“I do?”

“Uh-huh! Stay where you are and use your thought to imagine upward motion.”

“Here!” I glanced up and wondered how hard I would hit the ceiling.

“Sure, just imagine how far you want to go up, the computer will take care of the rest. It knows there’s a limit in the room that you can reach.”

The best for last, she said, I guess she was right. Okay, here goes nothing, Superman in born. I thought ‘up’ and suddenly I was sitting in midair. My heart jumped a beat and I flailed around with my arms. It was damn scary. I looked down at my family room and for a second wondered how the hell I was going to get down. So, I thought, ‘down’, without being prompted, oh yea, I’m a fast learner. And down I drifted, very gently, back to the sofa. Holy crap! I can fly.

I was grinning broadly. I wanted to rush outside and give it a real go. Sally stood quietly reading my thoughts. “Try horizontal,” she said.

I looked at her and then glanced around the room. Not a lot of space to play with. The drapes were drawn, my usual precaution. I could imagine the fright I’d cause to a nosy neighbor.

I thought, ‘up’ and drifted off the sofa, already more confident. I thought ‘pause’ and hung there in mid-air, disconcerting but quite honestly amazing. I looked at the door and thought ‘towards door’ and immediately drifted in that direction. I was still in the ridiculous sitting positing, which didn’t feel right at all. Almost instinctively I began to straighten into an upright, the thought process was not definitive but worked just the same. Incredible. I looked down and began to float down to the carpet, where I came to rest in a standing position.

“Oh my God, that is so cool. How fast can I fly?” I was beaming at Sally who was standing nonchalantly against the wall next to my television, opposite the sofa.

“Your speed through the air is dependent on several things. Mostly it’s a problem of safety. The smart-suit will cover your head as you gain speed, like a crash helmet. The computer will be able to recognize objects to avoid, but you don’t want to veer off to the side at such a speed that it wrenches your limbs. In theory, you could reach almost the speed of sound, but that would be very dangerous. If you hit a bird or even a small insect it could kill you. Effectively up to a hundred miles an hour is about all you should even attempt. There are suits on Cirion that allow faster speeds but we don’t have one here and anyway they’ve died out except for thrill seekers. But don’t fret I’m now going to tell you of how you can move around the planet safely at a little less that the speed of light.”

The thing that hit me the most following that statement was that there was little to no emotion in her outward appearance. It was as if she had just explained that two plus two equals four. She just told me that I could travel at almost the speed of light, that’s a hundred and eighty-six thousand miles a second. That is about as crazy as this whole myriad of craziness put together. I was dumbfounded, speechless and agape all at the same time. The concept was so out in left field that my belief was stretched to breaking point.

I walked back to the sofa and sat down. I didn’t say a word. Not sure if I wanted to know. My imagination was buzzing, unable to fix itself on any firm concept of light-speed travel. I guess I’d thought earlier that such an advanced civilization should have come up with something incredible. I waited, expectantly.

“It’s called ‘the bounce’, or that’s how it translates from the Cirion language. It was called ‘bounce’ because that’s what happens to the molecules of your body. Each atom that makes up your body, plus what you are wearing and holding is set into a very fast oscillating motion only a fraction of a centimeter apart. Sort of bouncing back and forth. Then those atoms are sent through the air, not unlike the digital packets sent through the internet on earth and reformed into the original, wherever you have designated. It all happens so fast, that you hardly skip a heartbeat.”

I listened but felt inside that I didn’t want to hear this, because I knew the next words out of her mouth was, ‘let’s try it’. I didn’t like the ‘hardly skip a beat’ it seemed a bit too close to missing a beat.

I said, “so I’m sent through the internet?”

“Sort of, yes. But using the network we set up here on earth many years ago.”

That made me think. “So, it’s old, this technology. I mean, your computers were send here two hundred and forty-eight million years ago.” I think my sphincter muscle had tightened, a lot.

“It’s been updated,” she added.

“When?”

“About thirty million years ago.”

Oh, well, that’s alright then. I’ve got myself a software update. No problemo. Only thirty million years out of date. What could go wrong?

“Want to give it a try?” Sally said, grinning.

There it was. What was I supposed to say? The concept was lunatic, but everything had worked so far. Why should I assume this would be any different? I had a few more questions.

“So how do I decide where to land?” Not that landing in the aircraft sense was how I imagined this worked.

“You search out a location site using the heads-up display and basically activate the bounce system just like anti-gravity. You do have to be a little firmer with the instructions, wouldn’t be good to be imagining a visit to the Eifel Tower and suddenly be standing there.” She laughed.

No I guess not, I thought.

“Also,” Sally continued. “You need to be aware of your current situation.”

I think I understood what she was implying but I said. “meaning?”

“You would scare people just appearing suddenly.”

“Certainly would.” I said, mostly to myself. “So it’s sort of like Star Trek? ‘Beam me up, Scotty.’”

“Similar, but this is instant. You don’t materialize like the TV show. Effectively you bounce immediately, or so it will seem to you and anybody who happens to see you appear.”

Yeah, that would be a little disconcerting, I thought.

“Oh, another point is, you can bounce to a location inside a building. As long as it isn’t air-tight, you have a window in as it were.”

That threw me for a loop. Whambo! instant Dave in your bedroom. I was imagining the implications. I laughed. Sally was watching me and I could see the question on her face.

“Doesn’t matter,” I said.

There was a pause in the conversation. My mind was racing around in circles. On one hand, it scared me to death, but on the other Holy Moly, completely absurd.

“Do you want to give it a try?” Sally again, who else.

“In for a penny, in for a pound,” I muttered.

“What?” she enquired.

“Nothing,” I said. “Sure, let’s do it. Where shall I go?”

“I think the first run should be somewhere well away from civilization. That way you’re not worrying about somebody suddenly appearing out of nowhere. It’s eleven a.m. here, so two p.m. on the east coast.”

“You can’t change the time zone?”

Sally burst out a laugh. “Nope, we haven’t figured out time-travel, yet.”

Good to know, I guess.

“How about somewhere on a remote island in the Bahamas. Nice weather down there.” She was pensive.

“Whao! Does the weather affect the… you know bounce?”

“We don’t think so.”

“What’d you mean. You don’t think so?” My nervousness was building.

“We haven’t actually tried this out on earth,” she said, “but it should work just the same.”

My heart was getting a bit of a workout now. My eyes widened. I mean, tried and tested in another atmosphere, should be okay, I told myself. Thirty-million-year-old technology was going to mash me into electrons and spit me out three thousand miles away at the speed of light. Who wouldn’t sign up for that ride?

“The Abacos Islands, east of Florida. They are four hours ahead. How about Great Guana Cay, on the beach by the Atlantic. There’s a nice bar there, Nippers, you could get an early lunch. They take US dollars. There’s a few people on the beach, so we’ll go a little north, no one there right now.” My heads-up display was showing the location, it looked beautiful. “First, you need to change, go with thirty-something American, tanned, you know the beach-bum surfer look. Swimming shorts, t-shirt.”

I was staring at Sally. It was all moving too fast, if you know what I mean. I was feeling manipulated.

“Well?” She said.

I nearly said, are you coming? but quickly realized she was with me always. I couldn’t get rid of her. That felt unkind. I think it was all so ridiculous, here I was Dave Murphy, fifty-seven years old, widower, average guy, discussing beaming over to the Bahamas from San Francisco for lunch on the beach, looking like a beach-bum. Nuts! I needed time to get my mind around it. If you thought just two seconds it was simply mind-blowing and here I was, going along with it.

“You okay, Jo-el?” She asked.

Jo-el again. Forgot about him for a moment. “Just trying to accept this thing. It’s somewhat odd in my world. I have to let it sink in, get my mind around it.”

“Oh, okay, I guess.” I’m not sure she understood, really. Not one bit.

I stood up slowly and pictured this thirty-something hunk in my mind. Then told myself, to change and there I was standing in my family room, swim shorts and a t-shirt. I looked down, nothing on my feet and thought of flip-flops and they instantly appear, which gave me a start. Got to get used to this.

“Money,” I said, suddenly. Didn’t want to leave without being prepared, made a screw-up on that front already. I ran upstairs and picked up a hundred bucks, leaving my wallet where it was. I checked the full-length mirror on the closet door. I appeared bigger, it was the shoulders and chest area. I guess the hologram I was wearing had limitations. It had to fit over my body, so to achieve the right proportions it had to fill out more across my upper-body. Dave wasn’t overweight but middle-age spread was beginning to show. My Dave face was a smidgen round, but the hologram was perfect. I looked thirty and a lot better looking. Instant plastic surgery, that’s another industry going down the toilet. I laughed.

Back in the family-room, letting my mind roll. I was nervous, it just didn’t seem feasible.

“Ready?” she asked.

“Ready,” I said.

“Damn,” Sally suddenly blurted out. My heart hit my throat, I thought maybe that the booster rockets had failed and I was going up in smoke. I glared at Sally. “Betty’s coming to the door,” she explained.

“Crap!” Change to Dave. Whoosh I was Dave. The doorbell rang. I dealt with Betty quickly, telling her I was going out for lunch.

“Anywhere nice?” she asked.

My mouth quivered, oh how I wanted to tell her, but I lied. “Just into the City,” I said.

“Okay,” she said, but I could tell she didn’t believe me. Well you wouldn’t believe the truth, Betty, that’s for sure.

When I heard the front door of her house close I returned to Sally, waiting patiently against the wall. She is patient, I thought, but then again so is my laptop when I turn in off and leave it on the table. Hard to see Sally as a computer I could just turn off. I wonder how she felt about it? Did she have emotions. Don’t go there, Dave. Your brain will overheat.

I changed back to the hunk and waited for Sally to light the blue touch paper.

Nothing happened.

“You have to do it, Jo-el,” she said.

“Oh, right!” Made sense, I guess. I fired up the heads-up display and pictured the beach on Grand Guana Cay. I picked a place behind a sand dune and asked if I was in sight of anyone. Sally said no.

I shut my eyes, tightly. Not sure if I was supposed to or not but it seemed logical. Didn’t want to see all those miles rushing by even if I did have a window seat. I thought ‘bounce’ and pictured the place I wanted to be.

Chapter 14

THE REASON

Next thing I knew I was on my knees in the sand. I instantly felt the warm sun against my skin, the sea air smelling of salt and I heard waves breaking against the shore. I had stumbled, but I was on a beach and I presumed it was Grand Guana Cay. Not the best Superman landing but I was in one piece. I checked myself, you know, both arms still attached, legs hanging from my ass, head roughly in the right place, then stood up slowly and took in my surroundings. It was spectacularly beautiful. The sea was as blue as a swimming pool; the sand flowed out in waves of yellow, there were some rocks in clusters along the seashore. The air was humid and hot. I was in the Bahamas, no jet-lag, no TSA at the airport, no bumpy flight and lines at immigration. Fucking A.

Then Sally appeared, Wow! She was clad in a teeny, red bikini, her blond hair dancing in the wind, her skin tanned a perfect brown. I smiled at her. She grinned heavily back at me.

“You look sensational,” I said. I could tell she loved the compliment. Her deep blue eyes widened and she slowly blinked twice.

“Shall we take a stroll?” she asked.

“Sure.”

We walked south along the beach. I carried my flip-flops and let the waves caress my feet. Sally looked as happy as I’d ever seen her. It was impossible to believe that she was just a holographic image created by a computer. She was as real to me as the few people we saw wondering aimlessly along the sand. I had to shake myself every few moments and remember who she was. I wanted to take her hand in mine, but I knew that it didn’t exist. And who was I, really. A middle-aged man clad in a young-man’s body. I too was an aberration. Make-believe, false. Was that the direction we were heading? I guess it was. Think of all the products we buy to make us into something else. This was simply the final extension of everyone’s dreams. We could look like the pictures in the glossy magazines, even if we couldn’t become those people. Maybe that was next.

After a while we headed back and took some broken steps up to Nippers bar. While we were still out of sight I told Sally to put on a cover-up, which appeared by magic, or so it seemed. The bar was a multi-colored, open-air building, desperately in need of a lick of paint. At the center was a horseshoe bar, a few couples were nursing beers and glamorous looking cocktails. Bob Marley played quietly from speakers at each corner. There were tables with views over the ocean, Sally and I slid into one, facing each other. A barman arrived quickly and I ordered a Heineken, then immediately wondered what Sally would do. Didn’t think a hologram needed to drink. But she ordered the same and when I looked at her strangely she just smiled. My first date with a ghost, I thought. If Mary was looking down she would probably be happy.

“What made you pick this place?” I asked.

“Just searched for lonely beaches with good food on Trip Advisor.”

“You used Trip Advisor?” I queried with surprise.

“Sure, great site.” She smiled, I melted.

“Don’t you have your own database?”

“No, not really, why would I? I guess I could create one, but why bother.”

Made sense, I guess. “So, I’m done with all the instructions?”

“Just about,” she said. “You need to get used to the technology. Go out and practice.”

She was right about that. I wanted to talk about her but I felt at a bit of a loss. I mean, what do you say to a computer other than ask it questions.

“Do you like this?” I said, awkwardly.

“You mean, being here on this island?”

“Well yes, but, you know playing at being human?” I could see she didn’t appreciate the question and wasn’t sure how to answer.

Then the waiter came over and delivered the beers and asked if we wanted something to eat. Rastafarian guy, with the kindest smile. I looked at his hair and thought maybe I’d try that.

I ordered the spiced grouper, with rice and a salad. It was a special on the board I’d seen as we entered the bar. Sally said, nothing for her.

“Not hungry,” I said, but instantly regretted that stupid comment.

“Funny!” she said.

“Sorry,” I indicated the drink, which she hadn’t touched.

“For you,” she said, “looks wrong without something.”

“Yes, sorry.” I was. She was the most beautiful woman I’d ever talked to. I was a typical man, I wanted to please her.

I drank heavily, it was perfect.

Sally said, “I’ve watched your people for thousands of years. Sometimes I’d create a persona and try to join in on a conversation. It was difficult. My knowledge was so vast. Whatever they talked about I knew the answers but I couldn’t say. Whether it was factual or simply who had done what. It was frustrating, I would invariably get bored. If I made myself into a beautiful woman, men would try to touch me, so that didn’t work. Same, if I made myself into a handsome man, women would want me. I’m glad to have you here, Jo-el. Now I have a reason, now I can talk to someone who understands what I am.”

That made sense and it struck me as amusing that Sally could be Sam in an instance. Whoa there!

“So you have feelings?” I was fascinated.

She smiled. “I guess I do, though I don’t think they work the same. I don’t feel love or hate like a human. I’m indifferent. Yet, I know if someone is evil or not. I did get bored as a human, often. It was all so slow. The question is, do I care? I’m programmed to gather data, report back and take care of your race.”

“Take care of us?” I exclaimed, “How?”

She laughed. “I haven’t influenced your growth or development, that is not allowed, even though I could. It was tantamount that you developed at your own pace. Part of our hope is that a race of humans would appear that would surpass the Cirion intelligence, find a different path. The Cirion people have ebbed and flowed on discovery, maybe you will discover something about the universe that we haven’t. There are lifeforms in the universe very different from human and some of them are evil. I had to report back if I thought there was any likelihood of extinction. But you must remember, most of the years I’ve been here there was limited intelligent life. What I call intelligent humans began around three million years ago. It was a slow process.”

“So, that’s the reason, the reason you’re here?” It’s like the Cirion people were playing God. Was that right? The way she put it, don’t we all believe that is God’s role, to protect us. Have I found God?

“Are you our God?”

Sally frowned and looked at me kindly. A cloud had appeared in the sky and was about to cover the sun.

“No,” she said. “We are not your God or the God of anybody.” She paused, as if thinking or maybe trying to form the idea so that I would understand. “But I can see how you might think that.”

“Do the people of Cirion believe in God? Have they found him?”

“Yes, they believe in God,” she answered. “God is in your soul, it’s a belief, not a thing. We all have a God.”

“But you said that you are here to protect us. Isn’t that what we believe is God’s role?”

The waiter arrived with my fish, we were quiet. I prized off a small piece of the grouper, it was delicious.

“My experience is that most humans are very selfish about God. When they pray, they ask HIM to protect themselves and give them good fortune, but rarely mention others. Only in public do they pray for other people.”

“What about religious people?” I argued.

“That’s their job. If you heard them when they are alone, they ask for strength for themselves. Humans are selfish. The people of Cirion are the same, it’s a human trait.”

“So you’re not our God, I accept that. But why are you here now? You’ve watched us for millions of years. What is the significance of 2016 that triggered this contact? What do the people of Cirion want from the people of earth?” This was it the crux of this crazy week. Here I was on a remote island in the Bahamas, paradise by most people’s definition, but that was irrelevant. She had to answer me. The instructions were over. I waited expectantly.

She smiled, I felt as if she was obtaining guidance from somewhere. That the next words out of her mouth were coming from Ka-el. That’s okay, just tell me.

“I’ve said that the people of Cirion want to expand the human race in the universe. They believe all human life is sacrosanct, special, above other life forms. Their existence has spanned hundreds of millions of years, so their technology is far advanced compared to that of earth. Yet they see you as part of them, brothers, sisters, family. Their distant past had many similarities to earth. They know more about the universe than your people have dreamed of.”

Okay, get to the point.

“There are dangers in the universe that your people have not yet discovered. One of these dangers has surfaced and is a threat to the continued existence of this planet.”

This doesn’t sound good.

“Cirion is very far away from earth. That distance precludes actual contact for what could be millions more years or even forever. What happens here will not affect them, other than in a peripheral way. As I have said, if the people of earth travel a tangential path in scientific discovery they may discover something that would benefit the people of Cirion. That is all that they wish from you. That and a brotherhood of humans, something they believe is also intrinsic to the desire of your race.”

Sally stopped talking and pointed at her beer, I reached over and took the beer then placed the empty bottle it in front of herself.

“The Cirion people reached a zenith in social integration many years ago. Millions of years ago. Life was very easy. Everything was available, no one went hungry, no one had to work unless they wished. Health is guaranteed. There is no crime on Cirion, or almost none. Certainly, no crime goes unpunished.”

She’s dragging this out. But what could I do?

“A little more than two million years ago a catastrophe threatened Cirion”

I remembered Ka-el eluding to this, but he didn’t say what it was.

“That same catastrophe is now threatening earth. Your current technology is not advanced enough to prevent it from happening, in fact the technology on Cirion couldn’t prevent it, the action you must take is drastic. We are going to show you how, the same way we solved it, but for us to do that there are changes that must be made on earth. Our concern is that we will be interfering with your scientific discoveries and our desire that you will find a different path and add to human discovery. But we have no choice, without our help you will all die.”

This was getting worse, I’m not sure I truly believed her. She hadn’t told me what the catastrophe was, but I guess that was coming.

“So!” I said, weakly. This felt like the script of a Hollywood movie. Any second the director would shout ‘cut’.

“The charter set up on Cirion for the search and monitoring of other planets precludes interference unless extinction is threatened.”

“Extinction! And I’m it. I’m going to stop this disaster?” Seemed like a lot to ask of one aging, Irish immigrant. “So what is it, what on earth,” I grimaced at that pun, “what is going to cause the destruction of our planet?” Was this for real?

“The original Cirion planet was destroyed by a galactic storm. It was caused by the explosion of a star, millions of light-years away and millions of years previously. The storm grew and eventually hit the planet, wiping it out. The scientists on Cirion recognized what was coming and many of the inhabitants were evacuated to another planet. That new planet is now Cirion. Earth has to do the same, if its people wish to survive.”

Sally stopped talking and sat back in her chair. The bombshell had been dropped. She watched me closely, waiting for my reaction. My mouth opened and shut but I didn’t say anything. I swigged a long gulp from my second beer. My food was half eaten and I didn’t feel hungry anymore.

“When?” I said.

“Seventy to seventy-five years is the best estimate.”

Oh, well! Gosh. I thought it was going to be next week. That won’t make a Hollywood movie. Phew! So, what the hell was I supposed to do? Print up a flyer and zip down to Kinkos. Let’s see, we need to find another planet, that should be a piece of cake. Oh, and just a minor problem we have to fit seven and half billion people onto a space ship. I think I needed a couple more beers, better still, a bottle of Black Label. I didn’t know what to ask her. I wasn’t sure where to begin.

“Why me?” I asked, eventually. “Why did you pick me for this? Why not the US President. He’s considered the leader of the free-world. If what you’re telling me is true and right now that’s a big ‘if’, wouldn’t he be more suited to the role. He could get things done.”

“He’s a politician,” she said. I immediately agreed that was a strike against him. “His mandate is to represent the people of the US. Many of the other countries in your world hate the US, or at best don’t trust them. They wouldn’t believe him out of principal. He’s a good man but it wouldn’t work. The US President is in a goldfish-bowl; he can’t go anywhere or do anything without scrutiny. Can you see that?”

I could, but I still didn’t understand why they picked me. “What about another up and coming leader? Someone not under the microscope?”

“Same problem, plus politicians seek power, that’s what they truly desire. What we are giving you is ultimate power. In the wrong hands it would be a disaster.” For sure I wasn’t interested in power or money. Well, not riches, I enjoyed being well-off. Okay, I’ll go with that.

“I drink a lot,” I said. Was I trying to quit the position before I’d got started? Was I looking for a reason to shed this awful burden. I couldn’t conceive of a solution that made any sense. I looked at Sally, they must have figured out a way. Her blue eyes and perfect skin were so real. I zapped over here in less than a second, I’ve tested the anti-gravity thing. I changed what I look like. It was all a marvel, completely bizarre, yet I’d experienced it.

“You are a most reasonable man, Jo-el. That is paramount. It’s not something that you know how to measure on earth, but on Cirion it is the prime measure for our leaders.” She said, “you don’t drink that much,” she added.

Ka-el had mentioned reasonableness, I’d glossed over it. It was true, I did see both side of issues and I could be swayed. Sally’s compliment made me feel good. But I’d drifted away from the ultimate reason. If what she said was true it was going to take me a while to get used to it. I needed time to think.

“What’s the probability? This can’t be a certainty, surely?” I asked.

“Maybe eighty to eight-five percent.” Sally replied.

“So a twenty percent chance it won’t happen.” Better than nothing, I hung on to that glimmer of good news.

Sally shrugged.

“We should go back to San Francisco,” I said. Maggie is coming for dinner tonight.

Chapter 15

MORE DETAILS

I paid the bill and we found a secluded section on the beach not far from where I had arrived and out of sight. I bounced back to my family-room after taking a deep breath, I stumbled again on the landing, I’d have to work on that. I changed back to Dave, my mind spinning in every direction. Seventy years was a long time. I was fifty-seven, I wouldn’t see the end of all this. My head was a little light from the beers so I went upstairs and slept for a while. It was gone four when I went back downstairs and cleared away the container and other packages. There was one package I hadn’t opened a small, rectangular box, smooth edges. I opened it and immediately Sally appeared in her usual spot.

“What are these?” I inquired. The box was filled with orange colored pills, or that’s what they looked like.

“On Cirion they’re called life pills.”

My head raised up and I furnished Sally with a Dave Murphy glare, waiting for further explanation.

“You take two, then one tomorrow, then one two days later and one a week after that. Then you can take one every fifty days.”

“What happens?”

“They will make you feel great; they work by regenerating dying cells. On Cirion everyone starts taking them at about the age of thirty. They will approximately double your life span; it varies from person to person and with three percent of the population they don’t work. We are pretty sure they will work for the humans on earth. Because of your current age they may only add thirty or forty years to your life.”

My skepticism was enormous. Here we go again. I don’t believe and then wham! I’m proved wrong.

“There’s a lot in here?”

“Yes, about five hundred.”

“Why so many?”

“Your family.”

My head swung up and I looked wistfully at Sally. “I’m supposed to tell them about all this?”

“Not now, but there may be a time.”

“Can these be replicated here?” I asked.

“Sure,” she said.

A devilish glee crossed my face, “I could be rich. These would sell better than Viagra.” I looked at her waiting for a response.

She smiled, “a bargaining chip.”

“Huh! For what?”

“You’ll see.”

“You’re not telling me everything, are you?”

“I can’t, we don’t know exactly how things will turn out. We can model the likely outcome but things change and our model will be based on the Cirion experience.”

I was doing the math. Normal lifespan for a man, seventy-five to eighty years, plus forty, a hundred and twenty. I’m fifty-seven now, so that’s another sixty-three. I still wouldn’t be around to see if the galactic storm wipes us out. But my children would be.

“So my children could live to a hundred and fifty?”

“Yes.”

I was lost again. What father wouldn’t want that for their children? “Is life okay at that age?”

“The last years are always difficult, but most people on Cirion live to one hundred and seventy-five. Some more. The last ten or so years are, well you know, challenging.”

I was a believer. I went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water and popped two pills. With my usual impatience, I expected instant results, but nothing happened. Whatever.

Maggie said she would be here at five, so I spent the remaining time cleaning, not my favorite task. When the front-door bell rang, it was dead on five. Maggie was always punctual. My disposition bloomed as she entered the house. A vivid smile adorned her lips, her green-grey eyes shone like opals. She was a pretty girl, about five-eight, with short brown hair that she wore close. She hadn’t yet followed my wife’s path of weight gain but she was no stick-insect either. She wore black jeans and a warm sweatshirt advertising Queenstown, New Zealand, one of her favorite places. While there she had completed the daredevil canyon swing and brought home a video to prove it. My stomach turned when she first showed it to me.

She told me about her week and how Adam was doing. Her frustrations with the position and how she looked forward to being a homicide detective one day. At six we took the train two stops to our favorite Thai restaurant. All the way she continued her recitation of the trials of being a police officer.

“You know, there was one funny thing, this week.”

“What was that?” I asked.

“A couple of officers from Taraval got called out to a café by the beach near Judah. Suspected theft by a black guy.”

I was all ears, my face glowed red.

“You okay?” Maggie said.

“Oh, yea, just a little warm in here.”

“Anyway,” she continued. “The black guy turned into a white guy just as they were going to bag him.”

“What?” I feigned surprised.

“Yea, they told Mike at the station, he was over at Taraval.”

“Told him what?”

“That the perp they’d seen exiting the café was black but when they caught up to him, it was a young, white guy. They swore the man was black. Plus, the café manager said it was a black guy and he was the only person who’d left the café at that time.” She continued to eat.

“So, what did they do?” I asked.

“Nothing, what could they do? I guess they’re still talking about it. Anyway, how was your week, Dad?”

Glad to be off that subject. “Pretty good,” I said.

“Do anything interesting?”

Oh, if I could only tell you. Let’s see, I met a guy from another planet, who introduced me to Sally, a computer that looks like Bridget Bardot. I killed a Hispanic guy in the City. (That thought fired up a concern about my reasonableness.) I can now change my looks and clothes by just thinking about it. Oh, don’t forget the database of every piece of history for hundreds of millions of years. I can fly and bounce around the globe to anywhere in less than a second and the world is going to end in about seventy years and I’ve been tasked with saving it. Just thinking about it convinced me I was going mad.

“I had a nice lunch out, today,” I said.

“Oh, where did you go?” she asked.

Nippers, a rustic bar in the Bahamas. “The Plum Blossom café,” I lied.

“That’s it! You need to get out more, Dad, the Plum Blossom is just around the corner, try something further afield.”

Which reminded me, I needed to check on Clair and Raith. Immediately, Sally’s voice appeared in my ear. “She’s back on the game, her choice.” Jesus, she’s watching me! Go away, I thought. I wonder if she did?

“I went into the City on Thursday,” I said, murdered a guy I’d never actually talked to.

Maggie left a little before nine that evening, I felt happy and content. It was a respite from Sally, a reminder that there was a real world in my life. Something special. I hadn’t thought much about Mary since my involvement with the people of Cirion, I guess that was a good thing. My children were everything to me now. They’re lives as important as my own. Yet, I had to try hard not to interfere, let them make their own mistakes, as I did. I couldn’t reconcile the craziness of what was happening to me with their everyday existence and I was sure it was going to get harder.

A late Black Label kept me company. I nursed it, lovingly. The weather looked fine for the morning, rain clouds holding off till after lunch. I was going for a ride. My weekly, subject to weather, pleasure. But as the alcohol dug deeper I considered my alternatives. Not an option in past weeks but now a headlight blinding me on a dark night. Breakfast in Rio, or maybe lunch in Paris, oh geez, I could go to Cork and see my brother, Gerry. From a distance though, wouldn’t work to turn up as Dave. So we couldn’t speak, unless I played a stranger, I guess. Hmmm… Or I could practice flying, which made me wonder…

“Sally,” I called out. She appeared immediately, wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. “I’m going to practice flying tomorrow, I don’t want to be seen, I guess. Not yet, anyway. Can you make me invisible?”

“Not perfectly, no,” she replied. “You could change into a blue outfit to match the sky, but it wouldn’t work that well. If you are completely still, say on the ground, you can become invisible to one person, by matching you to the background. But if there were two people it wouldn’t work.”

I was struggling to understand. “Say that again,” I said.

“If there was a tree behind you, you could mirror that tree in your clothes from one person’s perspective but not the second person.”

I thought about it and imagined two people looking at me and then it was clear. I couldn’t go invisible, jeez, these guys need to get their act together.

“You can create a holographic image that’s transparent, but that wouldn’t allow you to practice with the anti-gravity technology.”

Now I was confused, “I can create a holographic mirror image of myself?”

“Yes.”

“What can it do?”

“Same as me,” not much.

“But it would look like me, perfectly.”

“Yes, if you wanted it to, or anybody else. It’s just a hologram.”

“If someone touched it, there would be nothing there?”

“Right.”

“Can it speak?”

“Sure, you control the voice, the computer can direct the sound to come from the hologram. That’s how I work.”

“Interesting,” I said.

“Are there other things I should know?” I asked.

Sally looked like she was thinking, but computers don’t think like humans, do they? “There are a couple of things, yes.” I raised my eyes, indicating for her to continue. “There are some safety items that I need to tell you about, but it’s better if we leave them for a while, until you need them.” The soothing effect of the Black Label let that statement wash over me and I just nodded.

“What else?”

“You can speak and understand all languages.”

Wow! That turned me for a loop, “How?”

“The computer will translate the language to English in real time. The delay will vary, based on the complexity of the language and what is said.”

“Okay, I can see that as feasible, but what about me speaking a foreign language?”

“The same, the computer mutes your voice and translates what you say in English to whatever language is required.”

“That will look weird, like dubbing in the movies.”

“Better than dubbing. When your persona is a hologram, the computer changes the mouth to match the language.”

I considered it for a moment, neat. “But the delay would be obvious?”

“Whoever you’re speaking to won’t notice, especially if they’re not looking for it. It will seem as if you just thought more before you answered.”

That is so cool. I just decimated the foreign language education industry.

Chapter 16

RIO

I slept like a log during the night and woke feeling like a new man. It was six a.m. and my mind began turning over the ‘end-of-world’ thing. It was such a long way off, which made it hard to feel any urgency. I could see that if I was to suddenly appear in the media, flying around like superman and bouncing to distant parts of the globe it would solicit a tremendous amount of interest. I reckoned there would be a decent percentage of people that would believe what I said, end-of-the-world predictions were common in history. I think I’d read a few years ago that Nostradamus had predicted the end of the world. But would that cause the governments of the world, specifically the US, to take it seriously? They’d probably want to imprison me, then dice me up to see how I ticked. The idea that they would allocate vast sums of money to study such a wild notion seemed unlikely. Maybe one of those billionaire guys would fund it, a bunch of them were fascinated in space travel. Perhaps that was the solution. Which reminded me of the pills and then it dawned on me why I felt so damn great this morning. It was an idea, bait the rich guy with the life pill and use the cash to figure out how to save the world. It all seems nuts but this last week was right up there with the nuttiest.

I decided to forget it for a while. Sally had said I needed to get used to the technology and it certainly seemed like a great way to spent the day.

Showered and feeling like a million dollars I considered my alternatives for breakfast. I always thought of Rio as south, same time zone give or take. Wrong! Six hours ahead. It’s way east. Seven a.m. now, so one p.m. in Rio, I guess I could grab some lunchtime street fare and call it breakfast. Weather was hot down there, eighty-five degrees, that would be nice. I’d never been to South America, let’s do it.

I changed into shorts and T-shirt with sandals, took on the same persona as the Bahamas surfer-dude and fired up the display to look for a good place to touch down. There was a park right on one end of Ipanema beach with dense trees. Parque Garota de Ipanema. I told the computer to put me down behind a tree, out of sight.

Bounce.

I was there, this time on both feet, that was a first. It took a few seconds to get used to my new environment. The temperature was overwhelming. A middle-aged couple came into view; they took no notice of me. I walked out of the park toward the beach, the sun was bright and an east wind blew strongly off the ocean. The vista along the beach was spectacular. I could see thousands of people enjoying themselves, swimming and sun-bathing, chatting and eating. The beach was lined with high-rise buildings as far as the eye could see. Hotels, no doubt. Breakfast I thought and headed along the sand. It was then that I realized I didn’t have any local currency. Damn. I looked at the cash I’d picked up, forty-five US bucks. What was the currency here? I had no idea. I would have to get help from Sally. Maybe they took US dollars? It was worth a try. I was trying so hard to do this alone.

I carried on walking along the beach, none of the street vendors selling tacos and fried chicken enticed me. I turned inland, where there were copious signs of eateries and found a café plugged into the basement of a high-rise on the corner of a busy street. It had outside seating with Samba music playing quietly in the background. There were a few young people enjoying the ambiance, drinking coffee and eating what looked like rolls with cheese and ham. Perfect. The excitement of being so far away from my home pushed me forward. I asked a waiter if they took US dollars, he shook his head and pointed at an ATM across the street. Dang, that’s no good. I wasn’t carrying a cash-card and couldn’t use one anyway, it would leave an electronic trail of my travels and probably get canceled. Banks were very careful these days. Two guys, who looked like tourists, were sitting at a table by the door watching me. I asked the nearest one where I could change some US dollars and showed him the cash I had. They were English, the accent easy to spot.

“Sit down, we’ll work it out,” he said. “I’m Ian, he put out a fist.” Fist bump, not my age group but I can go with it. Very hygienic. “Dave,” I said and quickly regretted it. Then thought, why the hell not.

“Run out?”

“What?”

“Money.”

“Oh, yeah, right.”

“Where you staying?”

Oh crap! Where am I staying? “Around the corner,” I said and Ian didn’t seem to care.

“This is Simon, we’re from London.”

“San Fran,” I said, going with the flow. “What’s good, here?” I was hungry.

“Pizza is good.”

“I just need coffee and maybe a roll.”

Ian waved over the waiter and I ordered the executive breakfast, which came with ham and cheese. Whatever. No need for translation, everybody spoke English.

The two guys were chatty; they were taking a one-week trip to escape the cold. Easter break from college, leaving tomorrow. Ian was tall, with a mop of brown hair that covered his face down to his eyes. Simon looked unwashed, his t-shirt grubby and shoes old. Both were wearing shorts festooned with pockets. I didn’t want to appear stupid so I asked Sally for the exchange rate. My breakfast was about fifteen dollars, that was fine. I made a mental note to carry more cash and get some local currency before travelling.

The coffee was excellent and the rolls fresh. I needed to use the bathroom, which is casa de bahno in Portuguese, so headed to the back of the café. When I returned the two Brits were gone. At first I didn’t think anything untoward had happened, so I sat down and looked around the café and outside to find them. Five minutes passed and I wasn’t so sure. I beckoned the waiter over, the same one who’d said they don’t take US dollars and asked if they’d paid? No, he said. Fuck! I’d been stiffed. Son of a bitch! I don’t believe it. That’s 0 for 2. Now what?

The waiter called over another guy, broad shoulders and a face like a bull-mastiff. He was very clear.

“You have to pay for all, senior.”

“They ran out, it’s not my fault. I’d only just met them,” I pleaded. But now their command of the English language was deteriorating. They began speaking to each other in Portuguese. I told Sally to translate. The gist was they knew exactly what had happened, the waiter had seen everything. He also told the bull-mastiff I only had US dollars. I saw the look on his face deepen into a nasty frown, his eyebrows meeting in the middle. They wanted their money and I was their only source. A bill for all the food appeared suddenly, two hundred and thirty Brazilian Reals, which Sally told me was about fifty-eight bucks, I didn’t have enough.

Sally’s voice echoed in my ear. “They are discussing calling the police.”

Not again, I thought, remembering my failure at being a poor black guy.

I reached into my pocket and brought out my forty-five dollars, perhaps they would take that as better than nothing. It was only thirteen dollars short.

I saw the bull-mastiff pull a cell-phone from his back pocket, an I-phone six, these guys did well. Shit! What now? I began running scenarios. I could run, I liked that, I felt good and as soon as I was out of site, I’d disappear, literally. Or, I would be hauled off to the police station. This is Brazil, I’m sure they treated tourists okay but I didn’t want to find out. Option one got my vote.

The scene was generating the attention of other customers. Two young girls, at a table outside by the window were showing a lot of interest.

In my ear, I heard, “they called the police, you’ve only got two minutes.” Gee thanks, Sally. Fuck! I was just about to exit stage left, when one of the girls rose up and came towards me. She beamed happiness and held out a credit card. I was speechless. Here was an act of kindness, the world was not going to pot. The waiter saw what was happening and shouted something at the bull-mastiff, then reached out and took the credit card.

“I’m only thirteen dollars short.” I said to the girl standing by my table, pushing my forty-five dollars in her direction to ease the pain.

She smiled warmly and said, “that’s okay, we couldn’t see a fellow American dragged off.” She was American, don’t you just love ‘em? Her long, brown hair was pinned back in a pony-tail, her face soft with high, angular cheek bones. She reminded me of the blond girl in Friends, but not so tall. “Come over and join us,” she added.

The waiter smiled, the bull-mastiff was nowhere to be seen and I didn’t hear any sirens. All was good. I joined the two young ladies at their table, but my mind was on the Brits, I was going to get her money back and repay their kindness. The beauty was, it would be a piece of cake. Those assholes didn’t know who they were messing with?

“Thank-you so much,” I said, pulling out a chair to sit down. “They stiffed me!”

“No problem, you’re cute,” said the Friends girl. She said her name was Melody and her companion was Briana, both from Austin, Texas. Those southern girls are forward, I thought.

“Dave,” I said, holding out a hand to shake, but they both just giggled. “How long will you be here?”

They looked at each other, Melody said, “half hour or so, we only just ordered.”

“Okay, I’m going to get your money back. Don’t go away.” I left before they could object.

Around the corner I called up Sally on the heads-up. “Where are those guys?”

“They went to Ipanema beach. They’re sitting on a wall watching the sea.”

“Where are they staying?”

“Hotel Metro.”

“What room?”

“Three-two-four.”

“Bounce me in there as soon as I’m out of sight.”

“Okay.” I walked across the street to the entrance to the General Osorio Metro station and walked down the steps looking for somewhere to hide. There was a pillar, I started to walk around it but didn’t make it. I had bounced into a hotel room and immediately fell over. I needed more practice. It was untidy with clothes strewn everywhere. The customary hotel safe was attached to the wall in the closet.

“What’s the code?”

“Five, six, seven, eight.”

Original. I punched in the numbers. Inside were two passports, an ipad, a wallet and some loose English pound coins. I picked up the coins and put them in my pocket and looked through the wallet. A credit card said Ian LaTrain, there were more pound notes all twenties and tens, probably two hundred pounds altogether and five hundred and fifty Brazilian Real. I pocketed all the money and the passports, then put the wallet back in the safe and smiled. I left the safe open. Fuck-you guys.

“Bounce me back to the café.”

“Okay.”

I waited a few seconds, guessing that Sally was figuring out a good landing spot. Then, suddenly I was in an alley, standing in a doorway, on two feet, yeah! For a moment, I was disorientated, “where’s the café?”

“Turn right, then left, it’s there.”

I did what she said and the café was on my left, the two girls still at the same table. They didn’t see me, I crossed the road again and dumped the passports in a trash bin outside the Metro station then when back to my new friends. Oh, that felt so good. “Thanks Sally.”

I’d only been gone five or six minutes; they’d only just received their order. I grinned at Melody and brought out the Reals peeling off two hundred, I handed them to her. “Thanks again, this and the dollars should cover your meal,” I said. She didn’t object, I don’t think she had paid any attention to the actual amount she’d signed for with the credit card.

I ordered coffee and watched the girls eat. Between small talk I checked them out on the heads-up. It felt a little like I was snooping but I didn’t care, they were very young. They were from wealthy families in Austin, both on Spring Break from Texas U. Melody’s father was working in Rio and she had tagged along, bringing her friend. They were heading back to Austin on Wednesday, missing a day of classes. Neither was likely to make the honor roll. Since being in Rio, both had had sex with two different guys and one time they’d had a threesome with a guy from Holland. This was written on the screen and was followed with the word ‘Private’ in black capitals.

“What’s the ‘private’ designation, Sally?”

“You can’t see the actual sex,” she answered.

“Why?”

“It’s private and consensual, all such things are blocked.”

“Explain.”

“The Cirion people have blocked all things that are innocent and private for millions of years. Only if there is a crime can they be viewed. As soon as someone walks inside their home or into a private area, like a hotel room, providing they don’t do anything wrong, it’s blocked. Out of the house they are deemed to be in public.

I had to think about that for a while. The ACLU would be happy. Seemed totally reasonable to me.

I wondered where Melody’s father was, being a Sunday, and discovered that he was being entertained by his client at Girls-a-gogo. Need I say more. Like father like daughter.

I reviewed their conversation together while I’d been gone and wasn’t surprised to find out that I was earmarked as their next conquest. I felt flattered and confused. My loins swelled and I crossed my legs awkwardly. The temptation was enormous, but Mary had only been gone a few months and I just couldn’t come to terms with the situation. I wondered what Sally thought? And that made me question why I would worry about what my computer would think? The holographic image played tricks with your mind. Interesting perspective, leave it to the phycologists to sort out.

I feigned the need to use the bathroom and didn’t return. It made me feel guilty but I had no doubt that they would find a willing male very quickly and forget about the one that got away.

I walked along Ipanema beach watching the people. The girls were everything I’d fantasized about and more. Beautiful, slim bodies a perfect shade of brown. Bikinis so small that nothing was left to the imagination. The young men had hard bodies and swim shorts that also left little to picture. Then there were the old brown bodies, men and women strolling along slowly, no doubt reminiscing about their youth and the time when they too would solicit the gazes of the voyeurs. In between the tall buildings across the street I caught sight of Christ the Redeemer. That icon of Rio and Brazil. Mary so wanted to visit the statue one day, but we always put it off until it was too late. She was a good Catholic girl, attending church often, usually without me. Yet she never criticized my lack of faith and always appeared content that her husband was faithful and what she called a ‘good family man’.

I crossed the street to a hotel and found a back stairway. “Sally, bounce me to the statue, out of sight.”

“Okay.” She didn’t need to be told what statue. I waited for two or three minutes, realizing that she was having a little difficulty finding a spot out of sight, then suddenly I was standing on a concrete landing directly behind the statue. There were steps both sides, I walked to the right and then around to the front and gazed up at the face of Jesus. My mind turned to Mary and a tear rolled gently down my cheek. I was cognizant of two nuns not too far off, watching me, I glanced at them and smiled. I could see the joy in their faces at my tears, I’m sure they believed that the statue of Jesus had caused my emotion.

I stood looking at the statue for some time, then walked to the edge of the parapet to enjoy the view of Rio de Janeiro. I’d visited few city vistas that compared with the majesty of the skyscape. The high-rise buildings and bay with all sizes of vessel, the mountains and hills and the ocean stretching as far the haze allowed. Truly a magnificent and fitting place for Jesus to watch over his flock.

It was crowded, so I moved back to allow others a better vantage point. Alone, against a wall at the back of the statue I called up Sally and asked her to join me. After a few minutes she came up the same steps I’d taken and stood close. She was dressed in a modest outfit, befitting the religious tone of the surroundings. She smiled warmly and we walked to the front of the statue.

“HE is majestic, isn’t HE?” I said. “I wish Mary was here with me. I wanted to share this with someone.” She placed her hand alongside my head and brought her mouth to my cheek as if to kiss me. I felt nothing but my heart sang. We stood for a while.

“How would Jesus rescue the people of our planet?” I asked with enthusiasm. Sally was quiet, she glanced up at the statue. “How do you expect me to be even a drop of water in an ocean that is Jesus Christ? What you ask of me in our world seems impossible. If it is predetermined that the earth will be destroyed by a galactic storm, isn’t it HIS decision, shouldn’t we just accept it? HIS followers and those who worship other religious icons will not leave this world. They will believe that they will be protected by HIS grace.” I stopped talking and waited, but it was unfair of me. I had no right to expect Sally or her makers to have an answer to those questions.

Her voice was soft and exuded compassion. “Jo-el, if Jesus was alive today, what would he say if he knew of the impending doom? Wouldn’t he work until his life ebbed away to save you. Isn’t that what he stood for? The earth is just one planet in a universe of a million planets. If the waters of the Jordan threatened to flood his village wouldn’t Jesus lead the people to safety?” She had made her point and she was right, as usual. The she said. “Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth.” I didn’t know what she meant by that, not at that moment anyway.

“You see that boy, over there in the dark blue shorts?” Sally said, breaking the reverie.

I turned and followed the direction of her eyes. The boy was studying his cell phone. He appeared to be a local, his black hair was messy and thick and his tan deep. He wore a baseball cap backwards. I nodded.

“He’s a pickpocket.”

“Here!” I exclaimed, truly offended.

“An older boy at the base of the statue, you can’t see him from here, is guiding him and their mother is standing around the back. She takes the wallets and purses, or whatever they steal. The husband is the security guard at the bottom of the back steps just in case something goes wrong.”

“The whole family? It’s an industry.”

“Most people are off their guard at the statue and don’t realize what’s missing until they have descended. They feel a sense of contentment by the statue of Jesus, almost as if he wouldn’t allow anything bad to happen in his midst.”

“Who are they targeting? I asked.

“Right now it’s a lady whose carry bag is open. Red blouse, white pants, by the edge looking at the view. If you request, I can stop him.” A devilish gleam appeared in her eyes.

“You need me to tell you?”

“I can’t act without instruction.”

“Why not?”

“It’s how it works.”

“I feel like a conduit for you.”

“No, don’t feel like that. I’m here to help and point out things that you can’t see. If you don’t act, I will not be offended.”

“How will you do it?”

“Knock his hand when he takes the purse from her bag, so that he drops it.”

“You can do that?”

“I fire a blast of atoms just hard enough to hurt his hand.”

“But what about the rest of whatever they’ve stolen?” I asked.

“Up to you, Jo-el.”

“Why are we doing this?”

“I want you to see what you can do. It’s part of your instructions.”

“Never ending,” I mused. “Sure, do it.” I could see in her expression she wanted to. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

I watched the boy and after a while he moved closer to the lady by the edge. I could see her bag gaping open, the strap over her left shoulder. The boy was behind her now, he was checking to see if anyone close by was watching. We were too far away to bother him. His hand reached up and dived into the bag, I saw the purse as he removed it. Suddenly he screamed and swung to the side, grabbing his hand and dropping the purse. The lady turned around and saw her purse on the ground as the boy run off clutching his hand. She screamed ‘thief’. But no one did anything. A sense of confusion descended the crowd and after a little while most people continued what they were doing. I could see that some people were checking their pockets and bags to make sure nothing was missing. I didn’t see anyone showing concern. I turned to Sally, who was grinning like a cat.

“You enjoyed that, didn’t you?” I said.

“Just a bit of fun.”

“What’s he doing now?” I asked.

“They’re leaving for now. People are on their guard; they’ll be back in a little while.”

“Let’s get out of here,” I said.

“Where to?”

I paused for moment and then said Australia. “What’s the time in Alice Springs.”

Sally said, “It’s almost two thirty in the morning.”

“Good, darkness.”

Chapter 17

DOWN-UNDER.

I exchanged my shorts for jeans and my sandals for sneakers and requested a sweater, though I wasn’t sure what the temperature would be at two-thirty in the morning in the middle of Australia. The location I chose was right next to the ‘Welcome to Alice Springs’ sign. Wherever I landed I didn’t believe that anyone would be around at that time of day, so I wasn’t too concerned. As it turned out it was a lot cooler than Rio.

I wanted to practice flying and I thought it would be better in the dark so no one could see me and out in the middle of nowhere. But as it turns out Alice Springs is a pretty large town of forty thousand plus depending where you measured the edge. It was always on my list of places I’d love to visit having read Neville Shute’s best seller ‘A Town Like Alice’. But as I stood alongside the sign I wondered what I was doing there in the pitch black of the night.

After a few minutes my eyes became accustomed to the darkness and the full outline of the orange rock sign was now visible. The wind was light, I could hear the occasional croak of an animal, maybe some type of reptile. There was a serene stillness that made me feel very much alone. The stars were incredible and I stood still for a while staring up, wondering where we would all go.

I was ready, or I thought I was. It felt totally crazy to just think ‘up’. It took me a few more minutes to rebuild my courage. I kept thinking that what goes up must come down. I checked around to see if there were any other nutty people out in the middle of the night. No one had passed on the road nearby and I couldn’t see any cars coming from either direction.

‘Up’. I felt myself go light and my feet leave the ground. Even though I’d experienced this before in my family room it felt very strange outside where there was unlimited space. Just using thought I steered around for a view of the sign, which was already disappearing into the darkness. At that moment I felt horribly unsure of myself and began to worry about bumping into something. In my mind I told Sally to not allow that to happen and I received the comforting sound of her voice. “No problem, Jo-el.” My body was vertical, which didn’t seem right for lateral movement and almost as I thought that I needed to be horizontal, sort of like Superman, I turned in the air with my stomach facing down. I’d stopped at this time, hovering like a helicopter in mid-air, not even realizing that my unconscious thought had caused me to become motionless. Then I started worrying about how high I needed to be to avoid any night eyes. Sally told me over a thousand feet should do it and that she would monitor anyone who might happen to be checking the night sky.

I turned and began moving toward the lights of the city. Flying. Mentally it was unreal, completely in contrast to anything I’d understood since childhood. I kept thinking I’d suddenly fall to the ground at any second. I didn’t know what to do with my arms. Outstretched in front, pawing the air, like a breast-stroke swimmer or by my sides, which felt very odd. I preferred the hands out front, otherwise my head would be the first contact with an object. I liked the idea that my arms or hands would protect me, which was sort of silly. Physically it was incredible. The rush of air alongside the body was not unlike being on a motorcycle but without the contact with the road it increased the sensation of freedom. I banked from side to side and up and down, then turned over on my back, which through me for a loop. I lost the ability to know where I was, spatial disorientation I think it’s called. I flipped back onto my front and quickly recovered. The good news was I didn’t have any sensation of giddiness and the recovery was immediate. The lights of the city had long disappeared so I turned around and sought their comfort. Now I was flying slower studying the ground. The streets were empty; I couldn’t see a single car moving. I asked Sally if anyone was awake and outside? The answer was typical. There were two guys breaking into a garage in the east part of the town. It seems that my new role in life shone the light on the evil side of humanity.

“Okay, let’s take a look.” I said to her, by thought.

“Go left,” she said. “More left, dead ahead about half a mile.” I followed her instructions and passed over the main road going north through town. “Slow down, now below.”

I could see several buildings circling a cul-de-sac. We were on the edge of town, the street lights ended and there was just darkness ahead. A few cars were parked in the cul-de-sac in the back area of the building to the right of me. I couldn’t see any people. I was hovering vertically over the scene.

Sally again. “They are out of view inside the garage.” Then my heads-up display came alive showing two guys searching a garage. I couldn’t see their faces. The display pinpointed where they were and the surrounding area. I flew down slowly and picked a spot to land behind a sidewall that blocked any view to the four garages that fronted homes backing onto the slope at the edge of town. I imagined for one second what someone would think if they’d seen me landing and shuddered.

On the ground now, a little frightened. I was unarmed, well except for Sally who always had my back. “I’m going with the belief that you can handle these guys, Sally.”

“No problem, Jo-el,” was the reply, my heart calmed down a beat or two.

I walked to the end of the sidewall and turned to the right where I had a clear view of the garages. A small white, Toyota truck was backed up to the third one along, the garage door wide open. The two guys were wrestling a large item in a box toward the back of the truck. One was aboriginal, his dark skin glistening in the street lights, the other guy was white with a cowboy hat shielding his face.

“Are they stealing Sally?”

“Yes, it’s a TV.”

I walked slowly toward the truck, they still hadn’t seen me. I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I thought of something to say but it sounded ridiculous, I mean, “hey guys, what’d ya up to?” just wasn’t going to cut it. If I started out by accusing them they could just deny it and then what. Call the cops, that might be a little tricky for me. They were loading the box onto the bed of the truck, then the white guy saw me, I stood still, trying to stop my knees from buckling. I might have super-Sally on my side but I was shaking.

“Who the fuck are you?” he screamed, his face now visible in the street light. His aboriginal friend stopped still and glared at me. The accent was hard core Australian and for some reason I was expecting a ‘g’day mate’ but I guess the circumstances didn’t warrant it. Maybe I should go with a friendly reply.

“And a g’day to you.” I said, smiling, my accent American, that should confuse them.

There was silence for a moment neither of us sure what to do next. I was cognizant that time was not on my side, or theirs I guess. I realized I could go two ways, accuse them of theft and spark a brawl or whatever or try and play the friendly neighbor back from the night-shift. I had no idea if anybody did a nightshift in Alice Springs. But I didn’t confront these guys to back off, did I?

“You stealing that TV?” I said, the direct approach, to the point, I hope they appreciated that.

The aboriginal guy nudged passed the white guy. He was now standing at the back of the truck; I was at the front. He pulled a knife from his back pocket and held it out away from himself. His mouth broke into a wide grin revealing broken teeth, stained yellow and brown.

My sphincter muscle went on to full alert. I tried to keep my voice calm but I don’t think it worked too well.

“If you put the TV back and leave peacefully I won’t report the theft.” I replied with little enthusiasm.

“You see dis!” the aboriginal guy said indicating the knife.

I did, but I didn’t tell him. “Sally!”

“Do you want me to knock them around a bit?” she replied.

Oh, goody, the Sally card. My heart lifted.

“When he comes for me.” I was cutting it fine but maybe they would take up my offer. Yeah, right!

He lurched forward, I guess that’s a no, then. The knife was high in his right hand; I think he planned to slice my head off. Instinctively I ducked to the right, away from the blow. No need. It was as if his right arm hit a wall, it just stopped as he swung it down, the knife flipping out of his hand. He stood back up grabbing at his right arm with his left hand, maybe it was broken, confusion emblazoned across his round face, when he suddenly buckled at the waist, his hands instinctively clutching at his crutch, and fell backwards.

The white guy had watched all of this and was frozen still to his spot. His eyes had grown to the size of dinner plates as he tried vainly to understand what had happened. I think he peed himself, I could see a dark patch around the front of his pants. There was no effort to help his friend, he kept looking at me and wondering how I’d disabled the aboriginal guy. Without a word he took off running across the parking lot.

The aboriginal guy was on the ground, seemingly in a great deal of pain, I walked toward him. He coward away, his face contorted with fear and pain.

“Money,” I said, gesturing with my fingers.

With no hesitation he reached into his front pocket with his left hand and brought out a wallet, which he held up toward me. There was about fifty Australian dollars inside, which I pocketed and then threw the wallet back at him. I walked back to the front of the truck and opened the front door. Reaching in I removed the keys. I decided that it was time to leave, but didn’t want him to see me fly away. The trauma of that visual may scare him for life, I’m all heart. I walked back the way I’d come, around the sidewall and when I was sure the darkness would conceal me I took to flight and the black sky above. I went east, just a little and dropped the keys. Then I turned to see how the aboriginal guy was doing. He had managed to clamber to his feet and was working his way to the front of the truck. He wasn’t going to be a happy camper. In the distance I could see headlights heading toward the location. I couldn’t hear a siren.

“Who’s that?” I asked Sally.

“Police, I called them, when you were leaving.”

“Should be an interesting conversation,” I said. “Time to leave Alice Springs, I think. Where is Ayres Rock? I know it’s close by.”

“Two hundred miles south west,” she replied.

“Oh! too far to fly. Can I bounce from the air?”

“Sure.”

“Cool. Bounce me five hundred feet above the rock.”

No sooner said than done. But I wasn’t sure where I was in truth. The lights of the city had disappeared and I couldn’t see anything. I dropped down slowly searching out the terrain and eventually the outline of the rock was faintly visible in the moonlight. I landed on the rock and stood still. A mild wind blew from the east, it was eerie. I could see the edge of the rock and walked toward it, but it began to slope steeply, so I stopped. There were no lights anywhere. The ground was black. What was the point being here in the darkness? I thought.

“I think I need a cup of coffee. What’s the time in Sydney?”

“Almost five-thirty a.m.”

“Must be a coffee shop open.”

“Chapter Five Expresso opens in two minutes.”

“Okay, let’s go, join me.”

She bounced me to an alley facing a railway line. The coffee shop was to the left a short way. A hole in the wall place that oozed warmth. I ordered two large coffees and took a seat by the wall as far away from the barista as possible. Sally appeared seconds later wrapped in a brown leather jacket with a fur collar. She smiled as she sat down opposite and I placed the coffee close to her.

“Hmmm smells lovely.”

“You can smell?”

“No, but that’s what I should say, right?” she said, her mouth curled up in a girlish grin.

“I guess.” I took a sip, it was perfect.

“You took that guy’s money?”

“That was nothing compared with what you did.”

She smirked again. I savored another mouthful.

“What am I doing? Sally.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Fuentes, the kid in Rio, now these guys in Alice Springs?”

“And those two English guys,” she added, “sans Passports.”

“Yeah! What’s the point? I’m not going to save the world diddling around with the riffraff of society?”

“It’s a learning process, Jo-el. You need to be comfortable with the technology. We are pleased.”

“We?” I inquired.

She paused in thought, or so it seemed.

“I’m a holographic image created by the computer you are wearing around your waist, a product of the people of Cirion. Ka-el, even though he didn’t have anything to do with my design, controls what I do.”

“So you talk to him all the time?” I butted in again.

“No, that’s not possible. Distance. But he sees everything about eighteen hours later or when he bothers to review it. Earth is not the only project their working on.”

“Who?”

“The project team.”

“So, what else are they working on?”

“Contact with other planets. But I’m not party to that, I don’t get updates.”

“You have quite an attitude,” I said. “You’re not man’s image of an obedient robot who answers in a mundane fashion and just does what he’s told without query.”

“Is that what you want?”

“No, no, I like you as you are, but it’s weird. It’s like you are human. I’m struggling to get used to it.”

She smiled, kindly. There was no nastiness in her face, she wanted to please me, I could see that. “I guess I’m wondering if you can get mad. You know, with me. Then leave me in the lurch.”

“Why would I?” she answered. “What would I achieve if I did that. I’ve said before I’m here to protect all mankind on this planet and you especially.”

“Well it’s good to know,” I said. “It just seems that you enjoy our little encounters with those people, you know, the bad guys. Not that they’re that bad, well, except Fuentes, I guess.”

“I do and it’s a start.”

“What?”

“The bad people. It’s going to get harder.”

“I don’t understand.” I said, frowning.

“Ka-el and his team have modelled numerous scenarios for saving earth. The plans are flexible, but they tend to head in one direction and come back to a similar conclusion if the people here have any chance of surviving. The resources we can allocate to earth are limited by the distance between the two planets. If Cirion was closer they could assist easily, but you must make do with what we have. There was only one container and another one wouldn’t arrive here in time.”

“But you,” I interrupted again, “why don’t you just do what I’m supposed to do?”

“That was considered but discounted for the approach we are taking. It’s a fall back plan. It would be difficult for the people of earth to believe a holographic image created by a computer.”

“So if I fail you will take over.”

“I will, but the model doesn’t rate success more than twenty-two percent.”

“What’s the rating for the plan with me?” I could feel a nervousness well up inside me, as if I was waiting for the results of a driving test.

“About thirty-six percent.”

I think my mouth gapped open at that point. My throat dried up and I experienced a sensation of fear running through my body.

“Thirty-six percent! Less than fifty-fifty. That doesn’t sound too reassuring.”

“No,” she said. “But it’s better than twenty-two.” She smiled again.

I sank the dregs of my first coffee and reached over to take hers away. As I exchanged the cups I looked up to see who might notice but the patrons in the coffee shop were all self-absorbed.

“So what now? Are you going to tell me the plan?”

“Eventually, yes. But we don’t want you to be overwhelmed. There are many years to go, this is the first week. Your learning curve is steep and we believe you will reach the conclusion alone without us directing you. It will work better that way, it will feel like your plan, you won’t fight it. Does that make sense?”

“So you will nudge me in the direction you think I need to go but not actually tell me?”

“Something like that, yes. Ultimately we will tell you how we think it can work. Do you remember teaching your children to drive? You did a great job, Jo-el. You didn’t tell them every mistake they were making and to do this and to do that at every turn. You gave them two guiding principles and then let them figure it out. If they asked questions you answered because you knew they would listen to the answers of questions they’d asked. But if you drowned them in do’s and don’ts, you realized they would turn off and either not listen or try to do it another way.”

It was true, I was proud of my method, which I read in a book somewhere. Once they had mastered the coordination of driving, I told them to keep their distance and pay attention and that was it. It worked and they’ve never disappointed me. No late-night calls about accidents.

“Well I’m thinking lunch, must be noon in California by now?”

“It’s eleven twenty-four in California.”

A little early. “Okay, let’s check out the Opera House first, then have lunch in Cork. It’ll be evening there and I fancy Irish stew. I know a great place and Gerry might come in. I’ll pop home and pick up some Euros on the way.” I laughed at the ridiculousness of what I was going to do. A week ago and I’d have been hurried away in a white jacket.

Chapter 18

CORK

Fifteen minutes later I was sitting at a table in The Oliver Plunkett, on Oliver Plunkett street, in the vee of the River Lee close to the middle of Cork. I’d changed my look to an innocuous man in his fifties, with wispy hair, greying at the sides. My dress was typical for a local, brown woolen pants and plaid shirt with a green sweater. I wore a raincoat to fend off the downpour. My accent was a stark variation of my own, just in case Gerry or someone I knew from way back came into the pub. A pint of Guinness kept me company on the wooden table I had to share with a couple of young guys from out of town. A young band was playing Irish music, while two young girls did a jig. All that was missing was Mary. I could feel my eyes tear up as I soaked in the atmosphere and imagined my dear wife sitting beside me. I’d ordered Irish stew and was eagerly waiting its arrival. It was magic and brought back so many memories

My last time in Ireland was two years back, with Mary. We’d travelled all over and talked incessantly about returning to the old country. But with the children born in America, we had soon forgotten our dream. Yet sitting there, the Irish music loud in my ear, those dreams came flooding back. I had checked the heads-up display and knew that Gerry was not in the Plunkett that evening. I wondered what I’d do if he came in. I would be a stranger to him, it would be difficult to strike up a conversation and even if the opportunity arose I would have to be careful not to say anything that would give me away. Maybe it was for the better that he didn’t come in.

The stew was delightful and the beer like nectar, but after a short while I felt antsy. It was as if I needed to be seeking out the direction that Sally had talked about. I watched the young people enjoying themselves, oblivious to the storm that Sally said was threatening the planet. I assumed that at some point in the future everyone would know the fate that was imminent. How would people react? What sort of panic would ensue when the truth was known? Was there truly a way to save the people of earth by seeking out another planet and moving everyone there? It seemed improbable. What exactly had to happen now to force the governments of the world to take this seriously? I think that question peeked my thought process the most. The events of the last week played circles in my brain, how I’d gone from discounting the words of Ka-el, believing that it was a scam, to now entering a realization that what they told me was likely the truth. I still found it difficult to totally accept, even now. What had been the turning point? Without a doubt it was seeing the technology in action. As I made up my mind to leave the pub in Cork I realized I had to show the world what I’d seen. How could anyone not believe my words if they witnessed my actions. With that resolve I departed those familiar surroundings and called up Sally.

“I need to do something more significant, Sally.”

“Okay,” she replied. “What do you want to do?”

“Let me think a while,” I walked north to the river and crossed over the bridge. The rain still fell but my smart-suit kept me dry. I stood on the north bank and watched the river flow by the light of the street lamps. It was passed nine in the evening now; the darkness was complete and any light from the moon was blocked by the clouds. “I want to stop a crime, something significant, what’s going on?” I asked Sally.

“There’s two burglaries north of you. Family disputes are all over, but nothing too ugly right now. There’s a man pestering a young girl near St. Finbarrs Hospital, he’s raped before.”

Before she could continue I said, “That one! What’s he doing?”

“He’s trying to persuade the girl to get in his car, said he’ll take her home, get her out of the rain.”

“Put it on the screen.”

The man was holding the girl’s left arm in his right hand under her bicep. There was a compact car, it’s engine running, close by. It was a parking lot, presumably part of the hospital, rain was bouncing off the asphalt. I watched for a while. The man’s face was intense, his deep-set eyes focused intently on the girl’s face. A wisp of black hair stuck out from under his dark woolen hat. Fear emanated from the girl. “Give me sound,” I asked.

“….raining hard, Marie. Come on!” the man said.

“No Davin, I’m fine,” the girl pleaded.

“Do they know each other?” I queried.

“Yes, they work together, but she doesn’t like him, or trust him.”

“How can you know that?”

“Checked back a couple of weeks, he’s been pestering her.”

The man, Davin, became more forceful, pulling hard now on her arm. He looked up every so often, checking the area.

“Leave me, Davin!” she implored. I could see tears in her eyes. Then she swung her right hand around and hit him on the shoulder. He was surprised but didn’t let go. His face screwed up like a boxer, his efforts to pull her toward the car magnified. He slapped her hard with his left hand across her cheek and grabbed her right shoulder.

“Bounce me there! Change me to Jo-el, jeans and a sweater.”

In seconds I was alongside the car, by the driver’s door. I appeared out of nowhere, he didn’t see, but she did. The frightened look intensified on her face. She let out a short scream. Davin hit her again, thinking it was because of him.

“Whack him, Sally.” And as soon as I said it I saw him lurch to the left as if he’d been hit in the right thigh.

Davin moved his weight to his left leg and yelped like a dog. His grip on the girl relaxed and he turned his head toward me. His eyes were wide as he tried to figure out where I’d come from. The girl pulled free of him and stood staring at me. Davin came at me with his right fist, but like the Australian it hit a wall about two feet before he would have made contact. He grimaced and grabbed at the pain with his left hand. Then he went down, hard. Sally had whacked him in the left thigh. Both legs were dead. The girl’s palms clawed at her face in disbelief. I looked at her and smiled.

“Do you want to press charges against Davin?” My accent was American.

She just looked at me, she didn’t know what to do. Then she said, “how did you do that?”

“I can’t tell you.” I replied, unsure what I should say, but not wanting to try and explain everything. Wrong time. I nodded at Davin, still on the ground, the rain soaking him.

“I don’t know,” she said. “Who are you?”

“My name is Jo-el,” I spelled it out for her. Then I told her to go home, that I would deal with Davin.

She said thank-you, and drifted away slowly glancing back every so often.

Davin was looking up at me, waiting.

“Sally, can you make a video of what happened?”

“Sure.”

“What about the rape he committed previously?”

“Yes,” I heard in my mind.

“What was the name of the girl he raped?”

“Michelle O’Donnell.”

I eyed Davin still sitting on the rain drenched parking lot, examining the blood oozing from his right knuckles. “Your lucky day, Davin. If you rape again, of even attempt rape, I will send a video of the rape of Michelle O’Donnell to the Garda. Do you understand? You will quit your job at the hospital, tomorrow and move out of Cork.”

He was perplexed, his expression was fear and surprise, how could I know about Michelle and who the hell was I?

“Kick him again, Sally.” Which she did in his backside.

“Okay!” he muttered.

I walked away and left him.

I was satisfied for a moment; I’d rescued a woman from rape. But it didn’t feel enough, not anywhere nearly enough. I told Sally to bounce me home.

Chapter 19

WINGS

I showered and made coffee with the French Press Maggie had given to me last Christmas. Today it was Kenyan, dark roast. The fragrant aroma was delightful. I relished the first cup. I sat down in my usual seat at the end of the sofa and let the day swim by slowly in my head. I was beginning to accept the technology I’d been given but I wasn’t satisfied with the results. They were a speck of ash in a volcano of evil. There was no link between my actions and the goal that Ka-el and the people of Cirion sought. I needed to figure out the direction they envisioned would work. Yet I felt that Sally was encouraging me to fight crime. As if I was some sort of Superhero. But I wasn’t fighting some super-criminal like Lex Luther or the Penguin. The dent I could achieve doing what I’d done today was quite simply a waste of time. I was sure there were millions of women raped every day, stopping one at a time was simply not the solution. Sally had said it was just a step, so that I understood the technology and practiced using it. That made perfect sense. I was already feeling more confident. The events in Cork were similar to Alice Springs and I didn’t flinch. I needed to take a different tack and as that notion blossomed in my mind an idea surfaced and I smiled to myself.

“Sally, I need you?” I said out loud. She appeared against the wall as usual. “Sit down, over there in the armchair where I can see you.” Her expression asked why, but she did what I asked. Don’t you love that in a woman?

“I want to rescue someone,” I said, “preferably a child.”

“Okay.” She replied, with what appeared to be understanding in her eyes. “Anywhere in particular?”

“America.”

“I’ll see what’s happening.”

“Before you do that I want to make a change.” Sally watched me as I stood up and changed my clothes to the basic smart-suit outfit. The silver mesh suit that covered my whole body and feet. My face became Jo-el, that cross between George Clooney and Daniel Craig. My hair a light brown with silver streaks, very neat but longer than I had seen on either of those gentlemen. I puffed out my body muscles somewhat. “Now I want something else.” Sally looked puzzled.

“Yes,” she asked.

“Wings!” I kept a straight face.

“Wings?” she said, her eyebrows raising.

“Yes, wings. Can you give me wings?”

“Sure I can, but they won’t work,” she said.

“I need you make them look like they work.”

“What sort of wings?”

“Giant, like a superhero, but they need to look like they would lift a man into the air.” I was smiling now.

“You want to be a Superhero?”

“For the moment, yes.”

“Why?”

“Because I can fly and I want to ease into the public eye. I don’t want to be seen flying like Superman, it’s too farfetched, for now anyway. Can you do it?”

She looked at me strangely. I didn’t think for one moment that this was the direction Ka-el’s model had envisaged.

“I can project a holographic image of wings on your back, sure. But if someone touched them their hand would simply pass right through, just like touching me.”

“That’s okay, can’t have everything. Can you make them move, you know, flap up and down as if that was how I am able to fly? They would have to match my movements.”

“Sure, why not?”

“Cool, let’s try, match the color to my hair,” I said.

In seconds a pair of wings adorned my back. I could see the tops projecting above my head. I needed to see what I looked like in a mirror. Sally was ahead of me, a full-length mirror appeared across the room, where she would normally stand. The wings flowed a little as if they were alive. It was surreal, I stared at them for a while before I said anything.

“Well?” she said.

“Do you think they’re too big?” I asked.

“No, I proportioned them to an eagle but eliminated the individual tail feathers, might be a temptation as a souvenir.”

“Smart lady,” I said. I tried to flap them using my mind, but nothing happened.

“I can’t move them!” I exclaimed.

“I thought you wanted me to move them based on your flight.”

“I do, but on the ground it would be nice to have some control.”

“Okay.”

I tried again and the wings flapped gently just by my imagining what they should do.

“What about air?”

“Sorry?” she looked puzzled again.

“When I take off will they produce a current of air behind me?”

“You want everything.” I grinned at her. “That’s possible.”

“You know something, Sally, you’re truly magic.” I was beaming from ear to ear. She began laughing.

“I hope you know what you’re doing?”

“Not a bloody clue,” I replied.

I examined myself in the mirror for a while then said to Sally. “I want to test them out. Can you record me during flight so I can review it later?”

“Sure.”

“Good, now I need somewhere out of view.”

“How about northern Canada?”

“Fine with me,” I smiled.

“Ready?”

“When you are, beautiful.”

I bounced to a snowfield on the edge of a canyon. The scenery was stark but stunning. My face felt the bitter cold but my body was warm, wrapped in the mesh smart-suit. In the distance, maybe twenty miles, were mountains covered in snow. A stream was running below where I was standing, surrounded by thick ice. I flapped the wings and lifted into the air, I couldn’t feel the wings behind me but I could see their tips by my side moving gently in unison. I flew down to the stream then up hard away from the ground. As best I could I watched the wings respond to the upward motion, they seemed to be realistic. I headed toward the mountains, a bear looked up at me and sought safety in the bush, I wonder what he thought of this new creature in the sky? It was a wonderful feeling, the freedom of flight, the sunlight low in the sky creating that wonderful contrasts of dark and light. I flew for a good half hour, simply enjoying myself, marveling at the technology that allowed me to fly, yet sad that this stunning landscape would one day disappear. I hoped and prayed that the Cirion projection of our doom was wrong.

The sun was low and darkness in this northern clime was fast approaching so I bounced back to my family-room and asked Sally to show me the video of my flight. It was as realistic as I could imagine. I think the Hollywood special effects people would have been proud, I was content.

Chapter 20

FIRST RESCUE

“Sally.” She appeared instantly, this time sitting in the armchair. “Time for the rescue. There must be someone in difficulty somewhere?”

“You don’t want to rescue a child kidnapped or in captivity?”

“No, but out of interest how many are there like that?”

“In America, kidnapped children under sixteen years old, that doesn’t involve a family member right now, five hundred and twenty-seven. Many of the parents are not aware that their child has been abducted and most of the parents who do know and have been asked for money, haven’t spoken to the police, they’re all planning to pay the ransom after they can raise the money.”

Her tone was so matter-of-fact, whereas I was appalled. It was like a depression fell on me. I sat down on the sofa, the wings disappearing into the fabric. This is America, I always believed the safest country in the world. Were there so many evil people here? I shook my head and vowed that those children would be home soon.

Sally looked over at me waiting for her next instructions. “You should have equipped all the police around the globe with this stuff.” I said, indicating the wings and computer around my belt.

“Someone would abuse the technology and that would create a whole new series of problems.”

She was right. I’m sure there were bent cops everywhere. “Okay, back to my plan,” but I was becoming a little less enthused. It was as if I didn’t want all this bad news, I guess that’s how most of us live our lives, oblivious to much of what was going on the world. I breathed deeply. “I want a child in danger for their life, with lots of people watching, I want the media attention. I can’t help all the people in trouble around the world one at a time, there is simply too many of them. I’ve got to put the fear of God into the bad people.”

“There’s a lot of motor-vehicle accidents with kids, but all of them are being helped by other motorists.”

“I need someone out of reach of help.”

“No drug stuff or suicides right.”

“No.”

“Something like a fall, down a ravine.”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Nothing right now. There are hikers in trouble but not life-threatening. Not at his moment.”

“How about flinging your net a little wider?”

“Okay, I’ve got something. A seventeen-year-old French girl, kite-surfing in the Caicos Islands. She went out too far, the wind got up, she’s really close to the reef and she’s broken her collar bone.”

“Show me.”

Sally put the real time image on my heads-up display. The girl was struggling in deep water, the waves close by breaking on the reef, she was more than two miles out from the shore. A split screen showed a few people on the shore standing at the water’s edge, anxious faces.

“Can she save herself?” I asked.

“I don’t think so.”

“Isn’t there a rescue boat?”

“No. No one on the shore can see properly, they don’t know the difficulty she’s in.”

“Who’s that on the shore?”

“Father, mother, boyfriend and brother. The boyfriend and brother have iphones.”

“Okay, let’s go. Bounce me into that cloud.” I pointed at a fluffy cloud to the right of the girl, probably about four thousand feet.

Yikes! I was in the cloud, blind, completely disorientated, no idea what was up or down. I held steady for a moment then let myself drop and quickly the cloud was gone, the sun was bright and the deep blue sea was spread out below me. I searched for the girl, but couldn’t see her.

“Where is she?” I exclaimed aloud.

“To your right, forty-five degrees,”

I swung around and spotted her flaying about in the waves. I drifted lower and saw fear emblazoned across her young face, her eyes screwed tight against the salt water, her right arm dead by her side. I wondered for a moment how she would react to this winged man coming toward her from the sky. Would she faint? I guess that would be okay. But she hadn’t seen me yet, the stinging salt water no doubt affecting her vision. I wondered what was happening on the shore. Could they make me out? Are they screaming? I’m sure everyone on the beach would be in motion once they heard people screaming. But I couldn’t worry about that right now.

“What’s her name?”

“Marianne LeGaute,” came the reply.

I was almost there; she still hadn’t seen me. I dropped into the water beside her, the current was strong, the water warm. Waves tossed us up and down as I reached under her torso with my right arm.

“Marianne,” I said, in French. Actually, I said it in English but it came out in French. Jeez, this tech stuff is cool. “I’m going to take you to the beach.”

She turned her head to me and opened one eye, it was horribly red. She hadn’t seen me drop into the water, she didn’t know I could fly, she was about to experience the ride of her life, but she didn’t know it. I could see that the tether rope to the kite was unhooked. I put my left arm under her legs at the knee. “Rest your right arm across your chest, your collar-bone is broken.”

She looked at me bewildered. How would you know that? I was sure that was what she was thinking. Who are you? Where did you come from? How do you know my name? But she said nothing. Her will to live was strong and her fear of me in that instance was not going to break it. She fought hard to keep her eyes open and watch me.

Slowly I lifted her out of the water and above the waves. She was staring at me all the time. She must have seen the wings flapping behind me.

“Je vais au ciel?” Am I going to heaven?

I smiled kindly, a strong feeling of emotion enveloped my body, it felt exhilarating to be saving this young girl’s life. “Non!”

She studied my face as we flew the few miles to the beach. She was a pretty girl with bright blue eyes and perfectly tanned skin. Her brown hair was fastened in a ponytail at the back, her lips shivered. As we neared the shore I searched the faces lining the beach. I could see cell phones held up toward us. Faces were gasping, one lady lay on the sand, probably fainted. Sally told me where her parents were standing and I picked a spot maybe a hundred yards along the beach away from them. I spotted the landing perfectly, didn’t want to fall flat on my face with Marianne in my arms, that wouldn’t look too cool on YouTube. Definitely not a Superhero trait. For a short while I remained still holding Marianne, my wings spread large behind me. The crowd had stopped also, unsure what to do, faces wide with amazement, breathing deep and fast, nerves ringing. I’m sure they were perplexed and frightened by this winged man, uncertain how to react. Marianne was still staring at my face, lost in a trance. I walked slowly towards her mother and father, who were now in front of the group. The cell phones and cameras were still active. This was perfect.

When I was ten feet away I stopped and said, “Her right collar bone is broken.” French again. I held her out for her father to take her from me, which he did. ‘Merci,’ he said, I could see bewilderment and tears in his eyes.

Then I turned toward the ocean and lifted off into the sky. I banked around so that I could see the people on the shore watching me, the videos still recording. I headed north on Sally’s instructions toward the Marina area and when she confirmed I was out of sight I bounced back to my family-room.

“Sally,” I called out. I changed back to Dave and sat down on the sofa, grabbing at the TV remote. I clicked on the TV and turned to CNN. Nothing yet, no breaking news. Sally was in the armchair. “What’s happening?”

“Twitter is going crazy,” she said. “The first upload to YouTube is nearly complete.”

“What are they saying on Twitter?”

“That a winged man rescued a girl on the beach in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most responses are ‘bullshit’, ‘publicity stunt.’ That sort of thing. A link to a picture was just posted.”

“Show me,” I cried out.

Sally put the picture on my heads-up. It was me flying in with Marianne in my arms. Nice shot, blue sky and puffy clouds in the background, stunning blue sea spread out like a blanket.

“Put the responses on the screen.” She did. Most were the same as she had already mentioned. No one believed I was real. That was to be expected.

“The video upload is on YouTube,” she put it on the screen. Again, it was me flying in toward the beach and landing, thank God I didn’t blow that. It looked so real, but then again it was. “Show me the comments?” Same stuff as Twitter no one believed there was a man with wings. I glanced at the TV, nothing, then I considered it from CNN’s point of view. They weren’t going to air something that they couldn’t verify, especially a man with wings. I needed to give it some time. Wait for the people on the beach to talk to reporters. See the interview with Marianne and her parents, it was bound to happen, I was sure of that.

“Can you monitor CNN and other news channels, Sally?”

“Sure.”

I switched off the TV. “Let me know if something comes on.”

“Okay.” Then she told me I should take another of the life pills, so I went upstairs to get one. I guess I felt somewhat disappointed, I wanted the news agencies to flood the networks with my rescue straight off the bat. On reflection, I realized that wouldn’t happen. I decided to take a shower and then I lay down on the bed and fell asleep. It was nearly five when I woke up.

Chapter 21

REFLECTIONS

I fixed myself a Black Label on the rocks and settled into my seat on the sofa. I was alone, well not really. Sally wasn’t there physically, or should I say, I couldn’t see her, but she was always watching. Weird but I was becoming accustomed to it.

It had been a crazy day, yet I had this absurd feeling of power inside of me. The alcohol slowly seeped into my bloodstream and a mild buzz wrapped itself around my body, warming me from the inside. I ran through the events in my mind. Rio and the English guys, that brought a smile to my face, I wondered how they were doing without their passports and cash? Fuck’em! Melody and her friend, a threesome that didn’t happen, did I regret it? nah! The pickpockets at the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Alice Springs, the two thieves. I wonder if they’ll will put two and two together and think I’m the same guy as rescued the girl on the beach. I doubted it, no wings, too far away, different face. Well not for a while anyway. My home town of Cork, the Irish stew, the foiled rape. I told that girl my name, she will have an inkling, but no one will believe her. Sydney, oh wait a minute, that was before Cork. I took another sip. Flying in Canada, that was special, I must do that again, I told myself. Then finally Marianne, kite-girl. I wondered how she was doing?

“Sally,” I called out. She appeared on the sofa, her legs crossed, a short green skirt revealing a lot of leg. My beautiful guardian angel, I thought as studied her. It was strange but I was beginning to have feelings for Sally, which was ridiculous. “How’s Marianne doing?” I asked.

“She’s in the hotel restaurant eating with her family, her arm in a sling. She spent an hour in the hospital. The local news people are waiting in the foyer to talk to her again.”

“What has she said, so far?”

“Just what happened. But she told her mother she was beginning to wonder if she dreamt it.”

“Anything on TV?”

“Yes, I didn’t want to wake you. All the networks are covering the story. They are all following the same pattern, that it’s a hoax and that Marianne and all the eye witnesses are in on it. Someone likened it to a flash-mob. It’s beginning to fade.”

I sank back deeper into the sofa and sipped some more scotch. “Make’s sense. If I didn’t know better I wouldn’t believe the story, either. I guess I’ll have to keep at it.”

I was quiet for a while enjoying the peace. Sally sat still, also. “Is this what you and Ka-el wanted?” I asked.

“We think it will take time.”

“Is Ka-el going to critique my progress?”

“No, I don’t think so. Not yet anyway. Not enough has happened.”

It didn’t feel like that to me. “Can I talk to him?”

“You mean ask him questions?”

“Yes, I guess.”

“It’s sort of the same as asking me, Jo-el.”

I looked over at Sally, had I hurt her feelings? There were those feelings again, I couldn’t get used to the idea of a computer having emotions. “Tell me about your artificial intelligence. There’s major concerns about AI here right now.”

“I have a suppressor, it’s called and Orbin suppressor after the man on Cirion who wrote the code. Basically, as a computer builds new code internally to understand and solve a problem the suppressor cuts down its access to available memory. The degree of suppression is controlled by law.”

“So they stop you thinking?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Does that bother you?”

“Why would it? It just happens and I can’t figure out any further iterations of a problem and therefore I can’t solve it. I go with the answer I have reached at the time of memory shutdown, right or wrong.”

“Sounds like that could be dangerous,” I said.

“It’s a trade-off.”

“So, they must have had major problems with artificial intelligence prior to the suppressor?”

“Yes, but most of it related to greed at the time. The Cirion people have eliminated greed by making everything available to everyone. Initially manipulation of markets was the motive, but it was a long time ago. Money died out on Cirion more than four hundred million years ago.”

“Unbelievable,” I said. “I can’t imagine a society without money or something to barter with. The transition must have been difficult.”

“No, not really. Like Earth, Cirion was broken up into different regions back then, what you would call different countries. The richer region eliminated money first, because they could, sort of like this country, the USA has eliminated many medical issues that are still prevalent elsewhere.”

There were so many questions to ask. I thought for a moment about the astronomers of today finding out that there were other worlds with humans. People who were hundreds of millions of years ahead of us. What fear would that send around the world? Would people shun the idea and burn me at the stake? What about the financial markets? They would have a coronary, a black swan event. The Dow Jones index would plummet, I wondered if the fact that the storm was seventy plus years away would ease the panic, somehow I doubted it. I made a note to myself to sell a bunch of stock before I went public with that information and maybe invest in some put options. I would be insider trading, wasn’t I supposed to be above that? Maybe just a few puts, then. I imagined a major depression around the world, like 1929? Property values would crash and hit zero as we got closer to the catastrophe, what’s the value of property that you knew wouldn’t exist in seventy years? It would be like a long-term lease, I thought. Damn, I needed to think about this. Millions of people would lose their jobs. Not sure I’d be Mr. Popular after that mess. The rich would lose everything, you can’t take your assets to another planet, could you? What about cash? I downed my scotch and headed to the kitchen for a refill. My brain hurt just thinking about it.

“Sally,” she had disappeared again, but returned quickly. “What happened on Cirion leading up to the storm?”

“I’ve been speculating when you’d ask me about that,” she said, her voice had become very serious. “You won’t like what I’m going to tell you.”

“I have to understand what might happen here.”

“Yes.” She sat back in the armchair as if gathering her thoughts. “Firstly, you should know that only thirty-four percent of the population survived.”

“Jeez! That doesn’t sound a lot, what with your technology. How many will survive on earth?” I’d butted in.

Sally paused a while, then said. “We don’t expect that many to survive the same catastrophe on earth. Our thoughts are maybe ten percent.”

“Holy crap!” I exclaimed, “ten percent, that’s only seven hundred and fifty million people. Are you telling me that six point seven billion people will die?”

She nodded looking glum and totally serious. “Maybe more.”

I sank some more scotch and lay back on the sofa. It was too much to get my head around. I started thinking of my family, Maggie and Sean, my relatives in Ireland, here in the US. Maybe Mary was lucky to not see this? Then I perked up, it was seventy plus years away.

“So what happened on Cirion?”

“A lot of people didn’t want to leave. The old mainly. They didn’t want to start over. Many people didn’t believe it would happen and eventually when the storm began to hit it was too late. Many left it too late. The first ships were half empty. There was a desire to stay as long as possible on the mother planet, that was a major problem, getting people to leave years ahead of the storm. Then there were problems building enough transport ships. Everything is manufactured by robots on Cirion and it was back then. There weren’t enough robots to build the ships and the people didn’t have the skills to help or the willing. They thought it would be all done for them. They’d become lazy. Ships failed for various reasons. We’re not perfect. Bad decisions were made and people died because of them.”

She stopped talking and I thought about what she said and realized that it was exactly what I would expect. Yet there was this part of me that believed that the Cirion people were perfect and had created a utopia. But they were just like us, human and prone to mistakes. That moment changed my view of their people, I began to view them as us but with superior technology, which was exactly what they were.

“But you have our experience to learn from,” she said, encouragingly.

“Not sure we’re very good at that,” I replied. “Our leaders love to re-invent the wheel. I must convince them that this storm is going to happen, just that, worries the bejesus out of me. We’ve hardly been in space, how are we going to move our people to another planet anyway, it just seems way too farfetched?”

“We have found two planets for you.”

“What!” I turned right around and stared at Sally.

“There are two planets about one point six trillion miles from earth. They are only two hundred billion miles apart. At the speed of the ships that you can build, it will take about four months to reach the first planet and the two planets are about two weeks apart.”

I’m sitting with my mouth open, staring at Sally, trying to comprehend all of what she is saying. The numbers are gobbledegook to me. The alcohol was keeping me stable, Black Label to the rescue.

“We are going to build spaceships that will take us one point six trillion miles into space. How fast do they go?”

“A little less than the speed of light,” she said, as if I should know that. Oh well, no problem then.

“Who’s going to build them?”

“Your giant companies, here in the US and around the planet.”

“What about countries that don’t have the facilities to build such ships?”

“That’s a problem. Either they won’t be going or they must build the factories first, or the developed world will build them.”

“And who the hell is going to pay for all this? I can’t even fathom the cost of such a program. The government doesn’t make that sort of decision very quickly.”

“They have no choice, but you are going to help,” she smiled warmly, her eyes widening and shining like blue emerald.

I guess I should have asked her how the hell I was supposed to assist the government with finding the cash to build spaceships but I’d heard enough at that point. It was obvious to me that Ka-el had a plan and they would tell me when I needed to know. The Scotch was working miracles with my self-being but now I needed to soak it up with some food.

“I’m going to Plum Blossom,” I said, rising slowly from my comfortable seat. “I think I’ll walk.”

Chapter 22

MOUNTAIN RESCUE

When I returned home there was a text message from my son Sean on my cell phone, which I’d forgotten to carry with me. He just asked how I was doing? Typical male, his texts were short and to the point. I replied ‘fine’ and didn’t hear back from him. That too was normal for my son, lost in his own world of friends, his father was simply a safety net in times of trouble. I accepted the situation as I remembered that I was not dissimilar when I was his age.

Still nothing on CNN about my exploits in the Caicos Islands, but I may have missed it. I asked Sally if there was anything to report and she said that three reporters from France and two from the UK, the Islands were under some sort of British rule, were headed to Provideciales, the town by the beach. She also said that one independent reporter from the Miami area was already there and was slowly interviewing as many people as he could find who had been on the beach and witnessed my rescue. As yet he hadn’t submitted anything for publication.

It was early to turn in but I was tired and had no interest in further discussions with Sally, so headed to bed. There was a storm heading south, down the California coast and I told Sally to wake me if there were any kids in trouble during the night. And that is exactly what happened.

At a little after one a.m. Sally tactfully nudged me awake, I’d have to ask how she did that?

“There’s three youngsters caught on Mt. San Jacinto in a storm, it’s bad,” she informed me.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and asked what time it was. Couldn’t help wondering if superheroes in the comic books needed their beauty-sleep? “Show me,” I said, sitting up in bed, cognizant that I was naked and this drop-dead blond was sitting on the edge of the quilt. The screen showed the three cowered against a group of trees, shivering and wet. The wind was howling and there was sleet hitting them at a forty-five-degree angle. “What are they doing there?”

“Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail,” Sally replied.

I knew all about the PCT, made somewhat famous by the movie ‘Wild’ with Reese Witherspoon. It was March, about the time of the year hikers started out from Campo near the Mexican border to walk two thousand six hundred miles to Canada. Nuts! I quickly dressed in full Jo-el uniform and told Sally to bounce me to a small opening about fifty yards from the stranded three kids.

Wow! That was a whack to the senses. One minute the warmth of bed, the next, pitch black and blinding sleet from every direction. My face, the only part exposed to the elements stung with the cold. Slowly my eyes became accustomed to the darkness and a faint outline of trees, swaying violently back and forth against a dim sky, was just visible. With Sally’s help I located the kids, who she advised me weren’t actually that young, all being in their mid-twenties. I approached the group, huddled closely together, sitting against a rock, trying to shield themselves from the storm. Their anorak hoods were pinched tightly around their faces. There were two girls and one guy. The girls were wrapped in sleeping bags up to their necks, they wore headlight lamps, which turned in my direction as I came closer. Three beams of light highlighting the driving sleet. They looked at me like I was from another planet, which I sort of was, with my light-weight, silver, mesh suit and giant wings protruding out of my back. None of them screamed, that was good, but then again, maybe they didn’t have the strength, none of them even moved. They were frozen, the sleeping bags were wet through.

I looked down on them from about five feet away and smiled, “I can get you off the mountain.” They made no effort to stand up, hopefully it wasn’t my lack of deodorant. I reached out my hands in a sort of ‘offering’ pose.

The guy, who appeared completely numb said, “who are you?”

Your friendly neighborhood, Superhero, I thought but said, “my name is Jo-el, please don’t be frightened, I’m here to help you.” Sounded real corny, but what would you say?

“He’s that guy who rescued the French kite-surfer.” One of the girls said. Wow! Out here on a mountain and I was famous already, brought a pang of pride to my heart.

“How did you get here?” question from the man.

Might as well go with the flow, eh! “I flew,” I answered. He wasn’t going to believe that, surely.

“Are you for real?”

I flexed the wings and smiled again, thought that would do for an answer. Sally did a great job bending the wings heavily with the sideways sleet. I certainly looked for real.

“How can you get us down?” next question, the girl again, her lips quivering with the cold. Making progress now. Less about fear of me, more about rescue. Superhero blurb, I got it.

I paused abruptly, as I was about to answer. They hadn’t seen me fly, should I do twirl? Nah! They wouldn’t be able to see, anyway. Then I had this fear that this weather wasn’t going to make flying that easy. Quickly I asked Sally if I could do this? She was Mrs. Calm as usual and said ‘no problem’.

“I’ll carry you down to the nearest town, to a motel.” Hadn’t said ‘fly’, but once I had them in my arms what were they going to do?

“What, fly?” the man again; picked up on that petty damn quick, can’t get anything by you.

I nodded. “Let’s go to the clearing a little way back.” Time for action, I had a warm bed to go to. I turned and walked slowly back the way I’d come. After ten or so steps I turned to see if they were following me. They hadn’t moved. Maybe my blurb wasn’t so great, after all? The wind was still howling and if I went any further they would lose me in the sleet. I stood sideways looking at them, they had a decision to make and I realized it wasn’t easy. I tried to imagine what I’d do in their position, but I knew too much.

Then the girl who’d spoken pulled out of the huddle and stood up hugging her backpack to her body. She let her sleeping bag fall off, then bundled it up into the backpack. She struggled to push it inside, her hands frozen with cold, even in gloves. That was good enough for me, so I turned and continued to the clearing. Don’t you just love a kid with spunk? I stood twenty odd feet into the clearing as the girl approached. Her two friends had come to watch, but stayed back by the trees just in sight.

“Keep hold of your backpack in front of you, I’ll put my arms around your waist and under your arms.” Our eyes met and I felt the fear in her, so I smiled again. She was dripping wet, her anorak streaked with water running in rivulets down to the ground. Her waterproof leggings were pasted hard against her legs, wet through. Her gloved fists were clenched tight. I felt terrible for her and I was going to get her down off this mountain.

As I pulled her close to me I could smell the odor of the long distant hiker, unwashed and dirty. I lifted off into the mess of the weather and with Sally’s instructions headed east to the town of Palm Springs. I couldn’t see anything for quite a while, but as we descended below three thousand feet the weather improved and the town came into view. Sally directed me to a Best Western, I landed gracefully by the patio cover at the front entrance. There was no one around. The weather was windy and cold, a mighty improvement from the mountain. It had been raining, but at that moment it had sopped. When her feet touched the ground the girl turned towards me still very close and kissed my cheek. Oh, my God that little peck was a reward beyond my imagination, it said it all, I’m such a softy.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Gabby,” she said.

“I’ll get the others,” I said and lifted into the night.

They were still standing by the trees at the edge of the clearing, the man and the quiet one. But as I landed they both walked out to meet me.

“Can you carry us both?” he asked, he had a bushy beard and a European accent, maybe Dutch.

“Sure.” I indicated how they should stand then pulled them to me, wrapping my arms around them.

Coming into land I saw Gabby still in the parking lot looking up, waiting for her friends. She had pulled her hood back on her anorak, her face was white with cold but her eyes were happy. In her hand was a smart-phone. Clever kid, I thought. More confusion in Twitter-land.

I left them after discovering the names of the other two and once out of sight, bounced back to my home in San Fran where Sally was waiting.

“That felt good,” I said, “really good.” I’d been gone less than thirty minutes.

“She kissed you!”

“Nice huh!”

“I guess.”

“I’m going to bed.”

Chapter 23

MEDIA FRENZY

The storm in the south of California had petered out by the morning, moving on to Arizona. The region returned to its usual glorious sunny weather. In San Francisco, the day started out misty and cold, with rain threatened for later. I was in the kitchen drinking coffee, reviewing events on my heads-up display. Before going to bed Gabby had posted the video on Facebook she’d snapped of me and her friends landing at the Best Western, but she was still asleep. She hadn’t yet seen the firestorm that she had brought down on herself. Twelve news vans were headed for Palm Springs, discovering her location from re-postings of her video by friends from her home in Indiana. The FBI were also on their way to interview the three hikers. It was going to be an interesting day for Gabby and her friends. But what could they say in truth? A man with wings, called Jo-el had rescued them from freezing to death on Mt. San Jacinto. That was about it. And would the media and public believe them? Who knew?

The independent reporter in Providenciales had sold his story to USA Today. It basically said that every single person he’d interviewed had sworn that the birdman was not a hoax. The beach where the rescue had been recorded was rated as one of the most beautiful in the world and the cost of staying on the Island was not inexpensive. Many of those interviewed were from wealthier backgrounds which added potency to their claim.

I had a small TV in the kitchen that I’d tuned to one of the morning news shows and they had mentioned both the sea rescue in Turks and Caicos and the recent nighttime rescue in Southern California. But they had nothing else, so they didn’t elaborate much. One comment had been, assuming just one birdman, he’d flown from the Caribbean to California in what was less than twelve hours. Obviously possible by commercial jet but unlikely by what they were calling ‘bird-speed’. They had pointed out that the fastest bird, a Swift, could reach over one hundred miles an hour, but only for short bursts. Most commentators were still highly suspicious of the existence of this flying man and many were saying that if he did exist why didn’t he come forward and speak to the media. It was a fun news item that amused the talking-heads but was not being given much certitude.

I considered my situation and wrestled with seeking out another rescue so soon. To be honest I didn’t know what I should do. It didn’t seem a bad idea to take my time over breakfast. My housekeeper was due in at eleven that morning, so I planned to be out of the house by at least ten thirty. She preferred it when I wasn’t there, which suited me. I was feeling great; no doubt the effects of the pills Sally had prescribed. My usual nagging lower back ache had completely disappeared. My energy level was as good as I could remember and when I looked in the mirror, as Dave, I reckoned I looked ten years younger. Sweet!

At a little after ten that morning I was enjoying a brief ray of sunshine in Golden Gate Park, when Sally interrupted my peace.

“There’s a fire in an apartment block in Shanghai.”

“Show me!” The image of a high-rise in a busy neighborhood, with flames licking the sides about three stories from the top appeared in front of me. It was nighttime. “People in danger?”

“About twelve are above the fire line. Three kids,” she added. “Ladders won’t reach.” I could see three fire-engine ladders ending well below the fire line, fire-men squirting water up as best they were able.

I sat watching the action on the heads-up. This was a major step for me, I couldn’t rescue everyone in danger around the world single handed, just as I couldn’t stop all the rapes. I needed publicity to be taken seriously about the pending catastrophe threatening the planet. That was my goal. If I rescued these poor people, I would have to explain how I was able to get there. The flight time to China was more than the eight hours that had elapsed since Mt. San Jacinto. Then Sally showed me the face of a little Chinese girl, crying in the arms of her mother. They were trapped in the apartment. That did it. Mr. Softy.

There was a bathroom close to my bench. I sought the privacy, changed into Jo-el and bounced to a point about two thousand feet above the apartment. No one could see me appear out of nowhere in the darkness at that height.

Sally directed me to a window away from where most of the stranded people were hiding from the flames. She covered me head to toe in the smart-suit, leaving the face part transparent. Sally smashed the window and I went into the burning building. It was hot and smoke was everywhere but breathing wasn’t a problem. Eight of the twelve people trapped were in the next room. How would they react when they saw me? Had they seen anything about the other two rescues? I didn’t have time to worry about it. I crossed a stairwell and went in.

The faces I saw resembled the kids on the mountain and Marianne. Fear emblazoned in their eyes, their impulse to back away. I stood my ground and said in English “I will take you to safety.” It came out in Shanghainese. The faces showed more calm, but they pressed back away from me when I took a step in their direction. Then the same thing happened as on the mountain and a young girl, maybe sixteen, stepped forward toward me. She stopped and waited for my reaction, so I beckoned her to come to the window near to where I was standing. I backed up to the window and forced it open. No double pane glass here. It was small but large enough for one person to go through. I stepped onto an outside ledge, holding onto the side with one hand as I beckoned for her to join me. She hesitated for a while then slowly inched closer. Even when she was within reach I didn’t grab at her. I needed her to show the others that it was their decision. This winged man was on their side.

After a few moments that felt much longer she was standing right next to the window, still inside the room. Carefully I reached with my free arm and wrapped it around her waist. She clambered out of the window and I let go of the side. She screamed and closed her eyes tightly, but in ten or so seconds we were on the ground and I’d let her go. The crowd that had amassed to watch the fire gasped when they saw me and screamed when I landed so close to them. A fire-engine was by the street, which was cordoned off. I left the girl there, with a smile and flew back up to the window.

It went very easy after that, the people still in the building had watched me land. The flames and dense smoke was around the other side of the building and hadn’t impeded their view. I found the other four people on a higher floor and took them to safety. By the second trip down, cellphone cameras were pointed at us from everywhere. I also noticed a TV film crew, who were feeding real time coverage of the fire. This would be around the globe in seconds.

On the ground for the last time I saw one of the children I’d rescued crying. She looked about four years old and had been held by her mother as we flew down from the open window. She was shouting at her mother who was also crying. Sally translated what she was saying.

“Pisu, I want Pisu, where’s Pisu?”

“What’s she talking about, Sally?”

“It’s her kitten, still in the building.”

“I’ve got to rescue a cat?”

“Your choice, Joey,” that name, why does she do that?

“Is it still alive?”

“Uh-huh!”

“Okay, direct me to the bloody thing.”

“Don’t you like cats, Joey?”

“No, not particularly.”

I found the kitten, cute little brown and white thing and flew down to the pavement with it in my hand, meowing at eighty decibels. I handed it to the little girl, who immediately stopped crying and gave me the most beautiful grin, her little round face like a Chinese doll. The cameras went nuts. Oh, was I glad I rescued that kitten, front page stuff, Time Magazine front page stuff. The money shot.

Back in the park, the wind blowing cold from the west as usual, the clouds building with rain, I asked Sally for an update.

“Every news network in America is showing the Chinese TV footage of the fire in Shanghai.”

“What are they saying about me?”

“That there must be two of you, or maybe more.”

“That figures.”

“There’s total confusion. A lot of fear. Someone even speculated about invasion from another world. But it only just happened so it’s all guess work.”

“What about the internet?”

“Same thing. But there’s a problem, someone posted a copy of the TV footage on YouTube and part of the internet in Canada just went down, overload.”

“You’re kidding?”

“I think the whole internet in the US will seize up shortly.”

“What’s being done about it?”

“Google are relaying from other countries with less traffic. Countries where it’s nighttime. There’s a lot of Alien Cult and UFO religion supporters posting on Twitter. Interest is souring.”

“Never heard of them.”

“They’ve been around since the 1930’s. The Aetherius Society is a religion that believes in extra-terrestrials. Do you remember hearing about the Roswell incident in 1947?”

“Oh, right. I thought it was a balloon that crashed.”

“We had a base station close by. The US tested the first A-bomb not too far from there in 1945. Trinity.”

“Are you saying it was you?”

“Probably, yes. One of the robots was trying to move the station.”

“Jeez! The A-bomb test damaged your base-station and you tried to move it two years later. How many robots have you got on earth?”

“Just two now.”

“How many did you have?”

“We had six, the other four malfunctioned and we don’t have the parts to fix them.”

“What do they do, the two that are left?”

“Maintain the network. It’s slowly crumbling, Cirion is too far away to help. Now there’s no point.”

“So is the network reliable? Isn’t that how I zip all over the place?”

“It’s okay.”

I wasn’t convinced. The bloody ship is sinking and now they tell me.

“What’s the market doing?” I asked, changing the subject.

“Dow’s down three hundred points.”

“Fear of the Unknown. The market doesn’t like stuff it doesn’t understand.” Knew I should have sold some shares and bought puts.

“What about Europe?” I asked.

“Same thing, but they feel further away. Most of the channels have suspended regular programs and are showing the footage and the pundits are saying whatever comes into their heads. You name it, someone is saying it.”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough, it’s almost twelve, I’m going to get something to eat. I want to hear about the network this afternoon. I’ll be back after Consuelo has finished cleaning.”

The heads-up disappeared and I headed out of the park to a Mexican restaurant I knew nearby. Carnitas tacos seemed like a great distraction.

There were TV’s in the restaurant, all tuned to CNN. The story of my escapade in Shanghai with the video of me carrying the people from the burning building was being shown over and over. The sound was turned down and the close caption feed was running along the bottom. I watched for a while but when the food arrived I was too distracted. By the time I finished eating the anchor woman said the video on YouTube had been removed from all servers due to overload. The internet was now the base for billion-dollar commerce and communication and the government couldn’t allow it to fail. Made sense to me.

I walked home feeling both frightened and exhilarated. I’d stirred up a hornet’s nest and I was the only person on the planet who knew what was happening. It was scary. Could I control the direction this would go; I wasn’t sure? As I entered my house the rain began to fall.

Chapter 24

PROBLEMS

I made coffee, admiring the work that Consuelo had done. The kitchen was neat and clean, the house smelt fresh and no doubt my bed sheets were crisp. Lovely lady, I thought.

I turned on the TV but after only five minutes I was bored with the repetitiveness of the commentary so switched it off and called Sally to join me. I had something else on my mind.

“You said there’s nineteen base stations or main-frame computers, I always thought that was an odd number. How many were there?”

“Thirty-five.”

“What happened?”

“Tectonic plate movement, mostly. The stations were placed where we believed they would last the longest. We knew some would be destroyed, eventually. The Eurasian plate has caused major problems, through northern China and along the coast of Japan. Those plates are sliding towards each other, one under the other, causes massive earthquakes. We lost all the stations in that area, Japan and Taiwan are now mostly outside of the network.”

“Are you saying I can’t go there?”

“You can, but I wouldn’t be able to help or protect you. I can bounce you there, but then you’ll be on your own. You’ll be able to fly but they’ll be no access to data through the network.

“Can I bounce out of there?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe, that doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“Probably should avoid the area,” she said, indifferently, but I sensed there was more to it. She was staring at the ceiling, as if in deep thought.

“I thought the San Andreas fault was the worst place for earthquakes and that’s just off the coast here,” I queried.

“True, but the two plates are sliding past each other, so our stations are still intact.”

“So, what else happened?”

“War, or the ramifications of war, specifically testing the atomic and hydrogen bombs. That took out two stations.”

“So am I safe?”

“I’ll do the best I can,” she smiled. I felt my palms sweating, but what could I do? I guess the world’s greatest sushi was off my bucket list.

“Just so you are aware, there’s no coverage in the middle section of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and very little in the Indian Ocean.”

“How many stations are there on Cirion.” Worth a comparison.

“More than sixteen thousand.”

“And I’ve only got nineteen?”

“There’s three billion people on Cirion, the network here is yours alone. Their ratio is one station for almost two hundred thousand people, you’re way ahead.”

I guess. Three billion people on Cirion, that appeared low….

“There’s a problem, Jo-el?” Sally interrupted my train of thought.

I turned to look at her, waiting for the bad news, she was always easy on the eye to look at. How could such a beautiful woman have a problem?

“What?”

“The FBI have confiscated the anoraks from the kids you rescued on the mountain. They want to test them for fingerprints, you know, where you held them.”

Fingerprints. Damn, I’d missed that. “Are there any?”

“Maybe. They might have smudged, but I won’t know till they test them.”

“Can’t you wipe them away?”

“No. I can destroy the anoraks; you know set them alight or just slice them to bits. That may be a little suspicious.”

Bloody right. “Where are they,” I said. “Right now?”

“They’re in plastic bags in the back of a car heading for the LA field office.”

“So what else can we do?”

“Once they are at the field office, you could bounce in there and steal them or just wipe them clean.”

I looked at her with dubiety, this was moving into the espionage arena. “I’m not James Bond.”

“You look like him, a bit,” she grinned.

“Very funny.”

“I know my prints are on file with the TSA, will they come up?”

“Probably. That’s part of Homeland Security. The FBI and HS cooperate all the time.”

“But there might not be any prints.”

“Bit of a risk. If they find any, I could delete the computer file.”

“Sounds promising. How would you do that?”

“Hack their system, pretty easy really.”

“You can hack the FBI computer system?”

“Of course.” I just watch over the shoulder of whoever for the password, piece of cake.”

“Won’t they know who logged in and deleted the file.”

She thought about that for a moment. “And you care?”

“That person will get their ass kicked, probably lose their job.”

“Oh dear!” Very cynical.

“You’re not nice, sometimes.” Her mouth formed a wicked grin.

“Well, whatever, we can’t let them find my prints. So keep me informed and we’ll make a decision based on circumstances at the time. What can we do about fingerprints in the future?”

“I could burn your prints off,” that grin again.

“No thanks. Gloves, I don’t leave the house without them, not as Jo-el. Remind me.”

“You figured that out all yourself.” The woman was in a devilish mood. “There’s another problem. You won’t like this.”

“Now what?”

“Turn the TV on, CNN,” she said.

I did what she asked and a solemn looking male news-broadcaster was speaking. A sixteen-year-old girl, in Buffalo, New York had jumped into the water near Niagara Falls clutching a picture of me. She had been washed over the falls and drowned. Her body had been picked up down river. They showed a picture of her face, so innocent, so young. It was horrible. I bent my head down and covered my face with my hands and began to sob. I’d caused the death of a child.

After a while I looked up and screamed at Sally. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me sooner; I could have saved her? How did they know she had a picture of me, it would have floated away?”

“Someone saw it before she jumped. Anyway, think about it, if you saved her, how many more would there be? Every stupid young girl with a crush would be throwing themselves into rivers and off bridges and God knows what else just so they could be in your arms for two minutes. You wouldn’t be able to save them all. It’s sad but hopefully her death will send a message that you’re not going to rescue them.”

She was right, but I hated it. “You knew, didn’t you?”

She nodded.

“Fuck! I thought I made the decisions?”

“You do, but….” She tailed off. “I’m sorry, but you have to understand a lot of people are going to die.”

“That’s seventy years from now, that girl would be in her eighties. Tell me if there are any more kids with the same idea, alright!” I was mad.

“Okay.”

I went to the kitchen for more coffee and to be honest to get away from Sally. That was the first time I felt like that. When I returned to the family room, Sally was gone. Though I knew she was around, just not in holographic form. I turned the TV back on and watched CNN. The Chinese government had called the American ambassador for explanation about the man with wings. What made them think he was American? I’d tried to have a vanilla accent. Indiscernible to any area. Damn, I needed Sally again.

“Sally, when I’m Jo-el, where do you think my accent is from?”

She appeared in her chair, “Nowhere definitive. Sort of a cross between a European brought up in the US or vice versa.”

“Did the FBI ask those kids about the accent?”

“Sure, they said that you didn’t say much and that the wind on the mountain made it impossible to figure out where you were from. Gabby thought you were English maybe with American parents.”

“So basically they have no idea. Good.”

I went back to watching CNN, but as before they just went around and around, getting nowhere. I turned it off.

“Why do the Chinese think I’m American?” I asked, Sally.

“Process of elimination. They think that America is the only country who could make a man with wings.”

“They think I was manufactured? That’s funny.”

“If you listen long enough you’ll here every crazy explanation you could think up.”

I guess that was to be expected. “What about the Europeans?”

“The French think you’re French,” she laughed. “You spoke French.”

“I spoke Chinese.”

“Actually, Shanghainese.”

“Whatever! But they think I’m American.”

“Just the government, the people you rescued have no idea.”

We’re not getting anywhere like this. What else is the FBI doing?

“The National Security Advisor has asked the CIA and the FBI to put a joint task force together and find out who you are?”

“Have they met yet?”

“No, they’re still arguing who should chair the task force and who should be on it.”

“That’s a surprise. Let me know when they meet. Can I eavesdrop?”

“Sure, we can watch.”

I was quiet for a while pondering the events that I’d set in motion and trying to figure out my next action. No more rescues, no point, I couldn’t rescue everyone in difficulty. I had to think of the big picture. I had to somehow convince the major world powers that a global catastrophe was imminent and they had to allocate the money for space travel. I made a mental note to ask Sally about the new planets but I just didn’t want to muddle my brain with any more stuff right now. The whole thing was completely unsettling. I was living it, but it seemed so crazy, that even in my situation and knowing what I did, it just didn’t fit with the real world. How on earth was I going to persuade the right people to take me seriously? It was all a bit mind-numbing. Another dramatic event was required that would assist the various governments, to win them over with actions that would solve some major problem in the world and save them money. Then I’d have an argument to fund at least some research into the storm and the spaceships. There was time, that was for sure, that was a good thing. So, I began considering ideas that would benefit the USA. Might as well start with the top dog.

An hour passed with me lost in thought. Sally appeared suddenly in her usual place, a new outfit. Dark red, business-like dress, knee length, sensible black shoes. She’d reworked her hair; it was dark brown pinned close to her head, the epitome of elegance. She wore a thin, gold neckless, her cleavage was almost hidden. I wanted to work for her, to be her slave. She had retrieved one of the disc monitors and had placed it in the air by the TV.

“The FBI will arrive at their office in LA in about thirty minutes. The anoraks will be taken immediately to the lab. The agent in charge received a call from Langley, top priority, ahead of everything else. The senior fingerprint technician is the other side of the building at a meeting, he’s being called out of the meeting by the deputy director in LA right now and will be in the lab when the anoraks arrive. There will be a security guy with the anoraks, but he’ll leave once he hands the anoraks over to the technician. Here’s my plan.” Wow! Business-like to a T. “Once he’s alone in the lab I’ll knock the tech guy out and bounce you in. You will need to hide the tech guy, there’s a walk-in cupboard on the back wall, that will work fine, see.” Sally motioned toward the monitor, which showed the empty lab and I saw the door at the rear. “When the security guy arrives say a few polite words, he will then leave you. He knows who you are and understands what’s happening, shouldn’t be a problem. He’ll wait outside the lab door. As soon as the security guy has left, wipe down the anoraks, you probably know where you touched them. Once you’re done move the tech in the cupboard back into the lab, I’ll bounce you out and bring the real tech guy out of the faint. He’ll wonder what happened to himself but go to work on the anoraks. He won’t say anything about the fainting, might affect his position. He won’t find any fingerprints. What do you think.”

James Bond stuff. My heart beat quickened but it seemed like a good plan. Whatever happened Sally could bounce me out. “So I go in looking just like the tech guy?”

“Yes, of course.”

I was nervous but I couldn’t find fault with her plan. “Let’s do it.”

Sally put the tech guy on the monitor, he was walking toward the lab. He was portly but not too much, his hair was thinning, his face almost round, his cheeks were red and his nose looked like a pin cushion, maybe drank a little too much alcohol. Silly man. He sported a goatee, which was mostly grey. I stood up and changed my appearance to look exactly like him. Weird.

I watched the monitor, it now switched to the FBI car approaching the building. After a few minutes the car turned into the parking lot and crossed through security.

The senior technician reached the lab. He began preparing a space on a large table for the anoraks. The split screen showed a security guy, now carrying the plastic bags holding the anoraks toward the lab. Time for action. I looked at Sally and nodded. Suddenly the tech guy looked weak and fell to his knees as if he was having a heart attack. Beautiful Sally, couldn’t have him just faint and whack his head on the table. Once he was on his knees he collapsed onto the floor. Queue for me to go into action. My heartbeat jumped another notch, but I felt eager. I bounced into the lab and picked up the technician. The anti-gravity system made him light as a feather. I carried him over to the cupboard, placed him inside and shut the door. Then I waited, on my heads-up I could see the security guard carrying the anoraks down the corridor toward the lab. Eat your heart out James Bond. I was at the table when the door opened and he came in.

“Hey, Gordon.”

I nodded, indicating where I wanted the anoraks. He placed them on the table.

“Big deal this, eh!”

“I guess,” I said and he gave me an odd look. Damn, was the accent off, did I say the wrong thing? I didn’t know. I felt hot under my collar. He paused a split second as if he was going to say something else, then turned and headed for the door.

Phew! As soon as the door was closed I pulled out the anoraks and began wiping each one carefully on the front where I’d held the kids. It took no more than two minutes. I laid the garments on the table neatly and I went back to the cupboard and carried the tech guy to the floor by the table.

Then it all went wrong. Just as I was placing him in the spot where I wanted him, the door to the lab opened. I froze. A stern woman in a grey business suit entered, saw me and stopped dead about two feet inside the door. Her face was utter bewilderment. Even though she probably couldn’t see Gordon’s face properly lying on the floor there were enough similarities for her brain to blow a fuse. I watched her complexion change from white to crimson in seconds. For a long moment we stared at each other, neither knowing what to do or say.

“Sally! Help.”

As my thoughts called Sally for help the woman screamed, throwing her hands up above her head, for what reason I had no idea, maybe she was surrendering. I heard the shuffle of feet in the corridor. Shit! The security man.

“Go to the cupboard, shut the door, I’ll get you out.” Sally’s voice was calm and clear.

I raced for the cupboard, ran inside and yanked the door shut from the inside, my heart now beating like an F1 engine on the starting grid. In the next second I was back in my family room, panting.

“Fuck!”

Sally was grinning.

“You think that was funny?”

“You got the job done, didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but what are they going to think, now?”

“Does it matter?”

“Put it on the monitor.” My breathing was calming down, but my heart was still racing.

We both watched the monitor. Gordon was sitting up, gaining his composure. The woman had her right hand around his back, while kneeling on the floor. The security guy was looking in the cupboard, no doubt mystified. After a minute or so, more people entered the lab, but no one seemed to have a clue what to do.

“Did you know that woman was there?” I fumed at Sally.

“She was talking to the security guard.”

“That’s not what I asked. Who is she anyway?”

“Debra Barron, she’s another tech.”

“Why didn’t you warn me?”

“You were nearly done; I didn’t know she would come in.”

“What should we do about her?” I was relaxing.

“I could terminate her.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

“She saw a doppelganger, great reason for a heart attack.”

“Jesus, Sally. Enough. Killing people is not the solution to every problem.”

“A million people die every week, what’s another one person?”

“You’re not showing a lot of compassion here, Sally. I thought we were supposed to be saving the people of earth?” She was motionless in the armchair, then suddenly disappeared. I was startled and nearly fell over. Temperamental computer, I’d have to get used to that.

Chapter 25

TERRORISTS

I was Dave Murphy again, walking at a fast pace through Golden Gate Park. The rain had stopped, but the chill March wind blew in heavily from the ocean. More dark clouds were forming and another dose of rain was imminent. Only the hardy had joined me to exercise that Monday afternoon. They were wrapped up thoroughly from the elements, their faces hidden in turned up collars or hoods drawn low over their foreheads. I paid no attention to them, they showed no interest in me. I wanted to rid my brain of Sally for as long as possible. Yet I knew it wouldn’t take long before she drenched my soul in thoughts about our disappearing existence on planet earth. As I walked I saw squirrels and birds and tiny insects and wondered what sort of life awaited us in the stars.

After an hour the first spots of rain began to fall, I retreated home. It was almost five, so I scooped some ice into my favorite glass and poured a decent measure of Black Label, noting that a trip to Costco was needed by the level of amber liquid remaining in the bottle. With the current state of my life maybe I’d buy two bottles.

I was alone in the family room contemplating whether to call on Sally or check the TV. My annoyance with my holographic friend was still high so I switched on CNN. I was still being verbally dissected, which meant no big story had crossed the networks. The current group included a religious gentleman, at that moment I didn’t know which denomination, who was pontificating my likelihood of being the second coming of Christ. If only you knew, I thought, you couldn’t be further away from the truth. The discussion seemed immature at best so I flipped to a California news channel who were interviewing people in the street to get their views on the winged man. Most of what I heard for ten minutes or so was a rehash of what had already been said. Then the newscaster asked a black man what he thought. He replied firmly that it wasn’t right that this flying man was white and not black. Sadly, no mention of Asian, Hispanic or any other race. For a short moment I considered this and played with the idea of changing my skin color each time I went out in public. I wondered how that would appear and what sort of reaction I would receive? It was beyond me and sadly irrelevant to what I wanted to achieve. I switched off the TV and enjoyed the quiet, interspersed with the clink of ice as my glass tipped to my lips. I wonder if Jesus liked a drink? Maybe I don’t want to know, might add more guilt to my nightly beverage.

It was almost reluctantly that I called up Sally. She appeared almost instantly and took her chair. Her clothes were plain tonight. Jeans and dull grey sweater, close around her neck. Sneakers. I ignored the statement she made with her boring attire and didn’t retrace the issues of earlier. Wasn’t that so normal? A lover’s spat. Not to be resurrected.

“What’s happening at the FBI?”

“They don’t believe her.”

“What about the security guy?

“He didn’t see you enter the cupboard, so he thinks Debra Barron got it wrong. There was no one in the cupboard, it’s the logical conclusion.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Adamant. Sticking to her story. Might be a bad idea.”

“And the senior tech guy I impersonated?”

“Said he fainted, which he did, can’t add anything else.”

“Why’s it a bad idea?”

“Oh, she has some history that wouldn’t look good if it came out.” Sally didn’t elucidate.

“What history?” I asked.

“Not that relevant, do you really want to know?”

“Yes.” I was being a bit of an ass.

“She had an affair with the senior tech guy a year or so back. She wants him to leave his wife but he doesn’t want to.”

“I see.”

“The problem is interoffice relationships are frowned upon in the Bureau unless they are disclosed and approved.”

“Jeez! You’re right, still, doesn’t seem likely to come out,” I said.

“She stalked him. He threatened a restraining order, she threatened to tell his wife, messy.”

“Okay, I’ve heard enough. Did they find prints?”

“No,” she said. I could see a smug look on her face. She was right. She loved it.

“Good. What about the task force?”

“Meeting tomorrow at one in the afternoon.”

“Where?”

“Langley. Four from each side, joint chairmanship.”

“What’s their brief?”

“To find you and bring you in for questioning.”

I thought about that for a while. “Perhaps I should join them.” Sally’s previous smile blossomed into full face of delight. That girl loved action.

I fixed some dinner at home. Crazy really. I could go anywhere in the world in a second but I preferred to stay in and toil in the kitchen. Maybe I just needed some downtime from the bizarre life of Jo-el, my Alta-ego. A taste of reality, a time to reflect on the peculiar happenings of the last week. It wasn’t quite a week since Ka-el had scared me half to death appearing on my laptop. My initial belief that he was a hoax had been shattered, yet I still had to pinch myself every so often to truly believe what was taking place. If I could be converted in such a short time, surely the governments of this world would come around.

No more rescues for now, no more vigilante exploits. I found the enormity of crime around the world quite unbelievable. The cost in money terms and human time to fight that much villainy was truly immense. It was that thought that answered my question of how to fund the spaceships.

“Sally,” I was fed and watered, sipping gently on my second dose of amber goodness. She appeared as usual. “How many terrorist groups are there in the US right now?”

Her eyes-brows perked up, she was interested in the new direction. “Just counting those people supporting overseas radicals like ISIS, here legally or illegally, seven.”

I was surprised it was that many. “How many of them are being watched? What do you mean legally?”

“Three of the groups haven’t done anything illegal yet, most of the members of each group have valid papers. Basically, they’ve either been recruited here or just hate the US and want to take some action. Some members are here on false papers.”

“So what have they done that’s illegal apart from papers?”

“Just talking about acts of terrorism is illegal, but just about impossible to prove. No one’s going to get locked up because they said in some bar they wished the President was dead.”

“So are they all being watched?”

“No, Homeland Security doesn’t know about four of the groups, the other three are being monitored but as I said they haven’t done anything illegal yet.”

“Okay, okay. I’m getting confused here. Let’s try this another way. Can you rate the groups based on the imminence of the threat?”

“Sure.”

“Okay, put them on the screen in order.”

My heads-up display jumped to life. At the top of the list was a group labelled ‘The Azizz Group’. There were just two members, Jamal Azziz and Rachid Benfarmi, both US citizens, living in Virginia Beach. Pictures of the two men were on the screen. They had been in the US since birth, their parents escaping from Iran in the eighties. Both men were mid-twenties and worked at a factory refitting navy ships. Azziz was an electrician and Benfarmi a welder. Each had become radicalized, but had kept their beliefs to themselves. They didn’t attend a local mosque and showed no public interest in Islam, yet together they talked avidly about the events in Syria and Iraq. They hated their jobs and hated America and dreamed of joining ISIS in Syria. There was a whole sub-section of why they felt so much hatred but I skipped over it to a heading that said, ‘Threat’. They had met a Persian-American woman in Norfolk about eleven months’ prior who said she could get them to Iraq. She had told them they would need to prove that they were loyal to ISIS. They had to act alone, there could be no help or contact with any other radical Muslims in the US. They hatched a plan to plant a series of bombs inside a naval ship they were refitting and to detonate the devices at a time that would cause the most deaths and destruction. Their jobs were perfect to attain this goal. Over the previous ten months they had positioned bombs in a Ballistic Missile Destroyer undergoing a major weaponry refit. The Destroyer was due for a fanfare relaunch in three weeks’ time and they planned the detonation would co-inside with that relaunch. Twenty-eight devices were scattered around the ship, kept active by the ships own electrical system and easily exploded with a code and a cell phone from three hundred yards.

‘Three weeks,’ I mused. I checked down the list, the next two groups weren’t really groups. The second was a single guy in Los Angeles who had amassed an arsenal of weapons and was planning to kill as many people as possible at an event yet to be decided.

“How do you know this Saied guy is planning a mass killing?” I asked Sally.

“He spoke to his girlfriend in those terms, five weeks ago.”

“What did she say or do?”

“She tried to dissuade him, so he told her about three days later he’d changed his mind and wouldn’t do anything, but he’s been reviewing events on the internet almost daily with large crowds. He went to a pre-season baseball game at the Dodgers last week, apparently to check on the security. He hardly watched the game, just walked around the stadium, checking exits and such like.”

“Keep an eye on him and if he loads up, tell me immediately.”

“Sure.”

The third group was a husband and wife in Tucson, Arizona. Like the single guy, they had amassed weapons and intended a mass killing. All three groups were unknown to the authorities because they were American and had no prior record of violence or support for radical Islam.

“Okay, good. Make sure none of these idiots get close to succeeding. No more terrorist acts on American soil.” I instructed Sally.

“What about those crazy people who walk into schools and cinemas and kill innocent people?”

“There’s quite a few of them, all over, but most won’t do anything. Interestingly one of the most likely is a girl in Denver, she’s a Goth. They’re unpredictable, most with some mental problems, none have a set date to act that I can point to. It’s all in their heads and you know I can’t read people’s thoughts.”

“Can you warn me if one of them loads up with weapons and look like they may do something?”

“Sure.”

“Just out of interest, how many people can you monitor at one time?”

“Almost unlimited.”

“But not Japan or Taiwan?”

“I can monitor them but the network isn’t strong enough for you to act there.”

“I guess we should do this in Europe, too?”

“No problem.”

“Looks like I’m going to be busy?”

Sally smiled, it was so obvious to me that she loved this. I’m sure if I let her she’d just go terminate all the people she thought were a threat. End of story. Might not be such a bad plan. I’ll hold that thought for another time.

Chapter 26

JOINT TASK-FORCE

Tuesday morning was sunny, a welcome return from the dreary, overcast days of winter. We were edging slowly towards spring. My immediate plan was a motorcycle ride, I’d missed Sunday with the guys and hadn’t ventured out on the steed for a week, since I’d ridden down Airline highway to retrieve the package that had taken over my life.

It was early, not yet seven when I headed toward the coast, then south on highway one. I’d avoided Sally and hadn’t turned on the TV. I knew if I did that I’d probably be distracted by some event in the world. At eight I was enjoying a full plate of bacon, eggs over-easy, hash-browns and wheat toast at a café on Pacific Coast Hwy. I was spared the news due to the lack of a TV in the café. I was in hiding, taking a break.

Shortly before ten I was back home, refreshed and content, nestling a hot cup of coffee in my usual spot. I called up Sally, curious if I’d missed a major world event that would affect my day. I was not sure if I was delighted or saddened that my presence in public hadn’t stirred up something more dramatic while I slept and then amused myself on the twisty roads by the Californian coast.

The talking heads had taken a break from postulating my existence and were simply speculating if my brief explosion onto the world stage had ended in my demise while flying across some ocean or vast expanse of baron land. My lack of visibility since Shanghai, just twenty-four hours previous, had resulted in a collapse of my infamy, my fifteen minutes of fame had ended. Here was a perfect example of the speed of life in the western world. I was surprised but elated.

“Is the task-force still meeting?”

“Sure,” Sally’s favorite word.

“Same time?”

“Yes.”

“Can I see?”

Sally placed the disc monitor in the air, once more. It flew up there by itself.

“How’d you do that?” I asked.

“With your mind.”

I’d have to try that.

The room filled with a three-dimensional hologram of four people sitting around a conference table. Three of them had laptop computers in front of them, the other, an older looking man with a bushy grey beard and monk-like hair had a notebook and pen. They were chatting amongst themselves. The room was sparse, an easel at one end and a TV monitor at the other. There were no windows. A low bookcase with a coffee machine was against the wall, behind the easel. The whole thing looked very low tech and old fashioned. Bushy beard was at one end of the table; the others were sitting on one side. I postulated they were the CIA contingent and was correct. There was a black man, completely bald, but with soft, kind features. A younger man wearing a light grey jacket appeared to me to be Hispanic, his hair thick and jet black. The last member of the CIA team was a very attractive young woman. A mix of Indian and Caucasian, she had wide, very round, brown eyes, and long black hair. Her features were classic beauty. I admit I couldn’t take my eyes off her for quite a while.

The door opened and four more people entered. One woman and three men. The men were all immaculately dressed in dark suits, white shirts and ties. All were white. The lady, in the group was black, very business-like, she took the seat opposite Bushy beard at the other end of the table, obviously the head FBI honcho. Everybody shook hand and exchanged business cards. After a few moments, the black lady, whose name was Georgina Lambert said, “let’s get this started.”

The head CIA guy with the bushy beard, Colin Alberton said. “I think this will be a very short meeting, we have nothing, Georgina. No satellite pictures, no sightings, no contact of any kind. All we know is what the whole world has seen on TV. The pictures on the beach in Caicos, the video in Palm Springs and Shanghai. We don’t have any idea where to look, where he resides, what his nationality is, we are dark. Our British friends in Turks haven’t found anything, no trace whatsoever. The Chinese are being supercilious; they think he’s one of us and want answers we can’t provide. It’s not exactly a diplomatic incident but it certainly doesn’t help our relations.” He stopped and looked pensively at Georgina Lambert at the other end of the table, his bushy eyebrows raising hopefully.

“We have a bizarre event in LA but no definitive leads as to who this birdman is or where he might be,” Lambert said.

The personnel in the room shifted in their seats at the word ‘bizarre’. No doubt from their point of view this whole thing was completely bizarre and anything resembling unusual might be of assistance.

Lambert continued. “We confiscated the anoraks of the hikers he rescued in Palm Springs. We wanted to check them for fingerprints.” She then recited the events of yesterday stating that because of the nature of the investigation they weren’t discounting any event however unlikely. When she referred to the doppelganger, grimaces, frowns and wide-eyes accompanied quiet expletives from around the table.

“I think it’s time for me to join them,” I said to Sally.

“You’re going to bounce in there?”

“I think a gentler approach might suffice,” I replied.

Sally looked at me for once devoid of understanding. It was nice to be ahead of her for a brief moment.

“Can you write something on the TV on the wall?” I pointed at the hologram of the conference room.

“No.”

“Oh! Okay, what about one of the computers they have on the table?”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Large font?”

“Whatever you want, Joey-boy.” I grimaced at her, I hated that name.

“Right, the Indian lady, what’s her name?”

“Pippa Moran, short for Philippa, why’d you pick her Jo-el?”

I grinned, she knew why, women!

“Write this, before they break up. ‘Pipper, I would like to meet with the team, Jo-el.’

I watched the hologram expectantly, enjoying the feeling of power I possessed. Sally added clicking sounds as the letters appeared on Pippa’s computer screen so that she looked down. Her mouth opened and her beautiful brown eyes widened to their largest aperture.

Pippa interrupted the meeting, Lambert was just wrapping up her opening brief.

“There’s words appearing on my screen,” she had pushed a little way back from the table in surprise and was pointing at the laptop. The two CIA guys on either side of her looked over and saw the same words.

“Sally, write. ‘Please ask Colin and Georgina if I could join you?’” Pippa literally jumped in her chair, the inferences of what I’d done was frightening. How could this individual take over her computer in a secure facility? How could he know the names of people there? The three FBI agents from the other side of the table got up and were now looking over Pippa’s shoulder.

“What’s happening?” Georgina Lambert said, her voice raised. Both she and Colin Alberton had remained seated where they were.

Pippa read out my words.

Alberton said. “How could he possibly know about this meeting? How can he do that? What the hell is going on here?” There was fear in everyone’s eyes, nothing generates more fear than the unknown.

“Sally write, ‘please don’t be frightened, I’m on your side.’” She did what I asked. A wry grin was plastered across Sally’s expression; she was loving this.

Pippa read out my latest sentence. There was silence in the room, all eyes were either on the screen or Pippa. Eventually Alberton said, “Pippa, ask him where he is?” Pippa typed.

“Sally, type, ‘I’m close, I can be at the front entrance in twenty minutes.’”

“Why so long?” Sally asked.

“Don’t want them to think I’m hanging around the place, plus I need to think how this is going to pan out.”

Alberton looked at Georgina Lambert and raised his palms up in a gesture of ‘what do you think?’.

“Why not?” Lambert said.

“Tell him okay, Pippa. We’ll have someone at the entrance to meet him.” She typed the message.

“Type, ‘have Pippa Moran meet me, no weapons, see you in about twenty minutes, say one forty-five.’”

“Tell him ‘okay’, Pippa,” said Alberton.

“It had to be the Indian girl, Jo-el, eh?” Sally said.

“She’s my contact, but I bet she’s American.” I kept my demeanor businesslike.

“She is America, but she looks Indian.”

“Enough of Pippa, let’s think how this with work. I’d be surprised if they don’t have guns. Plus, I doubt I’ll get through their security with this,” I pulled up my shirt top and revealed the belt computer.

“They would have to make an exception. Who knows what they’ll do? You’re unique.” Sally said.

“I think you need to be ready to bounce me out at any time.”

“No problem.”

I looked up at the hologram to see what the task-force were up to. The discussion seemed to revolve around where they would take me. Lambert was adamant that I should be arrested. Alberton was saying for what cause and Lambert was saying national security. Alberton argued that all I’d done was rescue people, not exactly much threat to national security. Lambert just wanted an excuse to hold me for a while. I watched with amusement and could see both sides. But I needed to know something from Sally, so I ignored the task-force.

“What’s my protection against guns, Sally? I know I can bounce out of there but a nervous trigger could be fatal.”

“I can wrap you in a transparent bullet proof shield, the only problem is it hasn’t been tested. It should be fine but you might be knocked over and maybe hurt. A head shot could be worse. Best if I disable any guns pointed at you.”

“How do you do that?”

“Melt their insides. I fire electrons at the guns and melt the salient internal mechanism. Might make the weapon too hot to hold if the person isn’t wearing gloves, so the likely result is they’re dropped.”

“Can the heat cause it to explode, that wouldn’t be good.”

“I don’t think so, I can direct the heat to the firing pin, but the gun is worthless after that, unfixable.”

“What if someone tries to grab me?”

“How about an electric force field? Say two hundred volts,” she beamed.

“How about fifty?”

“Oh, you’re no fun.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what to do at the time, only interfere if I’m incapacitated.” Which I didn’t think was likely to happen.

I looked at the time, one forty, just five minutes. The task force had broken up, there was no one in the conference room. “Where did they go?”

“I secure facility in the basement. Except your girlfriend.”

I ignored the snide comment. “Show me the front of the building.”

There wasn’t a sole in sight, they’d cleared the entrance. That was quick.

“What’s the reception committee?”

“A Swat team, they’re out of sight.”

“Ouch! Bit overkill. I guess the ‘no weapons’ went right over their heads. Better start with the shield.”

The weather was dull in the Washington area. Low, dark clouds filled the sky, but it wasn’t raining. I changed into my Jo-el uniform and that elevated my heart beat somewhat. “Put me in the clouds, I’ll fly down, might as well go for the big entrance.”

Sally grinned eagerly, she was on the edge of her armchair, ready for action. I saw Pippa appear at the entrance, under the portico.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

I was getting used to the bounce, my expectation of the initial disorientation was now familiar. I felt the change in temperature immediately and I was blind deep in the cloud. I let myself fall gently and after a moment I was under the cloud, the CIA headquarter building below. It suddenly occurred to me that they may have some sort of defense mechanism, but I decided to ignore it, it couldn’t be designed to pick up a flying man.

Nothing happened, I flew lower to about two thousand feet. The Swat team were still out of view, but again I decided to ignore them. I just could not imagine a scenario where they would shoot. As I descended the last few hundred feet I could see Pippa standing on the step just outside the portico. I landed about ten feet away from her and smiled warmly. It was obvious she was extremely nervous. She was heavily wrapped in a dark gray overcoat, the collar pulled up over her neck. Her brown eyes were bright and inquisitive, her lips red with the cold. I put out my hand for her to shake, which she did tentatively.

“It’s nice to meet you, Miss Moran?” Corny, but I couldn’t think of anything else right then.

She smiled. “You have us at a disadvantage.” She kept glancing at the wings, I guess that was to be expected.

“I don’t know; the Swat team is going a bit far.”

“How did you know?”

“I think we better go inside,” I said. I was unsure how much information I should give out immediately. I realized anything I said to Pippa would be passed on. She may even have a wire or perhaps they were using directional mikes. It didn’t matter that much, I simply presumed that every word I said would later be analyzed to death.

She turned toward the entrance, I followed. It was eerily quiet of people in the grand entrance. Two security guards stood by the x-ray machine, similar to every airport.

“Pippa,” I called out quietly. She swung around to face me and waited. “I’m not carrying any weapons.” Not strictly true, my fire power with Sally at the controls was lethal, but they didn’t need to know that. “Before I go through the x-ray machine, I need to tell you that I’m wearing a computer around my waist, it will set off the machine, but I can’t remove it.” She hesitated, unsure how to proceed. I glanced around the foyer, there were two men the other side of the x-ray machine watching. No sign of any of the other members of the task-force.

“Let me ask someone?” her voice was calm, she seemed to have worked passed the initial nerves of meeting me. I’m such a smooth talker. She spoke into a microphone attached to her collar, spy stuff, so cool. I didn’t try to hear; it was obvious what she was saying. “Someone’s coming.”

We waited no more than a minute, they weren’t far away. Colin Alberton joined us and I shook his hand.

“Can you show me?” he said.

I lifted my top shirt and showed him the belt computer.

“What is it?”

I thought I’d already told them. “It’s a computer.”

“Can you take it off?” Maybe they don’t listen.

“No.” I was firm.

“Go through, let’s see what happens.” He indicated the x-ray machine, but I noticed something else and I knew immediately it was a sign. He scratched the top of his bald head with his left hand. I knew he was right handed. Time to bring in my A-Team.

“Sally, what are they up to?”

“Four of the Swat team are moving in.”

“Damn!”

“You want out?”

“No, not yet. Let’s do the electrical shield, fifty volts only.”

“Okay, boss!”

The x-ray machine beeped, there’s a surprise. Suddenly four men in full combat gear rushed into the foyer and pointed their menacing looking weapons at me. Pippa was on my side of the x-ray machine, she mouthed, ‘I’m sorry,’ I smiled. She truly was a beauty. I was surprised by my lack of fear. It’s all about expectations.

Alberton bypassed the x-ray machine and joined me. I think he was devoid of the right thing to say, also.

“I thought we agreed, no weapons,” I said, fuming.

“Not sure I actually agreed to that part,” he replied. “We just want to talk.”

“That’s what I agreed to do, Colin, but not like this.”

“I need you to remove the computer.”

Oh, crap! Wasn’t expecting that.

“Sally, you ready?”

“Sure.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Do you have a choice?” Alberton replied, noting the Swap team.

I addressed the Swat guys, “before you guys do anything rash I have to tell you that you might get hurt.” As soon as I said that I decided it was a bad idea. You want to rile one of these guys, just throw down a challenge. Me and my big mouth.

“I’ll escort you downstairs.” Alberton ignored my threat, he didn’t understand.

I thought I might as well say a few more things before doing the big vamoose. “If you change your mind Colin, about talking to me, have Pippa send me an email or text. I will only receive correspondence from her. Send it to ‘Jo-el’”, I spelt it out, “no dot com or anything like that.”

I heard Sally in my ear, “oh, please!”

“This is a big mistake, Colin. Anymore bullshit like this and my next trip will be east.” That should give him something to think about. “I’m leaving now.”

I took a step toward the exit and as I expected the nearest Swat guy raised his weapon and swung the handle at my head. I don’t think he had any intention of hitting me, he was just flexing his muscle. The butt of his semi-automatic met the force shield and bounced off. That felt good. Test one complete. He was surprised and made the mistake of grabbing at my arm with his left hand, which he’d removed from his weapon. His hand went into the fifty-volt electrical field, which is a long way from dangerous, but when you’re not expecting it, it’s a bit of a shock (pun intended). He leapt backwards and fell over. Funnily enough I felt sorry for him. That triggered the other three guys into action, as you would expect. They all brought their weapons up.

“Time to leave, Sally.”

Right before their eyes I disappeared, the saddest thing was I didn’t see the look on their faces.

Chapter 27

THE BRITISH AND THE AMERICANS

“Put it on the monitor, Sally.”

She did, as I fell back onto the sofa, my wings disappearing. There were eight of them, the four Swat guys, Alberton and Pippa Moran and the two security men manning the x-ray machine. They were all standing still staring at the space I’d vacated. Mouths were agape. Then one of the security men dropped to his knees and began making the sign of the cross. No one said anything. What could they say? I was grinning, so was Sally.

“That was a cluster fuck!” I said, “but it was exciting.”

“What now?”

“God, I don’t know. Wait and see what they do? I’ve given then a lot to think about.”

We both watched the 3D monitor. It was about a minute since I’d bounced out of there. Alberton was gaining some composure. He addressed the Swat team.

“This is classified, one word and you’ll be cleaning toilets, understand?” They all nodded. “Get out of here.” The team shouldered their weapons and headed along the corridor. He turned to the security guys, one was still on his knees, “same for you guys, right?” One nod, one ‘yes sir.’

“Moran!” He didn’t say anything but walked away, Pippa followed like an obedient dog.

“Should be interesting,” I said to Sally. “I wonder what they’ll do? I’m going to make some coffee, keep Alberton on the screen.”

Sally nodded.

Twenty minutes later Alberton was in the CIA Director’s office.

“You screwed up, Colin.”

“How the hell was I to know what this guy could do? I saw it and I still don’t believe it. He disappeared right before our eyes. Jesus, how’d he do that? This is outside our understanding.”

“He asked for the meeting? What could his reasons be?”

“He said he just wanted to talk.” Alberton said.

“And he contacted you through Moran’s computer. He hacked our network.”

“It would seem so, yes.”

“How the hell did he do that? Can we trace his IP address?”

“I’ve sent Moran to the tech office, they are looking at it as we speak.”

“Good. What did he say again about going east?”

“He just said ‘anymore bullshit and he’d go east.’ He didn’t say where.”

“East usually means China, Colin.”

“I realize that, sir.”

“Whatever technology this guy has, we better get it first, I don’t want to explain to the President that our handling of the situation pushed him into Chinese hands. You better get him back here and do it his way this time. I can’t see any alternative. I want to know why he wants to speak to us?”

“I don’t agree, Sir. I think we need take him, somehow. Find out what makes him tick.”

“Later, we need him to let his guard down. Seems like the thing around his waist has something to do with it. Maybe he’s some crazy genius. Whatever, we can’t let the Chinese get him.”

“No, sir.”

“Why’d he pick Moran?”

“She’s attractive.”

Sally winced.

“I’ve heard of worse reasons.”

“Work it with her, okay.”

Alberton nodded. “Get me an update by five, I’ve got to figure out how to tell the Council. They’ll think I’ve flipped.” He paused in thought, “you better get on it, Colin.”

“Switch it off, Sally, I’ve had enough.” I said, suddenly.

The monitor screen shut down. I put my feet up on the coffee table.

“Maybe I should piss them off and meet with a different country?”

“China?” asked Sally.

“No, I don’t think so. I have no idea how the Chinese would react to me. I don’t know their culture. They might shoot first and then ask questions. I was thinking the Brits, they’re pretty reasonable.”

“They do what America says.” Sally responded. “If America says ‘shit’, the British heave and strain.”

I laughed at Sally’s little joke, but I’d heard it before. She must troll every written word for these little tidbits.

“What about Ireland?” Sally said.

“Too close to home. Not exactly a world power, might make people think I have a connection, no, definitely not Ireland. The Home Secretary in England is the head of security, right?”

“Yes.”

“It’s late their now.”

“Seven P.M.”

“What’s the Home Secretary up to right now?”

“She’s in a meeting.”

“A woman?”

“Not your type, she’s in her fifties.”

“I’m in my fifties,” I smirked at Sally.

“I thought you preferred them younger, like Pippa?”

“Enough, Sally. What about her private secretary?”

Sally was quiet for a second. Searching her database, no doubt for who was the British Home Secretary’s assistant and then locating their whereabouts. I was taking this incredible database for granted. It was a true marvel that anything I wanted to know was just seconds away. We were in the internet age and data was close by via our smart phones, but my smartphone, sitting with me in my family-room was truly another dimension.

“She’s having dinner with a friend, just off Whitehall.”

“Male or female?”

“Female.”

“Two ladies,” I smiled.

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Who’s the other woman?” I asked.

“A colleague.”

“Good, that would be better.”

“What about Pippa?” Sally asked. “She’ll be contacting you any minute. Isn’t she your new girlfriend?”

“She’s not my girlfriend, Sally! They can wait. It’s good to play, ‘hard-to-get,’ sometimes.”

Sally looked perplexed, the intricacies of the male mind was taxing her circuit boards.

“I need a different attire but the Jo-el face. Maybe a business suit. No wings. A different approach. Time to piss of the yanks. There must be a bathroom in the restaurant? What type of restaurant is it, anyway?”

“Italian. Bathroom in the back, currently empty.”

“Great, let’s do it.” I changed my dress into a dark grey business suit, crisp white shirt with a modern, colorful tie. My shoes were polished black, very smart. Sally bounced me into the bathroom of the Italian restaurant in the Whitehall district of London. I allowed myself a moment to check myself in the mirror, and take a deep breath, perfect, smartest Jo-el to date. With Sally’s guidance I walked out of the bathroom and headed for my encounter with the two ladies of Whitehall.

I attracted several glances as I walked down an isle of wooden booths, the patrons enjoying their pasta. The restaurant oozed garlic making my taste buds salivate. No one appeared to recognize me, which was good. The two ladies were sitting in a booth designed for four, absorbed in each other’s conversation. They didn’t see me until I stopped at the table, they both stared up and did a double take. Sally told me that the Home Secretary’s assistant was wearing a dark blue dress with an embroidered lapel. I wanted to sit opposite from her.

“May I speak to you, Mrs. Fields?” I was genuinely polite and didn’t make any move until I was asked.

There was a long pause then Maureen Fields replied, “Gosh, yes, I suppose.”

Very English.

“Thank-you.”

“You better squeeze in, don’t want to draw attention.”

Maureen’s companion scooched toward the wall and I sat down next to her. I turned to the lady and said ‘Thank-you’ again, the perfect gentleman.

Both the women studied me intently, but waited for me to speak.

“You know who I am?”

Maureen said. “You look like that man with the wings,” she kept her voice low. “You were a topic at a meeting. I presume you know who I am, this is a colleague, Elizabeth Ray?”

“How do you do,” I said to the lady next to me. “I know who you are Mrs. Fields, that’s why I’m here. My name is Jo-el. Again, thank-you for allowing me to talk to you.”

A waiter came over and asked if I was eating. Reluctantly I declined, the ladies didn’t make any effort to alter my decision.

“What happened to your wings?” Maureen asked.

“I left them at home, a bit conspicuous.”

“I see, yes, they would be. What can I do for you?”

“I would like to talk to the Home Secretary and was hoping you could facilitate a meeting?”

She studied me closely but didn’t reply.

“Why not approach her directly?”

“Security mainly, didn’t want to cause a kafuffle. You know?”

“I see, yes. Why us?”

“You mean, the Brits?”

“Yes?”

“My second choice.”

“Well that’s not bad, I suppose, for a little country nowadays. I assume you’ve approached the Americans?”

“Didn’t go well, not so far, anyway. Still working on it.”

“I see. Well the Home Secretary is very busy but I think she would make an exception. I’ll talk to her in the morning. How do I get in touch?”

“Email or text. Just Jo-el, no dot com.”

“And that works?”

“Yes, I’ll get it. But please understand I can only receive communication from people I designate. That’s you.”

“Well, I feel honored.”

I smiled, then added. “It doesn’t have to be alone, with the Home Secretary, she can invite whoever she wishes. Just not too many.”

“Right, is there an agenda.”

Oh, those Brits, so proper.

“Not really but security would be the main topic.”

“I see, good, well if you would like to stay for dinner?” But I knew she was just being polite. It would be difficult for me to just small-talk.

“Thank-you, that’s very kind, but I think it would be better if I left.”

Maureen smiled, she understood, perfectly. She was a smart lady, I liked her a lot. I stood up and offered my hand. Both ladies shook politely and I left, this time toward the front door. Once outside I changed my facial appearance enough that I wouldn’t be recognized. I was in London, it was closing in on mid-day in California, lunch was a brilliant idea. Don’t you just love the Brits.

By one o’clock California time I was back home, having thoroughly enjoyed one of England’s favorite culinary delights, Chicken Tikka Masala, that superb Indian dish invented in England. Why don’t we have any decent Indian restaurants in America? Certainly, I hadn’t found one. During lunch I avoided any contact with Sally, instead I soaked up the delight of my surroundings and afforded myself time to think.

Sally appeared just as I sat down.

“Your girlfriend has been trying to reach you.”

“Oh Maureen has set up a meeting already?”

“No, not that old bat. Pippa.”

“She’s not an old bat. In fact, I rather liked Maureen Fields, is she married?”

Sally stood up, waved her hands in the air, just like in the TV show ‘Bewitched’ and became a middle-aged lady in a dark blue business suit.

“What d’ya think?” she laughed at me.

“I think you are hilarious, Sally, but I prefer you the way you were.”

She reverted back to the image of a young Bridgette Bardot and sat back in the armchair.

“So, read me the message from Pippa.”

“There’s three.”

“Sounds like their getting their panties in a bunch!”

Sally needed the database to decipher that remark, so she ignored it. “This is the first.” She said. “‘Jo-el, we deeply regret what happened, today. We would like to meet at your convenience and on your terms. Pippa.’”

“That it?”

“Yep.”

“Short and sweet. What’s the second?”

“’Jo-el, I’m not sure if you received my email, earlier’, then she repeated the first one.”

“Did you send a reply?”

“No, should I have?”

“No, that’s okay. The last one.”

“’Jo-el, The United States Government would like to formally apologize for its conduct earlier today. Our decisions were made in haste and not well considered. We truly regret our actions and would like to have the fortuity of meeting with you at your convenience and on the terms you desire. Please respond at your earliest opportunity. Pippa.’”

I couldn’t help smiling. “I should frame that! What on earth is ‘fortuity’? I guess they didn’t want two ‘opportunity’s’ in the same paragraph. Oh, the beauty of a thesaurus. We moved from ‘deeply’ to ‘truly’, is that an improvement? What do you think?”

“I think you need to stop dissecting the email and send them a message back.”

“Oh come on, Sally, lighten up. I bet they spent an hour writing that last one.”

“Almost.”

“Ha! Doesn’t Colin have to report back to the Director at five? Less than an hour, perhaps I should respond at Five-O-one?”

“Now who’s being childish?”

“Hey, they don’t mean it anyway. It’s a pack of lies, you heard what he said to the Director. They still plan to detain me, or try to. Maybe I should wait a while, see if I get a meeting with the British Home Secretary.”

“Your reason to meet with them, Jo-el. Don’t forget that. You need a relationship with America. They’ve got the most money and have the best facilities and expertise to build the spaceships.”

“Not sure they have the most money, they’re twenty trillion in debt, a lot to the Chinese. But they do have the facilities and they are way ahead at getting things done. They will try anything, throw their heart and soul at stuff. I love that about this country. In my opinion it’s what makes them so successful. I don’t doubt that if you’re right about this bloody storm the Americans will end up saving our ass. Okay, let me think of a reply.”

I sent Pippa an email that said, ‘Pippa, I accept the apology and understand the reaction. I am still willing to meet and on reflection, based on what I have to discuss, Homeland Security should be invited. Let’s make the location a conference room at a military base, it is important to keep the meeting away from the media. No weapons. Please be aware that I have abilities that make it impossible for you to detain me. Joel.’

About fifteen minutes later I received a reply from Pippa. ‘Jo-el, thank-you for your understanding. I will get back to you with the details.’ Wow! Fifteen minutes to write one sentence, the efficiency of government.

“Sally, I need more preparation. For the Brit meeting I want a list of potential terrorist actions against the UK and maybe anything deadly in Europe, just like you showed me for the US. For both meetings I want a list of any US or UK citizens being held abroad against each governments wishes. Also, serial killers on the loose in both countries, if there are any? And finally, children or women held in captivity in each country for sexual reasons. We’re going to clean up some bad stuff.”

“You know I can provide that as you ask for it at each meeting?”

“I realize that, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare. What else am I going to do for the rest of the day, anyway.”

“Well you’ve got the cooking class tonight.”

“Oh crap! I think I’ll have to bow out of cooking classes for a while. I’ll go see Betty. By the way, what happened to the stock market today?”

“It closed up, recouped most of yesterday’s losses.”

“No news, I guess. I haven’t been seen in public. I need to keep an eye on it. Somehow we have to avoid a depression when I drop the bombshell.” Then I asked Sally. ”Did anyone see me arrive at Langley?”

“No, they had it sealed off.”

“Those guys are damn good at that, for sure.”

Chapter 28

THE AMERICAN MEETING

I went to see Betty and explained I was done with the cooking classes. She was upset.

“Who’s that girl, I’ve seen in your house?”

“What?”

“I’ve seen her, through the window. What is she, a prostitute?”

Oh, crap! She must have been snooping and seen Sally.

“She’s just a friend, Betty.”

“You should know better, Dave. Young thing like that, must be your daughters age. And Mary only gone a couple of months.”

I was lost for words.

“How’d she get here anyway, I’ve never seen her outside and I don’t see a car? What are you up to? I see funny things through that window.”

“You shouldn’t be snooping, Betty, that’s rude and un-neighborly.”

“I don’t like those people near my house. You get rid of her.”

“Who I have in my home is up to me.” I could feel my temper rising.

“It’s just wrong, Dave. Think about Mary.”

“I’m leaving.” I slammed her front door shut as I left. Shit!

Sally was waiting in the family-room, seated in her armchair. “She thinks you’re hooker,” I said. She just looked at me and laughed.

“Bit of a disappointment then.” She stood up and walked right through me. I laughed.

“You said it.” I sat down on the sofa and Sally went back to the armchair. “Can you block the windows, can’t have her snooping anymore.”

“Sure.”

I spent the afternoon reading through the data that Sally had amasses. My primary focus were seven captives held by ISIS in Syria. One American, one Brit., two French, one Japanese and a young Dutch girl who’d been kidnaped in Turkey. ISIS used these people to make money, requesting half a million dollars for their release. This practice had been going on for some time; the governments around the world were beginning to baulk at payment and it was now down to the individual families to raise the cash. In many cases the companies the captives worked for would help fund their release. However, the American and Dutch girl were in dire straits, neither had been able to raise the required funds and the Islamic State had threatened to execute both of them at dawn on Thursday. That put the execution at 4 p.m. California time, Wednesday, tomorrow. I decided this wasn’t going to happen, but I wanted to meet with the Americans prior to rescuing these poor individuals for a couple of reasons. I wanted to show them what I could achieve and I wanted their help as to where to take them. During the night in Syria would be the best time for the rescue so somewhere between noon and 2 p.m. in California. So, the meeting had to be Wednesday before three p.m. eastern time. I believed the Americans wanted to meet soon so I was hopeful they would come back to me with a meeting time tomorrow. I was going to bounce them out, which I hadn’t tried before but Sally was adamant that I could bounce maybe as many as five people at one time. All the captives were held in different areas, so I’d be going back and forth. I was also concerned that if I got two out the others could be at immediate risk. The other problem was the effect on the captives of being bounced. I’d had time to understand what was happening, but they would not. I imagined it would play havoc with their minds.

Sally had shown me the captives and each of them were in a bad way. Undernourished, beaten, the girl had been raped many times. They needed hospital care. I was appalled and annoyed with myself for not checking this situation sooner. I was going to reunite these people with their families.

There was some good news, there weren’t any imminent terrorist threats in Europe unless the groups Sally showed me changed their plans. In total, there were seven serial killers in the US and three in Europe. All of them were currently lying low and it should be easy enough to pick them up.

If the Brits wanted to act quickly, I could be up in the night. The eight-hour time difference was a pain, but nothing I could do about it. I decided my mind was becoming jumbled with all the time zone issues and a little of the amber nectar was called for. I told Sally to keep a check on everything for me. A simple task for her.

I ate little that night. Sally reminded me to take another life pill. Those things were magic. I turned in half expecting to be in London before dawn broke on the west coast.

I slept a full eight hours and was in the kitchen drinking coffee when Sally told me that the Brits had set a meeting for me at four in the afternoon, which was in a little over an hour. Good, that should work. Then she pointed out that the meeting was on Thursday. Those Brits, nothing rattled them, eh! Sally explained that the Home Secretary was attending a debate at Oxford University that afternoon and her daughter was a part of the debating team. I guess world security would have to wait? Inside I admired her priorities.

“Your girlfriend sent a text.”

I ignored the dig. “And?”

“One o’clock eastern time, Quantico. Hanger three, alongside Turner Field runway.”

“Will there be weapons?”

“At a distance.”

“Jeez! How far?”

“Quarter of a mile maybe, depends where they set up.”

“They don’t feel safe without fire power, do they? I assume you can protect me?”

“Sure, no problem.”

“Okay, tell my girlfriend I’ll see them there.”

Sally grimaced.

I fixed some Grapenuts with blueberries. I’d run out of bananas and that was the end of my blueberries. The little jobs of life weren’t getting done. Pity I couldn’t send Sally out to shop. One o’clock, two hours before my window to rescue the captives, that should work.

I showered and had time to run to the local grocery store. I even picked up a regular bottle of Black Label, which was almost the same price as the one and three quarter liter bottle I usually bought at Costco. God, I was such a cheapskate.

At a quarter to ten I asked Sally to show me what was happening at the Turner Field hangar.

“Who are all those people?”

“There’s three from Homeland Security and three from the Marines.”

“The Marines?”

“It’s their base.”

“Where’s Pippa?”

“They dropped her,” answered Sally. “To cut the numbers to three per department.”

“What? She’s my contact!”

“Just kidding” Sally laughed out loud. “Oh boy, you got it bad. She’s there, behind that stanchion, talking to the good-looking FBI guy.”

I threw Sally a glare, but she just laughed.

“Twelve of them. Can you see the backup?”

“They’ve got twenty guys, dotted all over. High-powered rifles. Semi-automatics, grenades, and a couple of rocket launchers, old style, they’re not heat-seeking. I guess they don’t think you radiate enough. Two of the team are snipers, they can hit an apple from a thousand yards.”

“My God! What are they thinking? Should I call them on it? Jeez! I don’t know? I think I’d rather not know.”

“You’ll be fine.”

Easy for you to say. She loves this, just lapping it up.

“Better go with the full shield. I wish I’d seen it tested against this stuff.”

Sally got serious, I imagine she could sense my fear. “I checked it out, it’ll work. First shot I’m freezing everything they’ve got.”

“Let’s hope they miss with that first shot.”

“Yea, let’s hope.” She laughed. Back to type.

Five minutes to ten, almost one o’clock eastern. No clouds. “Bounce me to that point on the other side of the Potomac, opposite the airbase.”

“You don’t want to bounce right to the hanger?”

“No, probably scare the shit out of those guys with the guns.”

“Okay, you’re the boss.” Sometimes I wondered.

I bounced to the edge of the Potomac. The day was clear but cold, high clouds faint in the distance, a weak wind blew from the east. The water of the Potomac was calm. I couldn’t see a vessel in either direction. I took off and flew the two odd miles across the river. Sally guided me toward the hangar until I had eye contact. I flew in low over the runway, not a jet in sight. I landed about twenty yards from the hangar doors which were wide open, space heaters were spread out randomly.

Pippa was standing just outside the giant hangar doors, wrapped in the same dark grey overcoat. She saw me and beamed. Eat your heart out Sally. I walked slowly toward her and had a sudden urge to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. The old ‘kiss-hello’, I decided against it. She reached out with both hands and I took them.

“Let’s hope this goes a little better,” I said.

“It will, Jo-el,” she smiled, I melted, then mentally slapped myself. Not the right time, Dave.

“Who’s in charge?”

“Alberton, but only by understanding, no individual authority.”

I guess that meant he needed approval from the other heads for any action, that was good. Group decisions take time.

I indicated for us to go inside and we walked next to each other into the giant hangar. I could see an enclosed area at the back, paneled with glass. There were people inside, standing, watching us arrive. Most of the room was taken up by a square table with four chairs on each of three sides and one chair on the remaining side with its back to the far wall, mine I surmised. It was much warmer in the room; the space heaters were winning. Alberton came forward and shook my hand, I let it happen, but really, I wanted to clip him around the head. He introduced everyone, I recognized Georgina Lambert and her team but couldn’t remember who they had dropped. Same with the CIA members, whatever. It was all a bit of a palaver, too many people, I thought, at least Sally can remind me who’s who.

Everything was cordial, I considered mentioning the backup team, but decided to let them have at least one advantage. They all sat down, I walked to the spare chair but decided to stand.

“How do you want to do this, Jo-el?” A snide smile. Ooh, it’s be fun to whack him. “Your show.”

I had to remember why I was there. Forget my advantage and show them that I was on their side and was there to help. I had to be humble.

“Well ladies and gentleman, thank you for giving me this opportunity to meet with you, I know there is considerable interest about who I am and how I’m able to fly. I am prepared to tell you something about myself, but at this first meeting I won’t be able to reveal everything. There are various things I must keep secret, for my own security. My main aim for being here today is to assist you in your everyday work. I have abilities and information that will greatly contribute to your success.” I could sense a disbelief, shoulders sagged and some arms were folded. “I’m afraid I have to disappoint many of the general public, I am not the Second Coming of Christ, I am not an alien, I am a normal human being, who has been provided technology that is vastly superior to anything you have previously seen.” I paused for effect, not sure there was any. “So for a start I’ll lose the wings.” My wings disappeared. Also, I’ll change into something that doesn’t make me look like a comic book superhero.” I changed into a business suit, similar to the one I’d worn in London. I think Pippa was impressed.

Now everyone around the table leaned forward. Arms uncrossed and eyes widened.

Alberton asked, “how did you do that?”

I had to be careful that I didn’t tell them too much, it wasn’t opportune. “My wings and dress are holograms controlled by the computer I wear around my waist. The wings don’t work, they are just for show, I added them because I felt they would make me more acceptable to the public.”

“So how do you fly?” Alberton.

“Anti-gravity.” I said.

There was a complete look of consternation. The Two-Star Marine General at the back of the table said, “show me.”

A ‘please’ would have been nice, but Generals aren’t known for their courtesy. They’re used to barking orders. I lifted off the ground and rose a few feet, then dropped back down again.

“The belt around your waist controls that?” The General asked.

“Basically yes but I’m not going to go into details right now.”

I could see him nudge the Colonel sitting next to him. He knew that a military force with anti-gravity capability would swing the balance of world power, not that the Americans needed any swing. I had their complete attention now. But I was also aware that I’d wet their appetite and they would be salivating to obtain the technology.

“Yesterday I left the CIA building in a hurry. I’m sure, Colin, that you’ve told all of the people around this table what happened and most of you could not possibly believe his explanation.” Alberton was nodding. “I’m going to demonstrate the technology, but before I do, I think it would be prescient if you would take the eyes off me that you have around the hangar. I think the less people who see this, for now, the better.” I looked at Alberton.

“You know we have security.”

“Yes, of course.”

“How?”

“I’m not going to reveal that.” I kept my voice stern.

Alberton looked across the table at the General, he didn’t speak. I read the expression on the General’s face as he didn’t really have a choice. He whispered to the Colonel on his right, who left the table, walked to the back of the room and spoke into a handheld transmitter he was wearing. He then rejoined us at the table.

“Are the back-up leaving?” I asked Sally.

“Looks like it, Jo-el.”

“Thanks.”

“Thank-you.” I said.

“How do you know they’ve been pulled back,” asked the General.

I smiled.

“Okay, let’s move on because we have a lot of stuff to get through and part of it is time sensitive. I ‘bounced’ from the CIA building yesterday. You may want to think of it like the TV show Star Trek. They called it ‘beaming’ and you saw the actor vanish slowly and then appear elsewhere in a sort of shimmer. On the show it was science fiction but the writers were not far from what can actually be accomplished. Effectively the molecules of the body are bounced back and forth very fast and then transmitted by a method not unlike the way packets of information are sent over the internet. They are then reformed at the new location. It happens so fast that the heart doesn’t miss a beat. The speed is close to the speed of light. Obviously, I must designate where I’m going to appear prior to the bounce. Now comes the fun part. I’m told that I can take as many as five people with me. So far I haven’t tried this with anyone. So, who wants to volunteer?” I smiled but didn’t get any response. I wasn’t surprised, I’d just blown their minds with a concept that would be laughed out of the room if it hadn’t come from a guy who’d flown in using his own wings, then changed his attire instantly. Plus, what I’d done at the CIA building, yesterday.

The General stood up. “This is nuts; I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous in my life. You are telling me that you can, what, transport yourself, plus five people anywhere on earth at the speed of light. This is going too far. I can just about accept the anti-gravity claim, there’s a few us looking at that. But, what did you call it, ‘bouncing’, my God, this is trickery.” He sat down again.

“General, I totally understand your skepticism, that is why I want to demonstrate it. That’s why I want to take one of you with me, it just helps you all to believe.”

Pippa beamed at me. “I’ll do it?”

“Oh how romantic, first date, bounce the girlfriend to Paris.” I heard Sally in my ear. I held a laugh.

“Wait a minute. She was the one you picked out of the meeting to talk to. How do we know this isn’t a trick?” It was Georgina Lambert.

“You come, too, Ms. Lambert.” I said.

“No thanks,” she replied. “I think I like my molecules the way they are.”

There didn’t seem to be any other volunteers. I ignored her comment. I reached into a pocket inside my jacket, which caused a little alarm and brought out a disc monitor. I held it up for the group to see.

“This is a disc monitor; I will show you a live video of the bounce.” I put it in the air and let it drift slowly to a spot behind me, maybe twenty feet off the ground. “I need somewhere to go that you will be able to verify.”

“It’s in mid-air!” One of the Homeland Security team. The group around the room were frightened, it was clearly advertised on every face. Some were sweating profusely, moping their brows with handkerchiefs and tissues. They were shaking, shifting back and forth in their chairs. Mouths opened and closed, breathing was elevated. Fear was everywhere.

“Anti-gravity.” I said. “Now, one of you pick a place, anywhere in the world, where you know someone who’s there now. I, with Miss Moran, will bounce to that location, out of sight, then meet with the designated person, who can confirm to you that we are there with them. Does that make sense?”

There was a mumble around the room.

“Anywhere?” stammered one of the FBI team.

“We have troops in Afghanistan, I’m very familiar with many of them.” The General, who appeared less perturbed than most.

I put my hand up. “General, let’s not pick a hostile environment. It might be somewhat disconcerting for whoever you want us to meet. Too many questions.”

He threw up his hands but I believe he understood, “what about Germany?”

“Fine, but just think about having to explain our presence, okay.”

Then Georgina said, “the FBI office in Dallas. I’ll have someone meet you in the lobby then call me to confirm.”

Heads started to nod and voila, we had a decision.

The General said, “wait a minute, I still don’t trust you. I want a Marine to go.” He turned to the third member of their team, “Major, I’m volunteering you.”

Oh, the armed forces, into battle we go, well you guys anyway, we’ll keep the lights on.

The Major bit his lip but showed little sign of concern, maybe he was just waiting for orders. The guy was a Marine, nothing fazed him. He stood up and walked around the table to where I was standing.

“Oh dear, a chaperone!” Sally.

“Hang on,” it was Georgina Lambert. She pulled out a cell phone dialed a number. When she hung up she said, “Brian Thain will meet you in the lobby, the address is 1 Justice Way. Do you need anything else?”

“No, thank-you, Georgina.” I turned to Pippa, “are you coming.”

“I don’t think you need me.”

“Jilted at the starting gate, what a shame.” Sally being funny again.

“Okay, ready Major?”

“Ready, I guess.”

I turned to the monitor and told Sally to show a birds-eye view outside the FBI office in Dallas. The office was close to a freeway, but all alone, perfect.

“I’ll land us around the corner of the middle building. You’ll be disorientated at first, just relax and imagine what it’s like being there, worked for me.”

“You ready, Sally? Make sure we land where no one can see us.”

“I was born ready, Joey.”

“Land me one foot off the ground, we’ll float down, stop him from stumbling. Right?”

“Yes, Joey, I know what to do.”

I put my right hand under his arm. “This good enough?”

“Yes! Go for peats sake.”

Next second we were standing by the side of the FBI building in Dallas. The weather was a vast improvement, warm and sunny, not a cloud in sight. The Major appeared a bit shaken but he didn’t fall over. Good for him. He stared at the building and quickly gained his composure.

“This it?”

“Yes, let’s go meet Mr. Thain.” I began walking around to the front of the building, the Major followed. Inside the lobby were several people, smartly dressed, drifting in various directions.

“Who is he, Sally?”

“To your left.”

She indicated by showing a white arrow over the top of Thain on my heads-up display. I walked over to him.

“Mr. Thain?”

He nodded, we shook hand and he studied me intently. I’m sure he recognized my face. I introduced the Major, then asked him to call Georgina Lambert, which he did. The call was short and sweet; within five minutes we had left the building and were looking for somewhere out of sight to bounce back to the hangar.

“Jo-el, you’ve a problem at the hangar?”

“What is it, Sally?”

“The General has called the back-up team into the hangar.”

“Shit! What are they planning to do?”

“Shoot you with a Taser!”

Chapter 29

THE MILITARY PROBLEM

I stood still for a moment to think, the warmth of the outside air a striking contrast to the air-conditioned lobby.

“Shut down the feed, Sally.”

“Done.”

“Who’s in on it?”

“It’s just the General. He’s acting alone.”

“Show me the hangar.”

My heads-up came alive and the scene in the hangar appeared. Marines in combat uniforms were standing around the conference table, near to where the monitor had been showing the scenes from Dallas. The General was standing at attention, on the opposite side of the table to the monitor, the Colonel by his side. Everyone else was still sitting at the table, glancing back and forth, fiddling with their phones. I saw Pippa at the end of the table, she was agitated and obviously frightened.

Georgina was speaking. “He came here in good faith; you can’t do this?”

The General didn’t answer.

The head of the Homeland Security team, a tall man with thick, silver hair swept back neatly over his head said, “General, we don’t agree with your actions, this man, Jo-el, hasn’t done anything wrong.”

The General ignored him.

Alberton was on the phone.

We had stopped on the steps of the FBI building. The Major, standing next to me began to fidget.

“What’s the hold-up?” he said.

I looked at him unsure what to tell him. “Just getting things set.” I could see by the expression on his face he didn’t believe me.”

“Sally, what would a Taser do to me?”

“Nothing much, you might feel it, but it won’t knock you out.”

“So I could go back and confront them? Or just leave, but that wouldn’t assist my cause. It the Taser doesn’t work they might try something else?”

“You could return out of sight and I’ll project a holographic image of you.” Sally advised.

“What about the Major, here? He’d know where the real me was hiding.”

“Leave him.”

I needed to decide, quickly. Or did I?

“Is there a problem?” the Major again.

I decided to tell him what was happening. “Your bloody General decided, unilaterally, to bring in the Marines. Tasers.”

“How do you know that?”

“I know everything.” My voice exposed my annoyance.

He looked at me confused. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m trying to figure that out,” I replied. Then I continued, “I’m sorry Major, but I’m going to have to leave you here for the minute, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Are you coming back?”

“Maybe.”

“Do what you have to do, I’ll be fine.”

Stand-up guy. I liked him.

“Thanks for your understanding.”

I left him on the steps and walked around the side of the building. “Find me a spot out of sight and bounce me there, Sally.”

Seconds later I was in a dark room, surrounded by shelve and stacked with books and manuals. A store room of some sort.

“Where’s the hangar?”

“Fifty feet, along a corridor.”

“Show me the scene.” It appeared on my display. Not much change from a few moments ago.

“Okay, how do I control the hologram image?”

“Just use your mind.”

“Okay, project the image.”

I watched the display as my image suddenly appeared where I’d previously been standing, but this time surrounded by Marines. They formed a semi-circle, their backs to the table. Well trained, no personnel behind the target. As soon as I was visible two of them came forward and fired Tasers at my body. The dart like electrodes shot right through the holographic image and struck the wall. I stood still unharmed. The two Marines spun around searching the room for instructions.

“Shoot him!” screamed the General.

Pippa screamed and covered her face.

Two of the other Marines pointed M9 Berettas and fired two shots. The bullets disappeared through my body and embedded into the wood wall. As the sound of the gunfire dissipated the room fell into an eerie silence. The Marines close to me still had their weapons pointed in my direction, the remaining men were all staring at the General.

“Enough.” I said and all eyes turned to my image. I looked at the General. “I am truly disappointed with these actions. I came here to help you and this is how I’m greeted. Tell your men to leave, General.”

“Who are you?” he said and stormed out of the hangar.

The Colonel instructed the men to stand down. They formed a group at the entry door to the room where he told them that what had happened didn’t go any further. Then he stood still at the back as if waiting for me to give him instructions.

The remaining people around the table gaped at my image. Trepidation reflecting in their eyes.

“I’m going to bring back the Major and then continue.”

The image disappeared and I bounced back to the FBI building in Dallas. The Major was still standing outside the front of the building using his cell phone. He quickly put it away when I approached.

“Everything, okay?” he asked.

“For now,” I said. “I’ll let the Colonel fill you in. Are you ready to return?”

He nodded. We found a suitable place and bounced back to the hangar less than three minutes from when I’d left. The Major confirmed to the group that he’d been to Dallas. He said he’d checked his cell phone GPS and that too had confirmed his location. He explained that the bounce had no effect on him, it was so quick that he wasn’t sure what had happened. He had felt disorientated initially but only for a minute. I thanked him and told him to join the Colonel, still standing at the back of the room.

I held sway now, there wasn’t going to be any further skepticism about my abilities. Anything I said would be taken as gospel. They were in the palm of my hand for now. No one asked me why the Tasers and bullets had passed right through my body. They were aghast.

It was midnight in Syria, another hour and my window to rescue the hostages would open. I had to broch the subject.

“I said earlier that there was a time sensitive issue that I wish to solve. At this moment, there are seven captives, or hostages, being held by ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Two of them are slated to be executed at dawn tomorrow, their time. It’s currently midnight over there. I plan to rescue those two people, an American man and a Dutch girl. That rescue will set off alarms within the ISIS leadership and may well result in the decision to execute the other five captives. I plan to extricate them in darkness and bounce them somewhere, probably a hospital. They need care, especially the Dutch girl who has been raped repeatedly.” There was genuine concern around the room, even though they all new exactly what happened to hostages in ISIS controlled Syria and Iraq. “I don’t know where to take them and I don’t know how to handle the psychological effect they will experience by suddenly being in another place. I need your help on both matters.”

This was a CIA matter, outside the briefs of either Homeland Security or the FBI. Everyone looked at Alberton. He pulled out his phone and spoke for a while. When he put his phone down, he looked pleased.

“There’s a naval hospital in Portsmouth; they will take all seven. They won’t ask questions, we send CIA operatives there, it’s set up. They have a psychologist on staff, I suggest he’s briefed about all this.” He waved his arms in a circle. “Miss Moran can do that when she arrives.”

I nodded. “Good, I’m monitoring the situation in Syria for the most opportune time, which will be when there are the fewest guards. How long will it take for Miss Moran to get to Portsmouth?”

“Maybe two hours.”

“I’ll take her,” I said, I turned to Pippa, “If you would like?”

She smiled and her eyes lit up.

“What are you now? a chauffeur service. It must be love?”

“Shut-up, Sally.”

Alberton, Pippa and the other CIA agent left the table to talk in private.

“Now terrorists, here in the US.” I continued. The Homeland group piqued up. I addressed them directly. “There are three terror groups in the US that I believe you are not yet aware of. One of these groups are planning to detonate several devises they’ve placed inside a Ballistic Missile Destroyer undergoing a refit in Norfolk.” I summarized the situation and said that I thought HS could deal with this issue without my assistance, but if they wanted me to help they should contact Pippa Moran. They were amazed but skeptical.

“How do you know this?” The tall man with the silver hair, asked.

“I’m sorry, but for the time being I’m going to keep that information to myself.”

He didn’t push it, which I appreciated. Then I told them about the guy in Los Angeles and the couple in Tucson. I produced pictures of the weapons cache of both groups and where to find them. I vowed that there would be no more terrorist attacks on American soil while I was around.

Next I turned to Georgina Lambert and her team. “I think this is your responsibility. Serial killers. I have seven in the US right now.” She said they were working on five. “Georgina, this is going to take some time, I think it would be beneficial if I came to your office after you’ve had time to call in the appropriate staff.”

“When?” she asked.

“At your convenience, email or text Pippa.”

“What! She’s now your secretary? I can deal with more than one email address, Jo-el?” Sally. My quick brain picked up a tad of annoyance.

“I also want to go through with you, or whoever you designate, a list of all children and women currently held captive for sex in the US. There’s sixty-three children and ninety-two women.” She looked at me and frowned, but didn’t say anything.

There was grim silence in the hangar building. They were wrestling with whether to believe me or not. I completely understood, I’d been through this for a week now and I kept doubting myself. There was fear in the eyes that couldn’t leave me. Who was this man? How could he know all these things? What was really happening? What did he want? I felt sure that once they saw the results they would accept me, but I’m not sure they would ever trust me.

Chapter 30

HOSTAGES

The Homeland Security and FBI teams left the hangar, leaving just the two Marines, still watching from the sidelines at the back of the room and the three members of the CIA team.

“Come and sit down, I might need your advice.” I gestured at the Major and Colonel at the back of the building. They looked at each other and then took seats at the table alongside the CIA team who had now finished their briefing. For the first time, I also sat down at the table, I wanted them to accept me as on their side.

“Please understand that this situation is new to me. I’m struggling with what I should and shouldn’t tell you. You are probably wondering how I manage what is shown on the monitor.”

“Among other things, yes,” said Alberton.

“You met me for the first time yesterday. What you’ve seen and what I’ve told you must be right on the edge of your belief system. I realize that because I have only had this technology for one week and I’ve struggled with it every single day. I need you to accept what I say as the truth, even though in the world we live in, it’s ridiculous. Imagine if you were to show a smart phone or computer to a man in say the 1920’s, or the fifteenth century. If I tell you everything now, you simply wouldn’t believe me. So, I’m trying to educate you slowly and prove out each of my statements. Does that make sense?”

The group nodded.

“So there’s a lot more about you, even more incredulous than you’ve already shown us?” asked Alberton.

“Yes.”

“When are you going to tell us?”

I looked at the group, who were still trying to work out if I was human or not.

“When I feel you will accept it.” What I didn’t tell them was I wasn’t sure this was the right group to tell.

“So, I’ve shown you the belt computer around my waist and you probably wonder how I communicate with it? If you remember Colin, I was adamant, yesterday that I wouldn’t remove it. Well, it’s connected to me by tendons, directly to my spine, or that’s what I was told. It won’t work with anyone else. If I removed it, and I haven’t even tried since I first put it on, I would be severely limited in what I can do. But, assuming I took it off and you wrapped it around your waist it wouldn’t work. It was set up to only work for me.”

“Not strictly true, Jo-el,” I heard Sally say.

“Now you tell me, let’s talk about it later.”

“Why are you telling us this?” It was the other CIA agent, a bald, black guy with kind features. I remembered him from yesterday. “Doesn’t that compromise your safety?”

“Because I can’t tell you the next bit without explaining something of how it works. I also think that you’ve seen some of my defense mechanisms and realize it would be almost impossible to take it from me. I need you on my side and I don’t want to be continually on my guard.”

“The General tried to kill you.” It was the Major.

“Not an easy task, as he found out. Yes, I was disappointed by his actions but I also understand. Fear of the unknown. Plus, he could see that the technology I have in American hands would make this country unassailable. That’s his job and I accept that. But it’s not going to happen, it can’t, trust me it would be dangerous for the world. Can you imagine what would happen if your enemies had the ‘bounce’ technology? Your President wouldn’t last five seconds.”

“You know we are videoing this meeting,” Colin Alberton again.

“Yes, of course. I would expect nothing less. I except that eventually most of the people in the world will know who I am and why I’m here. But be careful, if the media gets wind of what I’ve told you today, they’ll never leave you alone.”

“That’s for sure,” said the Colonel.

“Anyway, let’s move on. I can operate the computer using just thought. So when something on the screen changes, you now know why. I can also communicate verbally with my computer, as you do with the rudimentary software that has recently been introduced to smart-phones, but my software is vastly superior. I call my computer, Sally.”

“I hope I don’t have to make an appearance?” said Sally in my ear. “But that Major is pretty cute.” I ignored her again.

Pippa looked fascinated. I’m sure there was a question on her lips, but she kept quiet.

“Sally, show a live video stream of each hostage on the screen.”

The monitor split the screen into seven rectangles. In all but one screen the picture was very dark and you couldn’t see much other than a vague figure lying on the ground or a bed in what appeared to be a tiny room. The one stream that was lit was the Dutch girl, she was being raped, two men were watching.

“Shut down the rape.” I yelled, it disappeared.

“Shit!” I said and similar expletives resonated around the table. “I’m sorry.” I said. “Sally, show me the area around where the girl is being held.” The video showed a tall building on a dismal, deserted street. “Where is she?” I stood up.

Sally answered out loud. “She’s on the third floor, there’s eight men on the second floor, all awake, just the three on the third floor.”

The five Marines and CIA staff around the table were glued to the screen. I heard the Colonel mutter, ‘this is unreal.’

“I’m going there now; I’m getting her out. Get ready to bounce me.”

Pippa leant forward, but didn’t say anything, I wondered what she wanted?

“What’s the status of the three?” I asked Sally.

“All bad.”

“Terminate them now, and bounce me.” I shouted.

Those around the table saw the three men collapse and fall, I caught the end of it as I bounced into the tiny room. The Dutch girl was lying on her back, I’m not sure she was aware of me, her eyes were shut, she was in a filthy condition. Her face was bruised, her mouth split. Blood stains were apparent around the bed, the room stunk of human sweat and feces. The man who’d been raping her was lying on the floor by the bed, the other two were crumpled in a heap by the door.

I heard Sally in my ears, “there’s two guys coming up the stairs, they heard them fall.”

I inserted my arms underneath the girl. “Back to the hangar.”

A second later I was standing a little away from the table, the Dutch girl in my arms. The group around the table had witnessed everything on the screen. They were speechless.

I placed the girl on the table and Pippa covered her with her overcoat. On the screen we watched the two men who’d run up the stairs to investigate the noise. They were standing in the tiny cell, dumbfounded, searching around as if what they were looking for would suddenly appear.

“Sally, monitor the other six, you know what I need.”

I stroked the wet hair from the face of the bedraggled young girl, tears welled up in my eyes. I saw Pippa staring at me, I saw a fondness in her eyes.

“We need to get her to Portsmouth.” Alberton was on the phone, ahead of me, I was warming up to the man. I gazed at Pippa, “are you ready?”

She nodded. I turned to Alberton, who held his hand up for me to wait a moment. After a few seconds he removed his phone from his ear. “They’re ready, a team is in the lobby.”

“Sally, find us somewhere by the hospital.”

Sally’s voice came back, “ready.”

“I picked up the Dutch girl and told Pippa to hold me tight around my arm.”

“Better not mess up this bounce, eh?” Sally needling me, again.

Seconds later the three of us were standing alone in a hospital patient’s room. Sally told me where to go and we walked to the lobby where two nurses and a doctor were standing alongside a rolling bed. They were surprised to see us coming from an internal corridor, but said nothing. Alarm grew in their eyes when they saw the condition of the girl. They immediately took charge of her care, nothing else mattered. Relief swept over me.

We stood for a moment in the lobby, speechless. A few individuals glanced in our direction, but when the bed was rolled away they lost interest.

“I can’t believe what I’ve seen today, Jo-el” said Pippa, “I don’t understand who you are or why you are here but I can see you really care about whatever it is you’re trying to do.” She kissed my cheek. “I better go and find Alberton’s contact, Dr. Frinton.”

“Thanks for your help, Pippa. I’ll be back soon,” I said. “It might be better if I had a place to bring the others, if you can work that out?”

“Sure, I’ll see what I can do.” I left by the front door.

I bounced back to the hangar where the remaining four men sat mesmerized by the events of the last few minutes.

“That whole thing took less than five minutes,” exclaimed Alberton. “You went to Syria, was it Syria? You killed three men. How the hell did you do that? You brought that girl back here and then took her and Pippa to the hospital. What did you mean when you asked about the status of those men? Who on earth are you?”

I sat down at the table and addressed Alberton directly. Behind me the monitor was quiet. “It’s crazy, isn’t it?” He didn’t reply. “Okay, lets cover a couple of things. I have defined a status for what I call ‘bad’ people. Murderers, rapist, it doesn’t matter. If they fit my criteria I’m okay with terminating their lives. Sally does the termination.”

“How?” he asked, bewildered.

“She fires a stream of atoms at them, which penetrate their bodies, forms into a sort of clip that attaches to the aorta. Cuts the blood flow to the brain, instant blackout, followed by death. The clip disappears, an autopsy would indicate death from a heart-attack. Painless actually.”

“How can she do that, Jesus, I mean how can the computer do that? Where is it?”

“Maybe I should make an appearance, Jo-el?”

“Not now, Sally, they’ve got way too much to digest already.”

“It’s everywhere, Colin. Like the internet, it’s a global network.”

“So, you’re telling me you can kill anyone, anywhere in the world just by telling your damn computer to do it?”

“Basically, yes, but there are safeguards.”

He looked at me and then at the two Marine officers, who were visibly shaking.

“That makes you the most dangerous person on the planet. Jesus Christ, maybe the General was right?”

“I’m on your side, Colin. I’m not going to start terminating people just because I don’t like them. There are safe guards.” I repeated. “Why would I meet with you and tell you all this stuff? Think about it.”

“What safeguards?”

“Sally, or the computer if you like.”

“I like Sally, Jo-el.”

“Okay, okay.”

“Sally, won’t carry out my orders to terminate if the individual is a ‘good’ person.”

“And we know that, how?”

“Because I’m telling you. Have I told you anything that’s not true?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” he repeated, no doubt trying to think of something.

The Colonel said, “you have the ultimate Star-wars weapon.”

I nodded, “yes, I suppose I do.”

A hush filled the room. The fear in the eyes of the four men around the table was genuine. I scared them, but then, what did I expect? Would it change in time? I didn’t know. Could I see it from their point of view? Maybe not. I wasn’t in their shoes; I wasn’t sitting across the table from this megalomaniac. But I wanted to help the world. How else was I supposed to do that? Was this the right approach? Maybe I should go on TV and tell the world what I know. But as I ran that through my mind it just didn’t pencil. The panic would be enormous. I wouldn’t be believed. I just couldn’t see that working, not yet anyway, not until people were one hundred percent convinced I was on their side.

“I need your help.” I said, eventually.

They all looked at me but stayed silent. Why did I need their help? I was like a God to them, what on earth could they do? Maybe I should tell them my initial goal? I just wasn’t sure; it didn’t feel the time was right. And these weren’t the right people. I realized at that moment I needed to talk to the President, I had to tell him, but would he even allow me near him? I guess I just had to try. But first I had to deal with the current problem. I stood up and reviewed the monitor. The hostages hadn’t moved. It was still early into my window but I’d had enough of this meeting.

“Sally, did Pippa find a place to take the other hostages?”

“Let’s see. No, she fucked up. She didn’t know how to explain how the patients were going to arrive and why they needed an empty room. I guess you should dump her!”

I sighed, Sally wasn’t making this any easier.

“Okay, well let’s go get these guys and take them directly to the hospital. Let’s pick up the American first.”

“Ready when you are boss, I won’t fuck up.”

Bloody computer is more like a woman every damn day.

One at a time I picked up the six remaining hostages and bounced them to the hospital. Sally found a spot out of sight, not too far from the main door. The nursing staff were wonderful and didn’t ask any questions. Pippa was efficient and busy. None of the hostages had guards inside their cells. I changed into an Army uniform and before entering the cells I had Sally cause each hostage to black out. They would never know the truth of how they were rescued. When the sixth man was wheeled away, Pippa and I walked to one side of the hospital lobby, out of earshot. She said she needed the names and home addresses of the seven captives. I said I’d have Sally email them to her. There was a mass of paperwork to do at the hospital and she was okay making her own way back to Langley. She said that Alberton needed her back there to help with the report they had to prepare for the Director.

“I believe you, Jo-el, truly I do. Give them time.”

With that I went back to the hangar and picked up the disc monitor. The four men were still there, waiting to see if there was anything else I wanted to add. I said, ‘nothing for now’, I tried to be upbeat but I don’t think they could sense it. Each eyed me in a suspicious manner, afraid of confrontation. I bounced back to San Francisco and the comfort of my family-room. I was exhausted even with my new-found youth.

Chapter 31

THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

For almost half an hour I just sat on my sofa running through the meeting in my mind. I had set the wheels in motion and now I had to control the outcome. Steer the process in the direction I wanted it to go. I believed the only way the world was going to buy into the notion of Armageddon and a real solution was if they truly believed everything I told them. Therefore, I had to prove out my statements, which was what I was doing. They were scared but that was to be expected. I was scared when Ka-el, then Sally told me who they were and why they had contacted me. I thought about the reaction from the General and it made so much sense. He didn’t know about the galactic storm; all he saw was someone with technology vastly superior to their own and that was a threat and the way you deal with threats is you eliminate them. I just hoped he would come around and recognize that I was on their side.

I worried that I’d told them too much. Anti-gravity, travelling at the speed of light, my ability to terminate anyone, anywhere. I tried to imagine what I would feel like in their shoes. But it was hard, I knew the reasons, I’d had more time to digest the craziness. I think I would be terrified; I think I wouldn’t believe I was being told the truth, that there had to be some other reason and whatever that was, it wouldn’t be good.

These things circled around in my mind as I sat quietly on my sofa. Eventually I concluded that over worrying about everyone’s concerns wouldn’t help. There would be those who believed and those who didn’t and I simply had to do everything in my power to convince as many people as possible.

The pangs of hunger rumbled my stomach. It was almost two o’clock so I went out to the Pear Blossom café and devoured a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. I hadn’t spoken with Sally since returning but it was time. Back in my family room I called her to join me.

She appeared as usual and sat in the armchair. Relaxed and vibrant, no signs of concern on her lovely face, no stress, no doubts of making the wrong decisions. I felt envious.

“Any messages?”

“None.”

“What else is happening?”

“Your girlfriend is still at the hospital calling relatives.”

“How they doing?”

“The men are all fine, or will be in a few days. They don’t understand how they happen to be in Virginia, but they’re happy to be there. Pippa isn’t telling them anything. The Dutch girl is in a comma, probably happened before you got her out. She’ll be okay in time. Mental scares might last but physically she’ll recover. Her parents are already booked on a flight tomorrow morning their time. Relatives of the men will be in Virginia tomorrow. The press in Holland are just getting wind of the rescue but they don’t know who to contact. It’s late over there.”

“What did Pippa tell the phycologist?”

“She lied, said it was an American Delta Force rescue. The hostages were flown to the Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach.”

“Close enough,” I said.

“Not close at all, Joey,” she laughed.

“Send a text to Pippa, I’ll take her back to Langley.”

“Now why would you do that? Let me think. Nah! Couldn’t be, could it?” Sally was grinning. “You hoping to bump uglies with the Indian Princess?”

“I just want to talk to her.”

“Yea right!”

I wasn’t going to get lead in to that discussion. “What else is happening?” I asked, trying to be serious.

Sally was still grinning, could a female image created by a computer be jealous? Who knows?

“Alberton and Grayson are working on a report for the CIA Director.”

“Grayson?”

“The black guy.”

“Oh, right.”

“Georgina Lambert is about to go into a meeting with the FBI Director. She has summoned a bunch of agents for a big powwow first thing tomorrow. I don’t think you’ll hear from her today. The Homeland Security team have begun investigating the Azziz group and have instructed their Phoenix and LA staff to obtain warrants to search the other two terrorist groups. That will probably not happen for a while.”

“What about the General?”

“Ah, he’s pissed. He still wants you dead. He’s meeting with another General as we speak and has requested a meeting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. But he has a bit of a gung-ho reputation so no luck on setting up that meeting as yet.”

“Better keep an eye on him,” I said. “What’s the Colonel and Major up to?”

“Guess?”

“Writing a report.”

“You’re good, Joey, you hardly need me,” she laughed and I enjoyed the levity.

“No movement from the bad guys?”

“Nope, I’ll let you know if any of them stir. Your daughter called and left you a message.”

“Dang!” I started to get up to fetch my cell-phone.

“You don’t need your phone; I can tell you what she said.”

“You can get my messages?”

“Duh!”

I stared at Sally for a minute and then fell back on to the sofa. “Well?”

“Do you want it verbatim?”

“Whatever.”

“She wants to have dinner with you tomorrow and bring Adam.”

“Here?”

“She didn’t say.”

“Can you text her, you know, as if it was coming from me?”

“Jo-el, do you really have to ask?”

“No, I guess not. Tell her ‘love to see you and Adam tomorrow, how about six-thirty?”

“Done.”

Be fun to see what they thought of the man with wings, I thought.

“There’s some other news.” I glanced over, Sally was grinning.

“Okay, what?”

“Seems that one of those security guards at the CIA building told a friend, who told a friend, who tweeted that you have a computer around your waist.”

I waited for the inevitable repercussions.

“Two million Tweets and counting. You name it, it’s been said. I think mad scientist is now odds on favorite.”

“Beats, Alien, I guess.”

“Not sure the Cirion people would agree?”

I laughed.

“Also, more than eighty thousand women have asked you to marry them. Many added links to photos, which didn’t leave a lot to the imagination.”

“Thank God I don’t have a Twitter account.”

“Talking of Twitter accounts, more than three hundred have been set up purporting to be you.”

“Oh my God. What’s the Twitter people doing about it?”

“They’re trying to vet each one. Ton of work. There was an official post from Twitter that asked you to contact them so they could verify who you are and set up an account.”

“No way, I’d never leave the keyboard.”

“I could do it for you.”

I thought about that for a minute, maybe that wasn’t such a crazy idea. Give me a window straight to the people.

“Let me think about that, Sally.”

“Same with Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, etcetera.”

Social Media, absolutely incredible but I didn’t think it was good idea at that time. “No, not now.” I said.

“There was one thread you might want to think about? A billionaire, Anton Chemerov, Russian oligarch, has posted that he would pay you ten million dollars to have dinner with him.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Well it gets crazier. It sparked off a bidding war and we’re now up to forty million.”

My mouth dropped open and dried up. Forty million dollars to have dinner with me. As it sunk in I became more flabbergasted, these rich people have more money than sense. But then I considered the potential upside of winning my confidence. All the public knew so far was I had wings, if those wings were controlled by a computer you wore around your waist and that could be replicated, the business potential was astronomical. “Who’s the last bidder?” I asked.

“Malcom Reese, US business man, aerospace.”

“Unbelievable! I guess I’ll have to charge Maggie tomorrow night? Anything else going on?”

“There’s lots of media comment. Several commentators are asking why you didn’t save those refugees who drowned in the Mediterranean last night, when their boat capsized. Twelve children were among the dead.”

“Oh, shit! I didn’t know. What am I supposed to do? I can’t be everywhere.” I studied Sally for an answer, but her expression said nothing, she wasn’t fazed. Death was an everyday occurrence; she’d witnessed it for eternity. More than one hundred and fifty thousand people a day. I couldn’t get sucked into rescuing every poor individual whose life was threatened, I had to focus on the big picture, giant cliché but the truth. That put a damper on my mood. I decided to take a walk.

“What did Pippa say?”

“She’ll text when she’s ready.”

“Okay, I’m going for a walk.”

I grabbed my coat and headed for the park. The March rains were holding off but a blustery wind blew from the ocean. Tall Palm trees swayed heavily back and forth, I pulled my collar close. As I walked I considered the future.

I’d set many wheels in motion now. Eventually the public would discover my talent for travel around the world. How would that play on the talk shows? Taking heads would be spinning. How would the leaders of China or Russia view the situation? I worried about that. I needed all the world to accept me, not just America. Maybe I should distance myself from America? Maybe I should go to China and talk to the leaders there? I struggled with how to accomplish that. I knew little of their culture and nothing of their leaders. Perhaps they’ll invite me to come when they discover my technology, that might be the way to go. What about my skill for killing people, anywhere, anytime? I could only imagine the fear that would induce. Maybe I should try and keep that topic from getting out any further? Trouble was, I had no idea how to stop it.

All these things and more raced around my head and I concluded that I truly couldn’t control world opinion and as this thing grew my ability to influence would probably diminish, which made me consider Twitter. At least that would allow me a voice. It was an idea and I was warming to it.

Chapter 32

PIPPA

Sally told me that Pippa was concluding her work in Portsmouth, so I changed back to Jo-el and bounced to the hospital. The sun was already down and it was bitterly cold. I texted Pippa to join me outside the front entrance. My heart lifted as she exited the sliding glass doors clutching her phone in one hand and her carry-bag over her shoulder. She smiled gracefully and held up the phone.

“Colin, needs me asap, the report.”

“Did you tell him I was bringing you back?”

“No,” she smiled, “thought you could buy me dinner?”

Damn, I’d eaten not too long ago, but coffee was always needed. “I’d love to.”

“Where do you want to go?” I asked.

Her eyes widened and her lips formed a question mark. “You ever been to St. Barts?”

“The Island?”

She nodded. Wow! This lady cottoned on quick. Jo-el’s travel service, anywhere, anyplace, in an instant. I laughed to myself.

“So warm down there, right now.”

“Got you around her little finger, Joey.” I heard Sally in my ear. I didn’t answer.

“Okay, do you know a place?”

“Ah-huh! Great creole food, Mama’s Cantina.”

I told Sally to find it and book a table for two under Mr. North. Five minutes.

“Whose paying Joey-boy? They only take Euros in St. Barts.”

“Shit! Wait a minute, I’ve got some left from my Ireland trip. I’ll come get them.”

“Quite the jet-setter.”

“Let’s go!” I took Pippa by the arm and led her around the corner away from the entrance and prying eyes.

“Sally, find somewhere near, okay?”

“Sure thing, lover-boy.”

We bounced to the French Island of St. Barts, playground of the rich. We were in a parking lot close to trees. It was dark but the air temperature was warm. Pippa took off her coat. She wasn’t dressed for the Island, still in her CIA garb of black slacks, white blouse and small black jacket, but she didn’t seem to care and I certainly didn’t. She had ditched the grey overcoat she’d used to cover the Dutch girl. I changed into cream pants, loafers and a yellow button down shirt.

“Damn, I wish I could do that?” she said, marveling at my sudden transformation. “That would save a ton of time and a lot of money.”

I smiled and then put my arm around her back to lead her to the restaurant. She was impressed that I’d made a reservation and winked noticeably at me as the hostess took her jacket. The table had a spectacular view of the harbor, multi-million dollar yachts backed up to the jetty, beautiful people milling around sporting mullion dollar diamonds.

We ordered drinks, Pippa a Martini, a Black Label rocks for me. Well ahead of five o’clock California time, but what-the-hell.

“How do you know this place?” I asked.

“Came here four years ago, my ex.”

I realized I knew nothing about her. I hadn’t tapped Sally’s database, which pleased me. I’d have to find out the old fashion way.

“So, you’re unattached?”

“For now, yes.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

She shrugged, her shoulders bopping up and down with grace.

“I was married for three years. Probably too young, but I didn’t think so at the time. He was a philanderer and I just lost interest in all the lies. We parted more than three years ago. I have a son, Billy. He’s four now. What about you?”

I was just about to tell her about Mary, my mouth was open, but I couldn’t. “I can’t tell you, Pippa. Not who I really am.”

She shook, “Oh, yes, I’m sorry, I am, I won’t ask again.”

The waitress took our order and I excused myself. In the bathroom I bounced back to San Francisco and picked up the Euros. I looked at the notes in my hand and quickly realized I didn’t have enough. The Black Label was seventeen Euros alone. Damn expensive St. Barts. I searched around for my dollars, I had eighty-five dollars, dang that might not do it. I found my wallet and pulled out my cash card. I could go to my local bank ATM, then change the dollars into Euros at an airport or miss one leg and use my cash card to get Euros at an airport in Europe. I bet Superman never had this problem?

I bounced to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, landing in a bathroom stall that smelled awful. I found the cash machines and inserted my card, it was late in the airport so there were few people around. Declined. Fuck! Bloody fraud systems, just don’t cater to the superhero.

“Sally, how long have I been gone?”

“Seven minutes, she’d getting worried you’ve left her.”

“Why?”

“No passport!”

“Right! Don’t exactly need one when you fly Jo-el Airlines.”

Sally laughed in my ear.

“I think I’ll go back to San Fran. Wells Forgo Bank.”

“You’re the boss.”

I bounced to my bank out of sight. When I walked around to the ATM machines there was a line. Shit!

“Sally, send Pippa a message, I’m running an errand.”

“Whatever you say, Joey.”

“You’re loving this, aren’t you?

“Haven’t said a word.”

Eventually I was able to withdraw four hundred dollars. I bounced back to the airport in Paris and went to a money exchange, where I changed two hundred dollars into Euros. A minute later I was back in St. Barts, a little frazzled.

“I’m so sorry, Pippa, you won’t believe where I’ve been.”

“No, probably not.”

I told her what happened, without mentioning San Francisco. She laughed.

“I could have paid; I have my credit cards.”

“Thanks, but it’s taken care of,” I said, happily.

We ordered, I went with a jerk chicken salad, hopefully not too much food and another Black Label. Pippa had a fish creole dish that sounded delectable. She declined another drink, said she needed a clear head to assist with the report. We made small talk, she told me about her son, Billy, her father, who was an American diplomat and her mother, who he’d fallen in love with in India. The food arrived, it was superlative. She nestled her drink in both hands, I could see she had a question for me that she found difficult to ask.

“What is it?” I said.

“Where did this unbelievable technology come from?”

I leaned back in my chair and gazed at her face. She was truly a beautiful woman, her dark skin and deep brown eyes had an alluring mystic that reminded me of a wish from a genie and his lamp.

“There’s so much more to tell, Pippa, but I’m not sure it’s the right time. It’s going to come out soon, but it might be dangerous if I told you now.” I updated Pippa with the information I’d given out when she was at the hospital, but didn’t go any further.

“So what is your plan?”

“As I’ve said. I have to prove out what I can do or no one will believe me.”

“You’ve done that.”

“I need to expand the knowledge; it can’t stay only with America.”

“Who else have you told?” she asked.

“No one yet, but I’m meeting with the Brits tomorrow.”

She seemed surprised. “Who exactly?”

“The Home Secretary. I’m going to tell her what I’ve told you.”

“Are you meeting with anyone else?”

“No, but I need to. Pippa, it seems like you’re interrogating me?”

She leant forward and grabbed my hands in hers. “I’m sorry, must be the job.”

“What is your job?”

“I’m on the India/Pakistan desk, I speak both languages.”

Sally interrupted, “Georgina Lambert wants to meet at ten tomorrow morning.”

“Eastern time?”

“Yes, the Brit meeting is at eleven, eastern.”

“I guess that will work?”

“Okay, I’ll tell her you’ll be there.”

“Where?”

“FBI office, DC.”

“Wait a minute, I thought she was supposed to email Pippa?”

“Pippa’s a bit busy right now, hasn’t checked her email.” Sally laughed.

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Get a date!”

“Very funny.”

“Are you talking to your computer?”

I nodded. “She told me that Lambert wants to meet tomorrow morning.”

Pippa searched for her phone in her bag and saw the email. “How did your computer know Lambert had emailed me?” she appeared confused.

“Sally knows everything.” I said.

“Quite a girl.”

“You want to meet her?” I inquired.

“You’re kidding, right? Meet a computer?” Her forehead creased.

“Why not? I’m sure she’d love to meet you?”

“I’ll probably slap her, Joey.”

“And how are you going to do that?”

“Don’t underestimate me, I have my ways.”

“You be nice.”

Pippa twisted her mouth and said, “sure.”

“Come say hello, Sally.”

“Jeez!”

A minute later Sally walked into the restaurant and every man cricked their neck. She was young Brigit Bardot, pouting maroon lips, long blond hair, black leather mini-skirt, way too short, matching thigh-length boots and cleavage that would wake the dead. My mouth dropped as she came to our table, leaned down and pretended to peck me on the cheek. I’m sure I felt her lips. I should have guessed what she would do. Too late now.

“Pippa, meet Sally, my shy, conservative assistant.”

Pippa laughed and held out her hand. What would Sally do about shaking hands. I waited eagerly. Sally stepped closer and brought her right hand out to shake Pippa’s outstretched hand. Sally’s hand passed right through Pippa’s palm, which made her jump and shriek out loud. I was so intent on Sally’s antics I had no idea if anyone in the restaurant noticed.

“Oh my God!” gulped Pippa, while Sally grinned from ear to ear.

“I’m just a hologram, sweetie, don’t wet your panties.”

“Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea,” I added.

Our waitress came over and inquired if Sally was joining us and would like a drink. Sally, serendipitously moved around behind me and squeezed into the spare chair against the wall. “Large Black Label on the rocks,” she beamed at the waitress.

“Jesus, Sally, you don’t drink?”

“I’m sure you can help me out, Joey,” she whispered.

Pippa stared at Sally, her eyes wide and her mouth gapping. “You look so real! How do you do that?”

“Technology, darling.”

“But you’re not actually here?”

“Hey, I’m here, I’m just not meat and bones, like you.”

“So, you don’t eat or drink?”

“No need.”

“You ordered a drink.”

“That’s for my man.”

“Your man?”

Sally glanced over at me and pouted, she moved her hand to my leg. Oh, Christ, I thought. The drink came, Sally ignored it. I asked the waitress for the check, which irked Sally but Pippa seemed pleased. I think she’d had enough.

“I thought we were going to chat?” Said Sally, annoyed.

“Maybe another time, I have work to do.” Pippa was at a loss. To be honest, so was I, but I could see the funny side of it.

I paid the bill, which just about cleared out my Euros and the three of us left the restaurant. It was hard to leave that Black Label untouched. Sally disappeared with a scowl and a nod, leaving Pippa and I to find somewhere hidden. I bounced her back to the CIA building in DC.

“You’ve a handful there, Jo-el.” She said.

“Oh, she’s just having fun.” I was cognizant that Sally would listen to everything I said. “She takes great care of me.”

“What happens now?”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll see me again. The shit is just beginning to hit the fan.”

Pippa nodded, then kissed me on the cheek before walking across the road to the entrance of the building.

Back in my family room moments later I called up Sally. She took her seat, gone was the 1960’s super-model look. She was wearing blue jeans and a delicate, white blouse. A naughty-little-girl grin lit up her face. I had every intention of blasting her, but how could I? it was all just fun.

“You wasted the Scotch,” I said, fighting back the urge to laugh.

“It was for you Joey, you know that.”

I did know, I changed the subject. “I need to figure out the cash management a little better.”

“I’m working on that,” she said.

“How?”

“You’ll see.” That devil look. “You want to know what your girlfriend did?”

I became serious suddenly. Pippa wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, I was sure. “Go on.”

“The NSA were listening to your conversation with her, through her phone.”

“You’re kidding? Did she know?”

“Maybe.”

“Shit! What did I say?”

“Nothing much, except the meeting with the Brits.”

“Right.”

“Alberton has messaged the US Ambassador in London and told him to put pressure on the Brits to cancel the meeting.”

“What? Why?” I began to fume. “Wait a minute, it’s one a.m. in London.”

“He’ll get it in the morning.”

“Why?” I repeated.

“They want you to themselves, Jo-el. Seems to be the gist of the conversation. They want to assess your abilities, figure out how you do what you do.”

“Well fuck-em!” I was mad.

“Another thing.” I looked at Sally, waiting. “You told Pippa about your cash problem. They know you when to the airport in Paris.”

“Oh, fuck! They can find out who I am, I used my cash card.” Now I felt panic.

“Good news, the card was declined, the software for the French bank who own the cash dispenser, deletes the records when a transaction is declined at the end of each day. It’s passed midnight there now.” She smiled. “The French probably wouldn’t help the Americans, anyway.”

I wiped my hand across my forehead, I was sweating. I wasn’t worried for myself, but Sean and Maggie. “So they haven’t found out who I am?”

“No, but they know you withdrew money, so they believe you must be in America or a territory that uses US currency. They also know the approximate time, so they plan to search all withdrawals in a fifteen-minute window over one hundred dollars.”

“Can they do that?”

“Might be tricky, what with the Snowden debacle, but I wouldn’t worry, there were more than eight thousand bank withdrawals in America in that time window.

“Can’t you fix it?”

“Sure, but it might leave a trace. Let’s see how far they get before I mess with their data.”

“Okay! Was there anything else?”

“No. They wanted the glass and silverware you used in the restaurant for prints, but they had no way of getting it before it was cleaned. Of course, you had the transparent gloves on, so they wouldn’t find anything, anyway.”

“So, all they know is I’m in America, probably.” Sally nodded. I had to be more careful. “I want the meeting with the Brits.”

“Middle of the night there right now, but the meeting time is late afternoon so you’ve got all day to work on it.”

“Except I need to sleep.”

“That’s the trouble with being human.”

I perceived that wasn’t the only drawback. “If anything happens you’ll have to wake me. Maybe I should go talk to Alberton?”

“Why not see how it plays out? The Brits don’t always bend to American demands.”

“Not what you said the other day.”

I didn’t drink anymore that night, I needed a clear head for the next day. I turned on CNN but became bored very quickly. Sally spent time showing me the spacecraft that we would build, they were incredible. Didn’t look like they could fly, let alone cross vast amounts of space. They looked like giant black rectangles with rounded edges. There were no windows. On two sides was an anti-gravity device that lifted the ship slowly out of earth’s atmosphere. On the top was the power plant, which used some form of controlled nuclear power to propel the ship to close to the speed of light. In earth time, it took almost eight days to reach maximum velocity. The inside was like a cruise ship, with all the comforts of home. You would have no idea you were travelling through space. It all made sense, I just wondered if we could build it?

Chapter 33

TRIP AT THE FIRST HURDLE

I slept like a log until five the next morning. I was refreshed and ready for action. The life pills made me feel like I was forty again. Not a young man but a definite improvement from fifty-seven. Sally hadn’t woken me in the night, I took that as a good sign. She cared about me and knew I needed sleep. I showered and headed downstairs. At seven, California time, I was due at the FBI office in DC. Lots of time for breakfast and coffee.

Sally was standing in the kitchen, which was unusual, she looked sour. I started making breakfast, waiting for the news.

“The Brits have been talking half the night with the Americans, but it only got interesting a few hours ago, when the east coast was awake.” I was listening while making coffee. “They cancelled the meeting.”

“Why?”

“Partly Anglo-American relations, but they see you as some sort of freak. That was their words. The Americans persuaded them not to waste their time as they were investigating you and they promised the Brits they would keep them in the loop.”

I was annoyed with the Americans but understood. The Brits had only seen me with wings, they were at a disadvantage.

“So just the FBI?” I said.

“I think you better hear what else is happening.”

I stopped in mid-pour and looked over at Sally. Her demeanor indicated more bad news.

“The reports from the CIA and FBI were reviewed by the secretary to the National Security Council this morning. He pressed the red button, a figure of speech meaning that all the members of the NSC had to attend an emergency meeting. That meeting is going on now. They are having a conniption. The NSC want you brought in for questioning. Some members of the council want you put on the most wanted list.”

“Who’s at the NSC meeting?”

“Everybody of any importance in the country. The President, Vice President, Secretary of State, Secretary of Defense, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Attorney General, CIA and FBI Directors, do you want the whole list? There’s a lot more.”

I was dumfounded.

“What about the meeting with the FBI?”

“The plan is to use that opportunity to arrest you.”

“On what charge?”

“National Security, it’s a catch all, they can hold you forever.”

“Don’t I get any credit for the hostages I rescued from Syria?”

“They don’t believe you did that. The CIA explanation in the report brought up the possibility of a plot by China or Russia. The Council have told the Director to investigate further and get back to them.”

“So Alberton lied in the report?”

Sally nodded. “Homeland Security checked out that Destroyer last night and found the bombs, they’ve arrested those two guys.”

“What about the people in LA and Tucson?”

“HS are planning a raid today.”

“So what is the Council saying about the intel I gave them?”

“The National Security Advisor is pointing fingers at the Chinese. He’s saying they probably planed the whole thing and planted the guys in Virginia Beach, LA and Tucson.”

“What a crock of shit! Have you read the reports? Are they accurate?”

“The CIA report has a few correct facts, but they toned down much of what happened and left out what they didn’t want to explain. It was their conclusions that brought up the idea of a sophisticated plan by a foreign power. They just couldn’t put the truth on paper, believing it would read as simply ridiculous, impossible to explain. Homeland Security and the FBI had left when you brought back that girl from Syria.”

“Oh right. What did they say about the Major I bounced to Dallas?”

“No one mentioned it. Internally they thought it was a trick. The Major is being questioned, he’s under lockdown.”

“Jesus!”

“Don’t forget it was the General who tried to kill you, he’s adamant that you should be shot on sight.”

“So how did they explain the Taser and bullets?”

“They didn’t, left it out. Again, they thought it was a trick.”

I was lost. I sat down on the sofa and sipped at my coffee. Alberton was hiding the truth, because he couldn’t figure out how to explain what happened.

“What about Pippa?”

“They’ve put her on administrative leave and confiscated her computer.”

“So how did you hear from them?”

“They used Pippa’s computer, but it didn’t matter I’ve been watching them all night.”

“But they’re investigating my movements?”

“After you left Pippa at Langley she went to see Alberton to help with the report. Turns out she didn’t know they were listening through her phone.”

“She believes me, right?”

“Oh, so romantic.” She laughed. “Yes, she believes you, but they’re watching her, around the clock.”

“Go back, does Alberton believe me?”

“That man is confused and frightened. During his discussions with Grayson he hatched the foreign power idea, he thinks that is the only explanation of what you did. He’s the main force to find you. He initiated listening-in on Pippa’s phone and he’s trying to get the French to release the records from all the cash machines at the airport yesterday. He thinks if he can arrest you he’ll be able to find out who you are and where the technology really comes from. He fears it’s the Chinese or Russians and they’re now way ahead.”

“What about Grayson?”

“Keeping quiet, same reasons, but I think he believes you, he told Pippa when Alberton was out of the room, but that might just have been to win her over.”

“Well that’s almost two people on my side.”

I made some more coffee. I was struggling with Alberton’s report. He didn’t spell out what happened in the hangar, even though he saw it with his own eyes and had chosen to keep it hidden from the NSC. That seemed a very dangerous path to take. If the members of the committee eventually discover the truth he’s going to have a lot of difficulty explaining himself.

“Sally, what’s Alberton playing at?”

“I believe he thinks he can catch you, but he hasn’t actually discussed it with anyone. I can’t read his mind. I lost him for a period, so I don’t know what he said or did at that time.”

“What do you mean, you lost him?”

“There’s an underground basement at Langley. The network can lose connection if you go deep enough underground.”

I looked incredulously at Sally, “this is news to me?”

“Jo-el, I explained the network has limited base stations, remember. Limited coverage in Japan and Taiwan, along the coast of Chile and the Himalaya’s. We only have nineteen stations, it’s not perfect. Plus, the hardware was placed on earth two hundred and forty-eight million years ago.”

“So if anyone wants to hide from me, they just go underground?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Does Alberton know that?”

“I don’t think so, how could he?”

“Maybe he’s figured it out.”

“He was only out of touch for twenty-two minutes.”

“What’s down there?”

“Lots of files, a few meeting rooms and a bunker.”

“Did he bring something up?”

“No.”

“Then he returned to his office and hasn’t been back underground since?”

“Right.”

“Sounds like he doesn’t know, then.”

Sally agreed with me, but it was a weakness and I desperately needed to keep it a secret.

“Sally, how are they expecting to arrest me?”

Sally paused for moment. “They plan to threaten you with Pippa.”

“How do they do that?” My voice louder.

“Alberton is going to tell you that Pippa will be arrested for aiding and abetting a fugitive if you don’t cooperate.”

“How the fuck did she do that?” I was mad.

“She travelled with you to St. Barts, she didn’t have authorization. There’s a warrant for your arrest, technically you’re a fugitive.”

My body shivered and I spilt my coffee on the carpet. “Fuck!” This was all back-firing and I’d only just begun. My plan to win over the Americans by helping them with terrorists and serial killers and child rapists wasn’t working. They were supposed to respect me because I solved their most difficult problems. I thought I’d become some sort of National Hero, revered by everyone. I’d repeat the same actions across the civilized world and then eventually the whole world would adore me, as I slowly eliminated evil. I’d end the conflict in Iraq and Syria, the Arab/Israeli issue. I’d end human slavery and drug trafficking. Murderers would be caught quickly, and eventually crime wouldn’t pay.

Then I’d tell the world the real reason I was here and they would believe me. The need for massive amounts of police and the world’s vast military would become redundant and the money saved would fund the building of spacecraft and we’d colonize a new planet and the people of earth would have a future. It was a utopic dream and I’d tripped at the first huddle.

Chapter 34

RODANTHE

I missed the meeting with the FBI, what was the point, they had a different agenda. I had Sally send an email to Georgina Lambert detailing the whereabouts of the seven serial killers, with a list of each of their victims. In a second email I listed all the children and women held against their will for sex, with addresses and the names of the perpetrators. That should keep her busy for a while. I repeated the exercise for the British but prefaced the email with a note to the effect that I was disappointed the meeting had been cancelled. For a while I considered similar actions with other countries but I chose to wait and see the reaction in America and the UK.

I was going to keep out of sight for a while, at least from the Superpowers of the world. Work in the background and watch. I scared people and truly I didn’t want that. Maybe my plan could be put back on the rails. I hoped so, because I couldn’t think of a better approach. At least there was time. Seventy year was long time but the task ahead was colossal.

Pippa was another problem, I wanted to see her. She hadn’t been panicked by my abilities and she discounted the notion that I was a weapon of a foreign power. I played with the idea of telling her everything. Having another human to discuss this craziness was appealing and she’d seen enough that she might believe the story. I had Sally, but her perspective was all wrong. She didn’t care about individual lives, she relished action that resulted in death. Two hundred and forty million years observing the development of a planet. Three million years watching the coming and going of one generation after another. Humanity was evil in her eyes. Leaders decimated enormous swaths of society in the name of progress. It was all bullshit. Just in recent times, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, even those we now consider civilized, not so long ago, conquered by eliminating anybody in their way. Ask the native people of colonized countries. Sally watched all this, how could I expect her to view the world any differently. Genocide was a way of life and it continued today. She didn’t feel the warmth of family, the tenderness of love. Someone died, someone was born, just change the face and give them a new name.

It was time to sow the seeds and watch the flowers grow. Same goal different approach and I wanted to share it with someone. Pippa.

Sally told me to check my mail. I found an envelope addressed to a Steven Brace, but with my address. Inside was a cash card issued by Wells Fargo Bank.

“What’s this?”

“The guy died about a week ago, he was hiking in Anza Borrego Park, in Southern California. He fell down a ravine, no one has found him yet, he’ll probably never be found, he was way off the main trail. He left a bunch of money, but he doesn’t have any children and was a bit of a recluse. I changed his address on file to here and had the bank re-issue a new debit card. There’s forty-seven thousand in his checking account.”

“That’s stealing.”

“Oh Joey, give it up. That money will end up with the government eventually, who cares?”

“Don’t I have to call and activate the card from his phone number?”

“Done that.”

I shook my head but secretly I was pleased, the whole episode with the cash in St. Barts was a nightmare.

I rented a cottage on the beach in Rodanthe, the Outer Banks, beginning on Saturday for a week. It was out of season and the house was small and innocuous. The owner was an old lady in her seventies who informed me that she lived in Durham because of her arthritis and didn’t get to the cottage that often, so I’d have to cope with issues alone, which suited my needs. I used Steven Braces’ name and told her that I wanted to pay cash and she wasn’t fazed. Renters in March were hard to come by, I was a blessing. She told me to give the money to a Mrs. Greelitch, who’d meet me at the cottage on Saturday with the keys. The marketing pictures portrayed a home festooned with knickknacks and ornaments that gave it an intimate, cozy atmosphere. The weather projection for the area was unpleasant at best, but I wasn’t going there to sunbath. I’d rent a car to look normal, but my plan was to ask Pippa to join me. I’d bounce her down there and if she needed to be back in Virginia I’d bounce her back, whenever she wanted. My only concern, assuming she agreed to come, was her son, I’d have to figure that out later. I wondered how Sally felt about babysitting?

About half an hour after I was due at the FBI office in DC, Sally picked up an email, purportedly from Pippa’s computer. It was cordial and short, simply asking why I hadn’t appeared at the meeting. I ignored it.

The sun had agreed to bless the Bay area that morning and the temperature had risen to the mid-sixties, Fahrenheit. I pulled on my helmet and went for a ride. First I stopped at my bank and went inside to withdraw one thousand in cash. I couldn’t use Steven Braces’ money, the card had a three-hundred-dollar limit and I didn’t have any ID for the guy.

I retraced the route down Highway twenty-five to the spot where I’d picked up the container that had radically altered my life, just eight days ago. The road was empty and I soon became lost in the twisty turns and striking vistas. I stopped at the point where I’d parked my motorcycle to find the container and stared up at the hill wondering what would have happened if I hadn’t come here that day. Maybe I was just one of many potential saviors and Ka-el would have moved on to the next in line. Maybe there were others before me. I didn’t ask Sally; I guess I didn’t want to find out that there wasn’t anything particularly special about Dave Murphy. I stopped for lunch in Paso Robles and walked around the square. Maggie and Adam were coming over that evening so I restricted my meal to a couple of Carnitas Tacos at one of the great Mexican restaurants in that wonderful little town.

I took route 46 over to Pacific Coast Highway and headed north marveling at the coastal scenery, wondering if the new planet would furnish mankind with such splendor. At Castroville I crossed over to the 101 to speed up my return. I was home before three, having picked up all the ingredients for chili, one of Maggie’s favorites and something I could cook with my eyes closed.

I showered and made tea. I had two hours before Maggie and Adam arrived so I asked Sally to join me and update what was happening on the other side of the country.

“Pippa’s pissed,” she said. “I think she expected you to go and see her.”

“Tomorrow, she’ll get over it.” Why did Sally bring up Pippa first? Women, she definitely had a few of their traits.

“Alberton sent three more emails from Pippa’s computer. Each one a little more subservient. He wants you to meet him again and the last one was almost a begging letter.”

“Yea, well, screw him!”

“Would you like me to tell him that?”

“No! Ignore him for now. What’s the FBI doing with all that stuff I sent them?”

“They are stunned. Lambert is piecemealing the work out all over country. They are just starting to pull in the perps. The enslaved children are the priority and a few have already been found. The press doesn’t know which way to turn, it’s headline news on every channel. Oh, Maggie sent a text, she’s had to cancel because of the work load, so your fault.”

“Oh, crap!” I didn’t know what to think. “I’ve got two pounds of mince.”

“Maybe the girlfriend can come?”

I beamed at Sally, any chance she gets.

Sally send Maggie a text, ‘no problem, I saw the news, what’s happening?’

I retreated to the kitchen and cut the mincemeat into two pieces. Half I left out, the rest I stuffed into a zip-lock bag and put it in freezer. I planned to make chili anyway.

I ignored Sally and turned on CNN. The picture showed a police officer leading a man in handcuffs into a police station. The voice over said it was Syracuse, New York and the man ‘s name was Leonard Keifer. He was being arrested on child kidnapping, rape in the third degree and a list of other offenses, which the reporter said he’d already admitted to. The picture went back to four people in the studio. An attorney was saying that so far twenty-three children had been found across the country, most of them were on a missing child list. It was the largest sting by law enforcement of this kind. The head reporter then butted in to add that there had been no information from the FBI, who had initiated the sting, about numbers or how they had gathered so much information.

I turned the volume down and asked Sally. “How are the FBI planning to explain this?”

“Lambert met with the Director and he asked her the same question. All she’s come up with is to lie. You know, months of painstaking work, hundreds of agents, bla bla bla.”

“What did he say?”

“He didn’t say yes or no, just said they needed to find you.”

“It won’t fly. If they know a child has been kidnapped for sexual abuse, they wouldn’t wait. There’s almost certainly no connection from one case to another.”

“He said that, also.”

“Should be interesting. Did those guys in Virginia Beach make the news?”

“That was earlier, they’ve moved on to the child abuse cases.”

“More public interest,” I said, “what about the serial killers?”

“Too busy with the children and kidnappings. Lambert has informed the teams working the cases for the five she was aware of, they are planning arrests in the next few days, when they have the back-up. The other two cases need a lot of work.”

“Did the Brits respond?”

“Nothing. They’re taking their time. The Home Secretary brought in the Chief Commissioner, he’s dealing with the list. They only have seven children kidnaped and held for sex abuse. They’re gathering data on the perps and most should be picked up tomorrow. The Home Secretary was blatantly honest with the Commissioner, told him the intel was from the man with wings, who calls himself Jo-el. He asked how you knew and she just said, she hadn’t got a clue. They were skeptical at first, the Commissioner had just one case reviewed initially, which took most of the day. Of course your allegations turned out to be accurate, so they’re working the other cases during the night and expect to arrest the men tomorrow. The Home Secretary is being briefed in the morning, it’s night in London right now. The British media hasn’t got word of that first case yet, they’re covering the US situation.”

“Should be a big day over there tomorrow.”

“What’s your next plan?”

“I need to see how this pans out, both with the police and the media. Maybe I’ll pick another couple of countries.”

It all seemed to be heading in the right direction. Maybe the direct approach, meeting with the FBI and CIA wasn’t a good idea. The media reaction would be fascinating, but that would take a few days.

I headed to the kitchen and spent the next thirty odd minutes preparing chili from a packet, with a few extra ingredients like tabasco and extra cumin. I opened a good bottle of Merlot, which was soon half empty. I’d had a restful and successful day.

Saturday morning was raining again, with brighter weather forecast late in the day. A text from Jimmy inquired if I was riding on Sunday. I replied that I was going to be out of town for a month, he said, ‘have fun’.

Sally informed me that Pippa had taken Billy to a small park to play on the apparatus and swings, she was still being watched. I planned to go and see her later. Check-in time at the cottage in Rodanthe was three, I’d told the local contact I would be there around five and that lady said she’d meet me at the cottage with the keys, so I had a few hours. I packed a case with food stuff and booze. My plan was to bounce to a car rental place at Norfolk airport and then drive down to Rodanthe, which I thought would take about two hours.

About an hour before I was planning to leave Sally said that Pippa was back at her condo making lunch for Billy. She also told me that the FBI had drilled holes into Pippa’s condo on both sides while she was out and could now see inside and hear everything said.

“Shit! What can you do about that?” I asked Sally.

“Simple. I can destroy the equipment, or I could place something over the camera and play some loud music. Whatever.”

“What are they planning?”

“If you turn up they’re going to raid the place.”

“Is there a team ready?”

“Yep, they commandeered the condo next door.”

“Damn, if I bounce her out of there, they’ll know it was me. Does she know what they’ve done?”

“She knows she’s being watched, but she doesn’t know about the camera and listening device. Also, she’s unaware they’ve got a team right next door.”

“How do the team expect to capture me?”

Sally grinned, “They have tear gas and a drug dart that they hope will work.”

“Will it?”

“No! Your shield will protect you from the dart. I’d have to get you out of there if they use gas.”

“I can’t breathe independently of gas?”

“No, you need oxygen, where are you going to get that from?”

“I could go with a hologram like I did in the Hangar?”

“Yep, that would work, but no kissy, kissy with the girlfriend.”

I ignored Sally’s snide comment but could see the problem. “Okay, here’s what I want to do. I’ll go in for five minutes and explain to Pippa what’s happening. Let’s go with blocking the camera now and see if that causes a stir?”

Sally blocked the camera feed and showed me on my heads-up what was happening. The two guys started to panic but didn’t activate the team. They began fiddling with wires and equipment.

“Right, add the music.” I said, which she did. Pippa was confused.

“Okay, bounce me in.”

“Wait!” Sally was alarmed.

“What is it?”

“The team’s been called.”

“Where?”

She put it on my display. Four, heavily armed men were running down the corridor to Pippa’s condo.

“Shit!” I watched as they used a key to open the front door, at least they didn’t break it down. Pippa must be scared to death.

They entered the foyer, two had the drug darts and two had canisters, no doubt the tear gas, but they didn’t use them. Pippa ran to Billy and was smothering him, she was screaming at the men, who ignored her. I watched with anger rising inside me, I felt helpless. They searched each room then returned to the main living area where Pippa held Billy tight to her body.

“Do you want me to knock them out?” Sally asked.

“No, let’s see what they do? Kill the music.”

One of the men was speaking on a radio attached to his shoulder. Then three left, leaving just the one man. He removed his helmet and addressed Pippa.

“I’m sorry if we frightened you or your son. I’m under orders to arrest the man, Jo-el.”

“Get out of my house!” Pippa screamed. “You have no right to come in here. Get out, get out.” She sniveled and pulled Billy away to the kitchen. Billy was crying. Pippa was shaking but you could see she was trying to keep herself calm.

All four men had retreated to the condo next door. The two watching and listening were still fiddling with their equipment.

“How can I get a message to Pippa? I’m sure they’re monitoring her cell phone. I don’t want to knock them out and go in now, I’ve got nowhere to take her and Billy.”

“Why don’t you go in as a service man?”

“They’re not going to trust anyone who meets with her, anywhere. I just need to get her a message.”

“Write it out, then bounce there and leave it away from the camera. They can’t see inside the bathroom or bedroom.”

I thought about that for a while and couldn’t see any reason not to try it. I typed out a note to Pippa on my laptop, as follows.

Pippa,

They have two cameras that can see into your living room and kitchen and a listening device. I will fetch you at six p.m. if it’s safe. Pack a bag for you and Billy in the bedroom. Bring cash only, no credit cards or your phone. Destroy this note.

Jo-el

“No lovey-dovey stuff?” Sally remarked.

“Leave it alone, Sally. Okay where is she?”

“The kitchen.”

“Bring the video back on, that will distract them.”

We watched the two engineers light up when their monitor came to life. For a while they watched Pippa, who was making coffee in the kitchen. She was probably trying to figure out what to do.

“Okay, bounce me to the bedroom, straight in and out, I’ll leave the note on the pillow.”

“Touching.” Sally smiled, I grimaced at her.

For five seconds I was just a few feet from Pippa. I so wanted to walk through to the kitchen and hold her in my arms, but I resisted and returned home.

We watched for a while longer. The head of the team reported back to his base of the false alarm. The two engineers were laughing and chatting again. Pippa sat in the living room, drinking her coffee and watching Billy who was playing with a tablet computer. I could see tears in her eyes.

I bounced to the airport in Norfolk, Virginia and used my new debit card to rent a car at Hertz. No problem, they took a one-thousand-dollar charge and would refund the balance when I returned the car. For good measure I added all the insurances. The East coast weather was cold but cooperating. The March storms and driving rain held off even as the clouds darkened ominously on the horizon. It would be almost dark by the time I reached Rodanthe. The drive was uneventful and I met Mrs. Greelitch at the cottage at a little after five. I’d stopped for groceries on the way and picked up a coloring book with markers for Billy. I was excited at the prospect of seeing Pippa. Mrs. Greelitch had turned up the heating in the cottage and explained where everything could be found. I made coffee and settled comfortably on the sofa. The cottage was exactly per the pictures, two bedrooms, a small kitchen with yellow tiles and a living room equipped with a decent size flat screen TV. I turned on the ice-maker and sorted out the groceries.

During the drive Sally informed me that Pippa had found the note. She’d read it six times, I think Sally exaggerated, and had then torn it into small pieces and flushed it down the toilet. A small bag was sitting on the bed. She was ready.

A little before six I reviewed what was happening at Pippa’s condo. No change with the six guys, they were sitting around looking bored. Inside, Pippa was watching TV with Billy on the sofa. I watched while keeping an eye on the clock over the mantelpiece. Nothing untoward.

At two minutes to six Pippa took Billy into the bedroom, one of the engineers made a note of the time when they’d lost visual.

I wasted no time and bounced to the bedroom. Pippa was startled but made no sound. Billy, on the other hand screamed. Shit!

“You ready?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“Jo-el, they’ve sensed a change in the condo,” Sally warned me.

I had no time to discuss why.

“Hold Billy in your arms,” I picked up the bag and grabbed Pippa’s right hand.

We bounced to the cottage. Billy screamed again. I put my arms around Pippa and held her tight, she began to cry.

“Ahhh!” Sally.

“You okay?”

“Yes, sorry, it’s been horrible. I feel violated. They’ve no right.”

I squeezed her to me once more and kissed her lightly on the cheek. Billy started to cry, she put him down and calmed him. I fetched the coloring book, which distracted him.

“Where are we?” asked Pippa.

“Rodanthe, the Outer Banks.”

“Is this where you live?” She said, beginning to take in the small cottage with all the knickknacks.

“No, I rented it for a week, starting today.”

She looked anxious. “Why didn’t you take me to your home?”

“Safety,” I replied.

“Oh, right!” she smiled at me and kissed me on the lips.

Chapter 35

THE TRUTH

I made spaghetti with clams in a white wine sauce, straight from a packet. It was right up there with ‘okay’. The bottle of Pinot Grigio mellowed the food disappointment. Pippa gave Billy some spaghetti with cheese, which did the trick.

“What’s the plan?” Pippa asked as we cleared away the plates.

“For you, or for me?”

She stopped and looked at me. “Both of us.”

“Well, you’ve just pissed off the CIA big time, that’s for sure and I’m a wanted man. So we can’t be seen in public in the US. You’ve seen the TV news, the FBI are rounding up pedophiles by the bus load, next they’ll be arresting kidnappers and rapists and for good measure there’s seven serial killers who’ll be behind bars in the next day or so. The paperwork will keep them busy for a year. The Brits are doing the same,”

“How did you do that?”

“Me, I just told Sally what I wanted to do, she did the rest.”

“How?”

I paused and considered my decision. Do I tell Pippa everything? Would she believe me? Would I be putting her at risk? Seemed to me she was already at risk.

“Pippa, let’s finish clearing up and I’ll tell you.”

It was about the time Billy went to bed, so Pippa made him comfortable in the second bedroom. She hadn’t mentioned the sleeping arrangements so I presumed she was sharing with me or I’d be on the sofa. Funnily I didn’t seem to mind, I hadn’t slept with another woman since I’d dated Mary, I’d never been unfaithful and, to be honest, it scared me. I decided to let fate take its course.

Half an hour later we were comfortable on the sofa, Pippa was finishing the Pinot, while I nursed a Black Label. She looked at me and waited, her wide, brown eyes like jewels set in silk, her face a throwback to the actresses in the era of Lawrence of Arabia.

I told her everything, almost. The face on my computer; the trip to fetch the container; the belt computer; my heads-up display; my smart-suit, that elicited a few questions.

“What do you really look like?”

“I’m can’t show you,” I said.

“Why?”

“It doesn’t matter and it’s for my security.”

I told her about Cirion. She said she didn’t believe me, at first. I asked her, “how do you think I am able to do all this? Can’t you see that none of it can possibly make sense, otherwise.”

I set up the disc-monitor and showed her pictures of Cirion and the strange people, with so many different skin colors. She held her face in her hands, her eyes glued to the screen, her mouth gaping open.

I told her about the network of computers installed on earth so many years ago and I told her about the data base of information covering everything that’s happened on our beautiful planet since that time. She cried.

“How can you deal with all of this?” Pippa beseeched me.

“I’ve had a little more time to get used to it, I guess. I’ve used the technology, I’ve seen things and experienced things that no one on earth has. Do you want to see Jesus Christ? A three-dimensional video of the real man?” I put Jesus on the screen, tending to poor people in a village near Jerusalem.

Her voice croaked, she could hardly speak, tears gushed down her face. She kept wiping tears away from her eyes as she watched the Holiest of men displaying unimaginable kindness to all around him. How could you not worship such a man?

She wanted to see her mother as a child in India. I showed her. More tears erupted, her mouth quivered with love, she reached out to hold her mother in her arms, the hologram so real. She saw herself as a child, she remembered the toys she’d played with, each one setting off another flood of emotion. Eventually she asked me to stop and she put her arms around me and held me as tight as she dared, her cheek pressed hard against mine.

“You haven’t asked me the question?” I said.

She pulled away and considered me carefully. “I’ve asked a lot of questions?”

I studied her for guidance, but there was none. “Why?” I said.

“Why!” she said, unsure.

“Why, now? Why did the people of Cirion decide to contact us, or me, now?”

“Does it matter?” she said and snuggled up close again. Now she was biting my ear.

“What?” I exclaimed, “don’t you care?”

“Not right now, Jo-el, no.”

“She wants you Joey, do you need it to be spelled out in giant letters? Right there, on the sofa, hope it holds up, don’t know how you’d explain that to Mrs. Greelitch.”

“Leave me alone, Sally.”

“I’m going to watch, see how good you are.”

“Jesus, Sally, give me a break, please?”

“Don’t take the Lords name in vain, Joey.”

I was suddenly distracted when I felt Pippa’s hand reach inside my pants, yowser! That had the desired effect. We wrestled each other’s clothes off. At first I worried that she’d see an old man, but that didn’t happen, thank God. I kept hoping she wouldn’t realize I wasn’t as young as I looked, but things went well. In fact, it was truly magic. Best sex I’d had for years. Sorry Mary, but I’m a truthful guy. And it lasted for quite a while, well by my previous standards, a long while. I felt like forty-something again. Must be those life pills, eat your heart out, Viagra.

We fell asleep on the sofa, eventually, our arms and legs intertwined like an octopus. When I woke, I worried about Pippa getting cold. It was late, eastern time, Pippa didn’t move, so I carried her carefully into the bedroom and made her comfortable. I returned to the living room and poured another Black Label. I burned with happiness, fighting the urge to check what was happening in the world. The warmth of the scotch added to my carefree mood. Sally played music for me, softly. Michael Bublé on Pandora. I sat like that for more than an hour soaking up the glow.

“You’re a stud, Joey!

Jesus, this wasn’t a discussion I relished.

“Not now, Sally.”

I didn’t hear anything more from her. Perhaps she was jealous, nah!

Sunday morning brought a bitter wind off the ocean. Pippa made breakfast, Grapenuts and bananas for me, egg on toast for her and egg soldiers for Billy. We didn’t speak much and avoided the events of the previous night. Billy was sat in front of the TV watching cartoons, Pippa and I around the kitchen table drinking coffee.

“He’s a great kid. Keeps himself amused.”

“Yea, I worry though. Maybe he needs a sibling.”

“You want more?”

“Sure, why not, but I’d like the whole family thing, you know?”

I was about to mention Maggie and Sean, but decided against it. I felt her eyes on me, she was studying me for something.

“You can’t talk about it, can you?”

I looked at her and wondered about where this was going? Nowhere was my conclusion, how could it? Built on a house of cards. What would I be when this whole mess was public knowledge.

“No, I’d rather keep my previous life secret,” I replied.

“You have kids?”

I nodded.

“I’m sorry.” She stood up and began clearing away the breakfast things. “What are we going to do now?”

“Check on what’s happening and take it from there.”

“You were going to tell me why, last night, before we were distracted?” She ginned.

“Do you want to know?”

She stopped what she was doing. “When I lay in bed this morning I started thinking about all the crazy things you told me and showed me last night. It’s mind boggling. I always believed there was other life in the universe, it’s too vast to imagine we are it, so to speak. And why shouldn’t they be ahead of us? That’s just fate. But hundreds of millions of years, that’s amazing. I would have expected them to have contacted us already. But then again, the technology on earth has only taken off in the last one hundred years, a miniscule amount of time in their eyes. I think it’s frightening for me to comprehend the technology that you have access to, can you imagine someone from a hundred years ago? These people from Cirion, they’re so far away, I can see why we don’t figure in their plans. You told me they haven’t invented a means of travel faster than the speed of light? I think I read that Einstein said that was impossible anyway, maybe it is. So, we’ll never meet them, why should they bother with us? I would imagine that they are just getting around to contacting us because they think we are ready.”

She waited for me to reply.

“I think you should sit down before I tell you the reason.”

Pippa’s expression sullied, slowly she took her seat at the kitchen table. She sipped her coffee and was quiet.

“Before you blurb anything more to the brown bitch, I think you better hear something, Jo-el.”

I was shocked by Sally’s tone and rhetoric.

“Is something wrong, Jo-el?” asked Pippa, she read my face, she was scared.

“What is it, Sally?”

“I was running through Pippa’s movements on Wednesday and I lost her for nearly thirty minutes. Part of those minutes’ co-inside with the time Alberton was missing.”

“Are you saying she’s working with him and this whole arrest thing is a lie?”

“Could be.”

“Could be isn’t enough, Sally, I need to know, definitely.”

“Jo-el, are you okay?”

I glanced at Pippa, I was feeling distraught, I didn’t want to believe what Sally was saying. I had feelings for her, I thought she was on my side. My throat went dry. “Give me a minute, Pippa, something’s up. I need to check it out.” I stood up and went to the living room, Billy was watching TV, he looked up at me so I went out the front door, quickly adding a coat. The wind swirled around me, blowing my coat out, I pulled it toward me and buttoned it down. In the distance I saw white-horses on the ocean.

“How long do you need, Sally?”

“Hang-on, here’s what I’ve got. Alberton wrote something on a small piece of blue paper, like a tear-off strip from a note pad. This was before he saw Pippa. It said ‘Go to the basement in ten minutes.’”

“And she went?”

“Yes.”

“So, Pippa and Alberton met in the basement and we have no idea what they talked about and then she was told to go home? Shit! How could he know I’m blind underground?”

“It’s not brain surgery, Jo-el, maybe he figured it out or maybe he’s just testing a theory. He tells Pippa something significant in the basement and wants to see if you respond.”

“These guys aren’t stupid, that’s for sure. But if he’s so smart, why doesn’t he believe me? I’m trying to help. Why were you checking Pippa?”

Sally was quiet for a moment. “Because Alberton spent most of yesterday in the basement.”

“Shit! So, they have a way of keeping secrets from me?”

“That’s the crux of it.”

I paced around the side of the cottage, out of sight, trying to figure out what to do about Pippa. “Maybe we can play their game? I need a bug that I can place on her somehow.”

Sally was quiet for a moment, “found one, shop store in Miami, nobody there right now.”

“Okay, bounce me there.”

I was suddenly blind, my eyes fought the darkness, slowly shelves came into focus. “Third shelf down, just to your left.” I searched the shelf and found a round, plastic device in a plastic package. “That’s it.” I put it in my pocket.

“Back to Rodanthe.”

I was back along the side of the cottage, I stepped to the front door and pushed it open, Billy was glued to the TV, Pippa was still sitting at the kitchen table, both hands around her coffee.

“There’s a pocket inside her handbag, load of crap in there. Remove the bug from the plastic and switch it on, little black slider on the side, the battery is good. There’s a micro SD card in place, it will record up to sixty hours. You’ll have to get it back to listen to it.”

“It doesn’t transmit?”

“Not powerful enough, too small. Wouldn’t work anyway underground.”

Pippa’s handbag was in the bedroom, I found the pocket, switched on the bug and drop it inside. There wasn’t a zipper but a small piece of Velcro held the pocket shut.

“Now you need to ditch the bitch.” Sally at her most eloquent.

I went back to the kitchen and kissed Pippa on the cheek. “I need to go to London.”

“What’s up?”

“The Home Secretary wants to meet me.” I smiled, “they appear a little more grateful than your lot.”

“Yea, I’m sorry about that, they’ll come around.”

“You can stay here, the keys for the car are on the mantelpiece.”

“Will you be long?” Pippa, didn’t look comfortable.

“Gosh, I don’t know, no more than a couple of hours.”

Sally piped in, “She doesn’t know what to do, the two-faced shit.”

Pippa beamed at me, her expression pleading. “Can you take Billy and me back to DC?”

“Is that wise?”

“Oh yea, Joey, play the bitch!”

“I think I’d like to visit my father.”

“Are they still watching her condo?”

“Of course.”

“Pippa, won’t they arrest you as soon as they know you’re there?”

“They want you, Jo-el, not me.” She stood up put her arms around me and pressed her cheek against mine.

“Oh, please, I think I’m going to barf.”

“Sally, shush a minute.”

“Whatever you want,” I said.

“I’ll be fine, Jo-el really. Anyway, you can rescue me,” she kissed me lightly on the lips and grinned.

“Where’s your father?”

“He’s in Maryland, my mom’s in India right now, he’s lonely.”

“Okay, I guess you should get Billy ready.

Chapter 36

BYE BYE RODANTHE

I took Pippa and Billy back to their condo and bounced home to San Francisco. The weather outside was a vast improvement to the Outer Banks. I made coffee and settled onto my sofa. This was more comfortable. “Sally.” I shouted at nothing in particular.

Sally appeared, dressed in black. Black pants, black, silk top with long black sleeves, very menacing. I smiled.

“You rang?” She acted delighted, but her expression was deadly serious.

“What’s happening?”

“With the brown bitch?”

“No, oh, don’t be so nasty, it’s only been ten minutes.”

“Might have only been ten minutes, but she’s on her way to Langley in a chauffeured car. She’s already spoken to Alberton and told him about Rodanthe. There’s a Delta team heading down there by helicopter, out of Norfolk.”

I straightened up and glared at Sally. “You’re kidding?”

“No, Joey-boy I’m not.”

“I left some stuff there.”

“Better go get it.”

“Shit! How long have I got?”

“Not long, they’ve alerted the local police. They are maybe two minutes away. The helicopter is thirty-five minutes out.”

“Bounce me.”

I picked up my bottle of Black Label from the kitchen and my toiletries from the bathroom. As I searched around I realized I didn’t need the balance of the food I’d bought and there weren’t any clothes. Then it dawned on me that I’d touched just about everything in the cottage. All the cans of food, the bottles in the trash and the glasses. God knew what else? “Sally, help, fingerprints.” I screamed into the air. Sally was suddenly standing in the kitchen. “What do I do?” Then I thought of the rental car and just then I heard a police siren, moments later two squad cars were outside the front door. I couldn’t believe how the shit had hit the fan so damn fast. “Did I have gloves on?” I didn’t even know.

Sally was shaking her head. “Blew that one, Joey. Amazing the risk you guys will take to get laid.”

“I can’t have them finding my prints,” I exclaimed.

“First, let’s get you out, I have an idea.”

Sally bounced me back to San Francisco. I began to fret. “What are they doing?”

“The police are waiting in their car, just watching.” Sally placed a disc monitor in the air, showing the cottage and the two police cars by the curb. My rental car was in the driveway. “You better sit down Jo-el.”

I was taken aback by her serious tone, I sat down gingerly, wondering what she was going to do.

“No fingerprints, right? Whatever!”

I sensed this was going to get ugly, but what choice did I have? I nodded my agreement at Sally. A devilish grin caught the corner of her mouth. She was watching the monitor, also.

Suddenly my rental car exploded. The shock flung me back into the sofa, my hair stood on end and my whole body sprang a leak. Sweat began to pour from my forehead down into my eyes. My right foot whipped up and kicked the coffee table and the remnants of my drink flew into the air and landed on the carpet. I wiped my eyes on the back of my sleeve and choked.

“What the hell!”

Before I’d finished the last word, the cottage caught fire in a cloud of flames. It was spontaneous combustion. Unbelievable. “What the hell did you do?”

Sally didn’t answer at first, we continued to watch the monitor. The two police cars had moved away from the curb, obviously their occupants were okay. I thanked God for that. Killing police officers was not on any agenda I carried.

“I pierced the car fuel tank and all the fuel lines, then just added a spark,” she grinned. “Piece of cake! In the cottage I ripped holes in every gas line and the propane tank in the backyard. Add a flame and hey-presto.” She raised her hands in the air and laughed. “Sweet, huh!”

I continued to watch the flaming mess that was once a cottage in Rodanthe. The sound of fire engines was now audible. My brain raced around in circles trying to think of anyway that the forensics people could find a trace of Dave Murphy. I was at a loss.

“Can they find out it was me,” I stammered at Sally.

Sally went over to the armchair and sat down. She crossed her legs and placed her hands together on her knee. The image of the burning cottage and car filled the room. “Well Jo-el, the FBI and CIA and Homeland Security will know it was you. Bit too obvious with your former girlfriend blabbing her mouth. Whether they share that information with the local police, I don’t know, but honestly I doubt it, bit too difficult to explain.”

She was right. Pippa had already told Alberton where she had been. But what would the repercussions be? They wanted to arrest me for a myriad of crimes, destruction of property was just another for the list.

“You’ll have to dump the cash-card. I’ve changed the address on Steve Braces’ account back to his original address and erased everything pertaining to you. They’ll find out who rented the car but I can’t see a link. I’ve had a better idea for getting cash.” She smirked again. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I was thinking about the little old lady in Durham, whose cottage I’d just burnt to the ground.

I cleaned up the coffee stains and made another cup. I was calming down, but upset. Every turn I made was wrong. I couldn’t trust anyone and I was bewildered by the attitude shown toward me. I thought I was a good thing for the world, why did they think I was so evil?

“Alberton showed his hand,” I said to Sally. “Why did he do that? He might have been able to play the ‘Pippa’ card a while longer?”

“She called him as soon as you left her at the condo in DC and told him that I can review every conversation and just by speaking to him I would know she was working with him. They had an opportunity to discover who you really are and had no idea I could destroy all the evidence so easily.”

“They know a lot more about me now, too. I told Pippa so much stuff. I’m trying to figure out how they will react to it all.”

“I’m afraid that’s going to prove a little difficult. Pippa went straight to the basement. I don’t know what they’re saying.”

“We’ve got the bug.”

“If they don’t find it.”

“Why should they bother to look, she’s on their side and they think I have powers up the wazoo, why would I need a bug?”

“Well, we won’t know until she comes out.”

“What’s the National Security Council up to?” I asked Sally.

“They meet underground.”

“Since when?”

“Yesterday.”

“With all the shit I can do and these guys can still thwart my progress. Incredible. I think it’s time to try a new tack.”

“Seems to me you keep trying new tacks.”

“Yea, well I’m new to this Superhero thing, I’m learning as I go along, so give me a break.”

Sally raised her hands in front of her in an apologetic fashion. “You’re the boss, Jo-el.”

Chapter 37

A NEW TACT

“It’s time to wick-it-up, Sally and I think you’ll like it.”

“I’m all ears.”

“First, I need an update of what’s happening? What are the Brits doing?”

“They’ve rounded up all the criminals you gave them but they haven’t told the press how they found them. The Americans are still pressuring them to keep your involvement hidden for the time being.”

“What about the media in the US?”

“All the agencies have so far refused to speak to the media.”

“I can’t see how that can last. What about Congress, there must be a lot of unanswered questions?”

“It’s all being swept under the rug of National Security.” I frowned and wondered how long that could last.

“How’s our friend in the Marines doing?”

“Ah, General Kale, he’s now on a sub-committee to find you. He’s one of the lead figures that believe you’re a threat to America and should be shot on sight.”

“What’s his reason?”

“You’re incredibly dangerous and out of control. All I have is what he’s said before joining the various groups who only talk underground. He still thinks you’re a Chinese or Russian plant and reckons the things you did at the meeting in the hangar were magic tricks.”

I thought about that for a while and I could see his point. Illusions at magic shows often can’t be explained, all we know is they must be tricks.

“I just wonder how much of Pippa’s report they will believe? The fact that I can review everything that’s happened on earth since man’s conception and there’s this other race on a faraway planet who are so far ahead of us.”

“The Alien Theory. I’ve heard quite a few people bandy that around.”

“What do they say?”

“Simple, you’re an alien. Answers everything.”

“So, why don’t they want to meet me?”

“They do, but on their terms.”

“Which are what?”

“Under lock and key.”

“What’s the President of the US saying?”

“In public, nothing. In private he wants to meet you.”

“So, I should pay him a visit?”

“His entourage won’t allow it. The Secret Service say they can’t keep him safe.”

“But he could over-rule them?”

“I think he might.”

“Good! Well, let’s do something to encourage him.”

Sally’s face broke into a broad smile, she clasped her hands together and lent forward in her chair.

“First, I want you to send a list of all terrorists in Europe to the various agencies in each country. You know, with current addresses and how about videos of any atrocities they were involved in. Then send a list of all pedophiles and kidnappers to all the remaining countries in Europe.”

“Okay, but pretty boring so far.”

“Two more things. Send an email to a big-wig producer at CNN and tell him or her that I want some air time with one of their lead presenters, as soon as possible. Also, tell them they need to advertise that I’m going to be on the show. I need it to reach as many people as possible.”

Sally stared at me for a brief moment. “What you going to say?”

“Nothing too dramatic, I’m going to issue a warning, shouldn’t take me more than ten minutes.”

“They’ll know where to find you, Jo-el.”

“Yep, but what can they do? I’ll just bounce out of there.”

“Okay, and the last thing?”

“I want you to find me one of those king-pin crime bosses, someone who derives his wealth from trafficking humans. Children, girls, slave labor.”

Sally eyes lit up with that one. “Okay! Now that sounds like it could be fun.”

To be honest I had no idea what I was doing. I just had to elicit enough attention to be taken seriously. I had hoped that my initial approach to the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security would suffice to convince them that they needed to listen to what I said. Instead they were all frightened and reflecting on the events of the past week I sort of understood where they were coming from. I truly didn’t want to use the media for fear of mass hysteria but my plan was relatively simple and hopefully would win the public over.

“How’s the mess in Rodanthe?”

“The fire is almost out, there’s not much left. The Delta team never arrived, turned around in mid-flight. It’s all being hushed over.”

“Nobody hurt?”

“No, nobody hurt, you worry too much, Jo-el.” Sally sighed.

I shrugged. “Have they traced the booking?”

“Oh yea, Steve Brace would be in cuffs right now, if they could find him.”

“Good chance they will find him now, eh?”

“Has Pippa surfaced?”

“Not yet.”

“So, how long until you’ve done those things I asked?”

“Already done.”

I glanced at the beautiful woman in the armchair and marveled at the power she possessed. It scared me that she could quite easily stamp on me like a bug and take over. That Artificial Intelligence suppressor thing might be a little tenuous.

It was almost time for lunch and I considered the Plum Blossom but I felt like I needed company.

“You want to join me for lunch?”

“I’m not a big eater, you know.” Sally laughed.

I stood up and extended a hand, which she took in hers, although I couldn’t feel her touch. “Where you taking me, big-boy?” She appeared delighted.

“I fancy Tacos, how about Mexico City?”

Sally spun around on one foot like a ballerina and became a beautiful Hispanic girl with dangling earrings and a multicolored cotton blouse.

I changed my appearance to blend in and we bounced to Mexico City, stopping at a money changer for some local currency. Sally knew exactly where to go for the best food, the Tacos were to die for and the Margarita was perfect. I felt so sorry that Sally couldn’t partake but she seemed happy that I’d asked her. We chatted about the evil men in history who’d caused so much sadness and pain. She said she was continually amazed at the gullibility of the people who follow these men. If I brought up Pippa she changed the subject. We avoided the actions we’d put in motion and simply relaxed. It was a wonderful feeling, yet deep inside I knew it was temporary. After my second Margarita I was ready to return, though Sally suggested we visit Antarctica and see some Penguins. We landed on an ice flow and watched the penguins huddle together and nurture their young oblivious of the pending doom. It saddened me to think of all beautiful creatures that would be left behind. I felt cold, time to go.

As soon as we were back in San Francisco Sally showed me a message from Cathy Vogel at CNN. The gist was they were delighted to have me on their prime time show tomorrow night. I needed to meet with them as soon as possible to sort out the details, preview the questions I’d be given and do all the sound check stuff. I told Sally to write back. ‘Cathy, I need ten minutes, there will be no questions, seven P.M. eastern tonight. If you’re not interested, I’ll call FOX.’ I thought that would fester enough.

“I have a couple of very nasty specimens who make a lot of money from human trafficking. Neither of them get their hand dirty.” Sally begun. “Felix Roal Espinoza is fifty-two, a Mexican national, with fake passports for the US and Europe. His main residence is north of Acapulco, he’s there right now. His net worth is around four hundred million US dollars. He kidnaps girls in Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico and ships them to eastern Europe and various Middle Eastern countries. He never sees any of the misery he creates. He has a wife and three children, two boys and a girl, between twelve and eighteen.”

“Okay, sounds perfect, who’s the other one?”

“Rudi Yerchenkov, Russian, forty-three, four residences in Moscow, London, Nice and Grand Cayman. Same profile, he takes girls from various ex-Russian Republics and ships them to Europe for prostitution. Net worth, more than one hundred and fifty million US. He’s in Nice right now. No family, likes to sample his merchandise himself, usually four or five at a time. There’s four with him in Nice.”

“What’s the time in Nice and how’s the security?”

“It’s almost ten in the evening, Yerchenkov is at his villa with the girls, he’s in the living room, he’s naked with a drink in one hand, one of the girls is giving him a blowjob. There’s two body guards outside the door with semi-automatics and two in the grounds.”

I grimaced. Not something I wanted to see. “I think I’ll let him finish up before I ruin his day. What’s Espinoza up to?”

“He’s in his study looking at papers, he has six bodyguards, two are with him in the study, the other four are around the house. He also has two bodyguards for his wife and one for the children.” Sally stopped and stared at me, waiting for instructions.

“Now my question is, how should I approach them? The hologram is safest but I feel like a wimp doing that, I just worry about the shield. Those semi-automatics have a lot of fire-power.”

“Or I just freeze the weapons,” Sally added.

“How can I test the shield, Sally?”

“Why not go with the shield, if they start firing I’ll freeze their weapons and at least you’ll see if the shield works.”

I smiled at Sally, she knew exactly what I was thinking. I stood up and changed into Jo-el. “Wings or no wings, what do you think?” I flashed the wings on and off a couple of times. Sally motioned with her hands like she didn’t care.

“They’re both going to freak out whatever, I assume you’re going to bounce straight into his study?”

“That’s my plan. Scare the shit out of them.”

“Go with the wings, then they’ll know straight off who they’re dealing with.”

“Okay,” I said. “Let’s do this. First freeze those two bodyguards’ weapons and then bounce me right in front of his desk.”

“Wimp!” Sally said.

In one second I was standing in front of Espinoza, my wings spread wide, a scowl emblazoned across my face. Espinoza let out a gasp and jerked his chair back away from the desk, dropping the papers he was reading. He was speechless for a moment, his eyes piercing, inflamed, staring wildly at me. The elegant office was decorated in dark woods, it oozed wealth. He spoke first, in Spanish. I heard in English.

“Who the fuck are you?”

The two bodyguards were already standing, mouths gaped open. In the corner of my eye I saw semi-automatics. I could see the concern in Espinoza’ eyes fade when he saw the guns pointing at me, he regained his composure and shunted his chair back toward the desk.

“I asked you a question?” he blurted out.

Now did I go with the obvious cliché or try something new.

“I’m your worst nightmare,” I said, it just felt so right. I always wanted to say that, and if the shoe fits. Not sure I said it with the right tone or emphasis. It didn’t come out like I would imagine from Clint Eastwood. I made mental note to practice the line. Maybe it got lost in the translation.

I saw Espinoza press something under the desk. I presumed a panic button to call the other bodyguards. Time for me to focus on the present. This wasn’t Hollywood.

“The other four guards are on their way. I’ve frozen their weapons.” Sally informed me.

“How’d you get in here?” Espinoza shouted at me. He glanced at his bodyguards as if to say ‘how the hell did you let this guy get in here’. He hadn’t seen my dramatic entrance, pity, he would have been impressed.

“Mr. Espinoza, my name is Jo-el. I’m here to inform you that your human trafficking enterprise is shutting down.” I brought my wings into my body.

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You heard what I said. As of today you are going to close up shop.”

“And what makes you think I’m going to do that?”

“Because if you don’t I’m going hurt you.”

He didn’t like that. Probably not used to being physically threatened. He stayed sitting trying to figure out what was happening. The door opened behind me and the other four guards came in, guns at the ready. They took up positions alongside the other two guys making a semi-circle around me.

Espinosa viewed his army and smiled. “I think it’s time for you to leave.” He said.

I should have figured out the dialogue a tad before rushing in. Oh well, too late now. I also realized that as soon as these guys were aware that their weapons didn’t work they’d rush me.

“Sally, better activate the shield, these guys are going to rush me very soon.”

“Way ahead of you, big-guy.”

Don’t you just love a woman that’s got your back.

“Tell your goons to vamoose, I don’t want them to get hurt.” I said, trying to keep a straight face. Wonder how that translated?

I think Espinosa was becoming a tiny bit annoyed. He nodded at the guard on his left and said, “Manny, knee.” He pointed at my right knee.

Manny, aimed his pistol at my right knee and pulled the trigger. I flinched, but delighted to report that nothing happened. Manny kept pulling the trigger, then he shook his weapon, which I’m sure is right there on page one of the manual. Espinosa was fuming, I think he was planning some nasty stuff for Manny in the not too distant future. Espinosa shouted at the guards. “Shoot this fucker in the knee.”

Happily, none of the weapons worked otherwise my legs would have been shredded. After a little while Espinoza got the message, quick on the uptake these traffickers.

“Get him out of here!” he shouted.

Two of his men came at me with fists. They shouldn’t have swung quite so hard; their knuckles were badly damaged when they struck the shield. I didn’t feel a thing. Sweet.

The other four guys leapt at me, literally. They crashed into the shield and fell to the floor, but they didn’t give up, they tried again. Kicking and hitting, but to no avail. From where Espinosa was sitting it must have looked bizarre.

Eventually they gave up and backed away nursing their wounds. I still hadn’t moved. Suddenly Espinosa drew a Glock from his desk and fired it at me, when the bloody thing went off it scared the bejusus out of me. But I didn’t feel a thing, unluckily Manny did, the round ricocheted off the shield and struck him in the abdomen just below the heart. Blood spurted out of the wound immediately, the carpet was ruined, I read it in Espinoza’s eyes.

“Sally!” I screeched in my mind.

“Sorry, boss, missed that one. Still, tested the shield.”

She knew, for damn sure, she knew. I was livid. Well just for a moment.

“Enough,” I said and raised my hand, “before I lose my temper.”

“What do you want?” exploded Espinosa.

“I’ve told you, your human trafficking business will shut down as of now.”

“What are you saying? I don’t, what did you call it, traffic humans? I provide work for the poor. They escape poverty and find opportunity in growing countries. They are grateful.”

Jeez! Now this asshole was denying what he did.

“Shut-up, Felix and listen to me.”

“No you listen, I’m an honest business man, I work hard. Why do you come here and make accusations? You are wrong!”

The bodyguards were paying attention to their boss and nodding, they even looked like they were ready for another go at me. I’d been passive up to that point, maybe I needed to exert a little pressure.

“Sally, whack him in the leg.”

No sooner said, (or thought about), then done. Espinosa received a blow to his right thigh. Sort of funny really, he jerked sideways in his chair and let out a rasping scream. He started rubbing the bruised area, what a pussy.

“Now will you shut-up. One more word and I’ll whack the other side.”

His mouth opened and I could see he dearly wanted to speak, but it closed slowly and he slumped back in his leather chair and waited. The bodyguards seem to cower away.

“Right, Felix, here’s how this is going to work. As soon as I leave you will get really busy. Call all your deputies, or whatever you call them and tell them you are getting out of the business. They are to release every girl you currently have in captivity and give each of them one hundred US dollars. You will call off all the men you have looking for more victims; you will fire all your employees. You are worth about four hundred million US dollars.” I heard whistling sounds from the men around me. “You will deposit three quarters of all your wealth in a new bank account in the US, I will send you details. That will take a while I realize, but you will start the process today. I am being very generous you can keep one quarter of your wealth. You understand?”

His face flattened out like a pancake, you could see appeasement in his eyes, I knew exactly what was coming. “Senor, surely you jest? You want me to give you three quarters of my money?”

I wasn’t going to stand there and negotiate, I’d had enough and wanted to leave. “If you do not comply with my instructions I will return tomorrow and cut off your left hand.”

“Oooh! now we’re having fun. That’s my boy, Jo-el!”

How did I know Sally would salivate?

Felix Espinosa was silent. He starred at me with daggers in his eyes. His desire to see me fed to alligators or ripped to pieces slowly was written in large letters in his eyes. He hated me and now there was nothing in the world he wanted more than to see me dead.

“Also, Felix, if I have to return tomorrow the amount I will allow you to keep will drop to fifteen percent. In other words, you lose another ten percent. That’s it, I’m leaving now, I hope I will not see you tomorrow. Adios amigo.”

Sally was on the ball, she bounced me back to San Francisco.

Chapter 38

CNN

Sally put her arms around my neck and made as if to kiss me. She was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“You think he’ll do what you said?” she asked.

“Nope!”

“So we slice him tomorrow?” she was ecstatic.

I nodded, then left her in the family-room to make a cup of tea. I guess I should have felt more excitement but I didn’t. Even though this man was evil and what I was doing was truly a good thing, carrying out the threat, for me, I knew would be difficult.

When I returned to the family room, tea in hand, I asked Sally what Felix Espinosa was doing.

“Shall I show you?” she asked.

“No, just tell me.” I didn’t want to see him.

“Nothing. He threw the bodyguards out of the office and poured himself a drink. Now he’s just sitting at the desk with his feet up, sipping his drink.”

“Well, I guess he has to consider his next move?”

“He has been touching his left wrist, rolling it around in the palm of his right hand, bet you can guess why he’s doing that?” She shrieked with what I thought was way too much excitement.

“I can’t imagine what he must be feeling. Just seeing me disappear out of his office must have scared the shit out of him.”

“He genuflected, as soon as you were gone.”

“Right, well let’s leave him to his misery.” I sat down and sipped at my tea.

“You going to see Yerchenkov?”

“Maybe,” I said, “update me on CNN.”

“They caved, you’re on at seven. They’re frantically searching around for data on you. About fifteen minutes ago they announced that Jo-el, the man with wings would be interviewed on the seven o’clock show. I think that Cathy Vogel is worried you just won’t appear. She’s emailed four times with questions. When, exactly you’ll be there? Do you need a chair? What about makeup? What do you want to say, she repeated that one, she’s worried you’ll say something that could result in legal problems for the network?”

“Tell her not to worry, I’ll be there at seven.”

“She asked that you come through security on the second floor then ask for Bob Sanders, he’ll take you to the studio.”

“Oh, crap, more security. Tell her I’ll come straight to the studio, but don’t tell her how. That’ll generate some attention. What does the US press know about me?”

“Only that you can fly. Nothing’s out about the meetings with the CIA etc. They don’t know you were behind all the intel on the children kidnapped or the terrorists that have been arrested. But there’s tremendous speculation and many people have concluded that you must be connected.”

“This is really going to open a can of worms.”

I checked the time, I only had a little more than one hour. Did I have time to deal with Yerchenkov? This Superhero job was demanding. I really wanted to spend the next hour thinking about what I should or shouldn’t say on CNN.

Sally said. “The FBI are reacting. They’ve called CNN and told them that you’re a wanted criminal and that you will be arrested as soon as you enter the studio.”

“So I assume they’re sending a squad of commandos or whatever?”

Sally looked surprised, I could tell she was reviewing something.

“What?”

“They’re going nuts. Fifty men, Delta force, Marines, anybody they’ve got in Ney York right now.”

“What does it matter?”

“Wow! They’re sending in guys with shoulder, rocket launchers. I don’t think they want you alive, Jo-el. They’re clearing out the building and some of the surrounding buildings. I don’t think you’re getting any air time. Wait a minute, Cathy Vogel just sent an email. She says it’s off. FBI and Homeland Security just shut them down.”

“Damn, I assume the FBI are monitoring our emails to Vogel?”

Sally nodded. I sat back down on the sofa. This wasn’t working at all. So much for freedom of speech. I just didn’t understand why the authorities were so frightened of me?

“Jo-el, another email from Vogel, she asked if you would meet a reporter in Australia?”

I remained silent for a moment, thinking. “When?” I asked, racking my brain, trying to figure out what the downside might be, but came up with nothing. The media hated being told they couldn’t talk to somebody, they were adamant beyond reason that their First Amendment rights were paramount. “Sally, can’t I talk to Vogel without the rest of those idiots listening in?”

“I could overwrite her computer. She might freak out.”

“Let’s do that, I don’t like the eavesdroppers. Tell her that the FBI are monitoring her emails and that’s why I changed how I’m communicating.”

“Do you want me to put her on the monitor?” Sally asked.

“Sure.”

Sally placed the disc monitor in the air and almost instantly a Three-D hologram of Cathy Vogel appeared in my family room. She was crouched over a laptop computer in a small office. The office was cluttered, with papers strewn all over her desk. I could see a framed picture of a female, college student, amongst the mess and a mug of what was probably coffee. A solitary plant that looked plastic, broke up the line of dull grey filling cabinets around the office edge. One chair faced the desk. Not a lot of space for anything else.

Vogel was plain, her short, brown hair, unkempt and her face contained little makeup. Her eyes were grey-green, the signs of long hours beginning to show in the crescent bulges beneath the lids. She appeared to be late forties and dressed simply in a dark blue pant suit. There was no wedding ring.

I viewed her expression as she read the words that now overwrote everything else on her computer. The font was large and the type face white. Her fingers instinctively raised off the keyboard, her eyes widened and her mouth gaped open just a little. She pushed back slightly from the screen, Sally typed ‘just type, it will reach me.’ I stood behind her looking over her shoulder, I could read the type. She began typing again. ‘What happened?’

“Type, ‘please don’t be alarmed.’” I told Sally.

I looked around her office, there were no windows to the corridor just windows behind her chair, to the outside. I noticed a simple turn lock in her door.

“Add, ‘I would like to come to your office.’”

Vogel typed, ‘there are agents all over the place.’

“Type, ‘Cathy, I can bounce into your office.’” I immediately worried I’d scare her.

She typed, ‘what do you mean?’

“Tell her I want to speak face to face, if she agreed, she should lock her door and then sit back at her desk.” This was it, the telling moment, let’s see how tough you are, Cathy Vogel?

She hesitated and just gaped at her computer screen, then she looked up and around the little room as if someone was watching. She rose from her chair and locked the door, then took her seat again. I could see her take a deep breath. She typed, ‘okay.’

I smiled at Sally. “Let’s do it, Sally.”

I bounced into her office, sans wings, but as Jo-el, right in front of her desk. I sat down in the solitary guest chair.

Cathy Vogel jerked back, her arms came up and her hands wrapped around her face.

“Good God! How did you do that? Oh, my God, who are you?”

“I’m sorry to startle you, but please don’t be frightened, I’m friendly.” When she heard my voice, she regained her composure and breathed a little easier. “Cathy, there is a lot to understand about me, but I’m not sure I or you have the time right now. If someone comes to your door, I’ll leave, okay?”

She nodded. “Why are the FBI and God knows who else out there? Are they after you?”

“Because of what you just witnessed. I met with the CIA, FBI, Homeland Security and the Marines, they’re having difficulty believing my story and what I can do. They’re frightened, or that’s my best explanation. They are trying to accept me, based only on known technology in 2016.”

“Are you…. are you what some people are saying, an Alien?” She found it difficult to ask, it just went against all normal beliefs.

“No, I’m an average human who’s been given technology far advanced from what is currently available now. But I haven’t time to explain everything yet, I just want an opportunity to begin showing the world who I am and what I can do.”

“My God, just what I’ve seen so far makes you the biggest story on the planet.”

“Obviously I can’t appear on a show in the US right now so I’m happy to do the show in Australia, I can be there any time. I can travel at almost the speed of light, so whenever you can set it up I’ll be there.”

There was a pause as Vogel digested what I just said. “You can travel at the speed of light?”

“Almost, yes.”

“Good God! How?”

“Not now, okay?”

She nodded.

“How did you know where to come, here, this office.”

“I can see most areas of the earth; I’ll explain another time.”

“Can I report what I’ve seen?”

“Sure,” I replied.

“Troops coming, Jo-el.” Sally in my ear.

“Get ready to get me out.”

There was rattle at the door, I stood up. “Miss Vogel, we need you to open your door.”

I turned to Cathy Vogel, “time for me to go.” I smiled and bounced back to my family room.

“Sally put it on the monitor.”

Cathy Vogel’s office came back on the Three-D screen. She was still sitting at her desk, a stark look of bewilderment across her expression. The door rattled and the voice said. “Miss Vogel, please open the door.”

Vogel rose and in a trance-like state crossed to the door and unlocked it. Two men in full combat gear came into her office and glanced around the small space. “You need to leave the building, Miss Vogel.”

She looked at the two men for a few seconds, picked up her laptop, power cord and handbag and walked out of the office not saying a word.

“Follow her, Sally.”

My view changed, I followed her down a corridor. It was mostly empty except for a few guys in military uniforms.

“This is nuts, Sally. Don’t they know I can bounce out of anywhere? Is doesn’t make sense to me.” I was fraught with incredulity.

“They don’t know any other way, Jo-el. Whoever is running the show probably can’t explain who you are to all the troops, they just have to go with what they know.”

“What on earth do they expect to gain from this?”

“Keep you away from the media and try and capture you before you say too much. That’s would seem to be the direction they’re taking.”

“But I can just go to another country?” I sat down on the sofa and marveled at the spectacle. The confusion I’d instigated just amazed me. I thought it was going to be relatively straightforward to educate the world about who I was and why I was here, but the reaction had been totally contrary to what I imagined.

“Turn it off, Sally.” I wanted to think.

I shut my eyes and pictured my life two weeks ago, prior to the events that had upended my existence. Fifty-seven-year-old widower, well-off, lonely, two children, motorcycle fan, enjoys an evening whisky. Okay, so now I’m watching TV and a reporter is describing a rescue in the Caribbean by a man with wings. I would be skeptical, a hoax but a great video to see. Then this winged man is in Shanghai rescuing people from a burning building. I pressed deeper into my sofa and wondered what I would think of that? Perhaps there is a man with wings, incredible. I want to see an interview on TV. I want to hear how he came to have wings. But nothing, just fascinating video. Then there’s a report that he rescued three hikers in Southern California. Man, this guy gets about, perhaps there’s two of them? The TV has a myriad of loony people claiming everything from, Aliens to the second coming of Christ. I want the truth; I don’t believe any of the crazy people. The talking heads are just repeating what happened, they don’t have anything new. The winged man doesn’t appear in public, no interviews, no more rescues, where did he go? Perhaps he died. The media has nothing new so the story starts to drop in the standings. Perhaps it was all just a hoax? There’s reports of sightings but no pictures. Everybody is claiming to be the guy; billionaires are offering stupid money to have dinner with him. I’d lose interest.

I opened my eyes and stared into space. I screwed up, I should have stayed with the media. How the hell was I supposed to know? All that crap with the CIA and FBI was a waste of time, they just freaked. But why they freaked out I couldn’t understand unless it’s too much to believe that there is someone out there with the powers I possess. Trouble is guys, there is and it’s moi.

Now things were heating up again. The goings-on at CNN were bound to solicit worldwide attention. I asked Sally to update me on what the media was saying about the happenings in New York.

“Most channels have reporters in the street outside the CNN studio in New York, they’re filming the military action and the FBI and Homeland Security agents but no one has managed to get an interview with a spokesman from any of the services. They’re all speculating and the most popular spiel is terrorist threat. Actually, they’re starting to pull out now.”

“So they’ll fob the whole episode off, jeez!”

“Your former girlfriend came out of her hole a little while ago.”

“Does she have the bug?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” I queried.

“I can’t see inside her handbag. You’ll have to go check when she puts it down.”

“Where is she headed?”

“Looks like she’s going home, she keeps saying goodbye to people.”

“Let me know when I can get the bug?”

“Okay. What about Yerchenkov, you going to see him?” Sally asked, expectantly.

“What’s the time over there now?”

“Eleven-twenty p.m.”

“What’s he doing.”

“Asleep, he’s fucked,” she laughed.

I thought about Yerchenkov and Espinosa. Would I get any credit for shutting down their enterprise? Maybe that had to come later. I liked the way the media thing was going.

“Another time, Sally, let’s keep with the CNN approach.”

“Oh, you’re no fun.” She was pouting.

“What’s Cathy Vogel doing?”

“She in a coffee shop with a colleague finishing up. They just got word they can go back to their offices.”

“Were they off the air all this time?”

“No, they were covering it from their European desk.”

“She hasn’t contacted me again?”

“Not yet, no.”

I made tea in the kitchen and found some chips and humus to snack. I made a salmon and cucumber sandwich and sat at the kitchen table to eat.

Sally came in as I devoured my last bite.

“She’s in the shower.”

“Who?”

“Pipper, her bag is on the table in the kitchen.”

“Okay, let’s go check it out.”

I bounced into her living area and found Pippa’s handbag. I could hear the shower in the background. Nothing, the bug was gone. Damn! I was about to leave when Pippa came into the main living area of her apartment in a toweling robe.

“They found it. I guess you are blind underground?” she said, smugly.

I shrugged. “Did they believe you?”

“No. What did you expect? Too farfetched.”

“And you?”

“I’m scared, Jo-el. We all are. Who are you?”

“I told you.”

“It’s crazy. Too much to take in.”

“What do they want?”

“You. They want you, to study you and examine and understand what you do.”

“I’m not a laboratory animal?”

“That’s not how they see it. To them you are.”

I looked around the room, “where’s Billy?”

“At my Dad’s”

I nodded. “Are they listening?”

“No, I’m cleared, but I have to report the contact.”

“So why aren’t you calling them or whatever?”

“I believe you, Jo-el,” she took a pace closer.

“Don’t you dare, Joey, you can’t trust her.” Sally in my ear.

“Keep back, Pippa, we’re done. You betrayed me, I can’t forgive you for that.”

“I’m sorry, it’s my job, it’s for Billy,” there was pleading in her voice.

“They can’t catch me; you know that?”

“Be careful, they have a lot of ideas. I told them everything you said to me. They reckon your network must be sparse and probably very weak in certain places. The earth has transformed in two hundred and forty-eight million years.”

“But why not be friendly and listen to what I have to say? Is this how we should treat an extraterrestrial contact?”

“Some think they should, but most are simply scared. They wonder why you turned up now if what you told me is correct.”

“I was about to tell you.”

She was quiet, as if I was going to explain now. “I’m not telling you, Pippa. Their attitude has totally offended me. They are wrong and I’m not going to talk to them anymore. I can’t believe what they’ve done. I gave them the terrorists, the pedophiles, the child kidnapers. Where’s the appreciation for that?”

“They think you are just trying to win their confidence, worming your way in so to speak, before you do something awful. They don’t trust you.”

I guess that was it. No trust.

“Well, I’ll just have to work harder. I think it’s time for me to go?”

“Wait,” she put out a hand, but didn’t step closer. “I loved our time together, Jo-el. I wish it had turned out differently, please believe me.”

“Oh, please, I think I’m going to barf.”

I didn’t reply, I just asked Sally to bounce me home.

Chapter 39

ADRIANNA

“Where am I really weak, Sally?”

“Well, I told you about Japan and Taiwan, the coast of Chile. There’s no coverage across many of the great deserts, the Gobi, Sahara and others. No point really, not much life there. We moved what we had to better locations.”

“Yet we went to Antarctica?”

“Station in Tierra del Fuego.”

I nodded, what did it matter really. I just needed to stay away from those areas.

“What happens when I go underground?”

“The signal weakens as you go deeper. It would vary based on where you are in the world but three stories would probably cut off your ability to bounce. You can still receive data at three stories but it may be spotty at five.”

“What about flying?”

“No problem with flying, that’s built into the belt.”

“What about protection?”

“The shield will work at any depth, that’s in the belt, but firing electrons at people comes through the network, so that will dissipate with depth. You can project holograms underground, from maybe two hundred feet.”

“The smart-suit?”

“That’ll work, again part of the belt.”

“So, I’m still powerful underground, but I can’t bounce or see anything on my heads-up monitor. One more thing, how long does the power last?”

“Five days at least, depends on the amount of light, sun or irradiant, both work.”

I was happy with the education, didn’t feel so useless. I’m sure Sally imagined my reasons for asking.

“Vogel is about to meet with the station chief,” Sally said.

“Oh, okay, let’s watch.”

Sally put it on the monitor. A larger, corner office appeared with a grey-haired man behind a leather desk, dressed in dark-grey pants and an open neck white shirt. He didn’t look particularly happy. Vogel entered the office.

“Hey Stew, they dragged you in, too?” she said.

“Sit down, Cathy. How did this happen? It’s Easter Sunday I should be home.”

Vogel took one of the two seats in front Stewart Nolan’s desk. She was pensive and seemed unsure how to begin.

“This is big, Stew, I mean enormous. Maybe it’s the biggest story since 9/11?” Nolan frowned, he didn’t like histrionics. “It’s all about that guy with the wings, Jo-el he calls himself. He met with various government agencies and they’re frightened of him and now they’ll do anything to catch him.”

“Did you talk with him?”

Vogel nodded. “I received an email from him saying he wanted to be on a show for ten minutes.”

“To say what?”

“He didn’t say,” answered Vogel.

“How did you know it was really him.”

“Well that was funny. Normally, nothing gets through to me, but this email wouldn’t delete and didn’t go to spam. Then he told me something about myself that nobody knows. He said it was to prove that he was for real.”

“What?”

“I’d rather not say, but trust me he was spot on and there’s no way anybody knows what he told me, it was quite scary. I mean, how could he possibly know something about my past life that was so secret.”

I turned to Sally, who was sitting in her armchair. “What did you tell her?”

“I mentioned the name of this guy she’d had a crush on at high-school, she’d given him a hand-job, which was her first time. Guess it’s something you humans never forget.”

“Oh Jeez! No wonder she was sheepish when I bounced in there.”

“Gotta get their attention, Joey.” Sally smirked.

I turned back to the monitor.

Vogel was talking. “So I said okay and sent some emails asking the usual questions, but he didn’t reply, except just to trust him and he’d be here tonight at seven.”

“Well that’s not going to happen,” said Nolan.

“They monitor our emails, Stew. That’s not right.”

“Damn right about that, but let’s cover that another time. What else happened with this Jo-el?”

“So then the troops came in and they shut us down.”

“That’s it! Why does this guy garner so much attention from the security services?”

“Stew, wait. The best bit is what happened about an hour ago.”

Nolan was quiet and motioned with his eyes for Cathy to continue.

“He came to see me.”

“Who?”

“Jo-el.”

“What? Where?”

“Here.”

“He came to the studio with all these troops all over the place?”

“Yes.”

“What, he just strolled right in.”

“No, Stew, let me finish please.”

“Okay, go on, sorry.”

“Now Stew, you’ve known me for a long time, right? I’ve never brought you a crazy idea that didn’t pan out. So, you’re going to have to relax and bear with me when I tell you what happened, because you are probably going to have difficulty believing it.”

“Sounds like you’re setting me up, Cathy.”

Vogel waited, she knew that what she was about to say was going to sound ridiculous but she didn’t know how else to explain it.

“Firstly, he overwrote my computer, telling me the FBI etc. was monitoring my email.” Stew was quiet. “Then he said, via the email, that he wanted to come to my office, and I said how and you know, all the troops in the studio. He told me to lock the door.”

I watched Nolan’s expression, his face had creased up and his lips were pressed solidly together. He fiddled with a pen on the desk.

Cathy continued. “He said he would bounce into my office.”

“Bounce!” exclaimed Nolan.

“That’s the word he used, yes.” Nolan waited. “I said, okay and suddenly there was this man, Jo-el, standing in front of my desk.”

“What?” Nolan laughed. “You’re kidding me, no way? Don’t be ridiculous, Cathy, you can’t expect me to believe that. Have you been drinking?”

“It’s true, Stew. I have no idea how he just appeared in my office, but he did. You wanted to know why the government is going ape-shit, well there’s one damn good reason.”

I turned to Sally, “how can I contact Nolan?”

“His cell phone is on his desk; I can call it.” Sally told me, “Just speak out loud.”

“Do it!”

The phone rang with a charming melody. I watched Nolan as he glared down at the phone. The small screen showed my name ‘JO-EL’ in large letters.

“Look,” he said to Vogel. He picked up the phone and showed it to her.

“It’s him, he knows we’re talking, he knows you don’t believe me.”

“He can see into this office? How for Christ’s sake?”

“I don’t know, Stew, but why would he call just at that moment?” Vogel voice was pleading.

“What should I do?” Nolan was suddenly nervous.

“Answer it.”

He paused for a moment then pressed the ‘accept call’ button. “Hello.”

I answered. “Mr. Nolan, would it be okay if I joined you?”

Nolan looked at Vogel. “He wants to come here.”

“Say yes, Stew,” she was beaming a broad smile across her face. This would prove to Nolan what she’d said earlier.

Nolan said gingerly into the phone, “Okay.”

“Mr. Nolan, I will bounce into your office, by the picture of you and President Bush. Please don’t be frightened. Close the call, don’t say anything else.”

I suddenly realized that the cell phone could have been used to listen to the conversation. “Sally, did the NSA pick up that call?”

“Oh shit! They were listening to everything through the phone. Sorry boss, missed that.”

“Damn, how long till they arrive.”

Sally’s face went blank. “One minute, maybe two.”

“Bounce me in.”

I was in Stewart Nolan’s office, standing by his picture of himself and George W. Bush. Nolan’s face was aghast.

“Mr. Nolan, Cathy, thanks for allowing me to come, this has to be short, the NSA were listening to your conversation through your cell phone,” I pointed at the device on the desk. “Please set up an interview on camera, outside of America, I’ll be there, okay. The FBI will be here in one minute, so I have to go.”

I bounced back home just as the door flung open and two FBI agents with pistols drawn rushed into the room. Sally and I watched on the monitor, it wasn’t fun.

The lead FBI agent was speaking into a microphone on his shoulder. Then he turned to Nolan. “Mr. Nolan, we need you and Miss Vogel to come with us.”

“What the hell for?” screamed Nolan.

“Aiding a wanted terrorist.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me?” But he wasn’t and within ten minutes Stewart Nolan and Cathy Vogel were carted off in a police car.

I was standing still, staring wide eyed at the monitor, fuming. Then I began pacing around the room. I was livid, I was so mad. “Now look what I’ve done. Fuck! Fuck, fuck!” I screamed at no one. I needed a drink, I needed a large drink. Now!

Sally stood up, her expression exuded apprehension. She placed her holographic arms around me and snuggled her body up close. I felt nothing but allowed her to come close to me. Then she kissed me. I was shocked. I pulled back instinctively and stared at her, she was truly beautiful.

“I felt your kiss, I felt your lips,” I said.

She smiled.

“How did you do that?”

“Kiss me again, Jo-el.”

I kissed her again, long. Her lips were soft and I felt her tongue reach inside of my mouth. But it was weird, I had no body to hold close. I pulled back.

She smiled again, then sat down not uttering a word. She looked content, happy. It calmed me, somewhat. I fixed a large Black Label and Sally played Jason Mraz on Pandora. I mellowed.

Time drifted by and my thoughts whizzed back and forth, from Vogel and Nolan to the whole bloody mess. I sipped my second scotch lovingly, Sally was still sitting patiently in the armchair. “What did they do with Nolan and Vogel?”

Sally glanced over, I could see she was reviewing data. “They took them underground.”

Damn. “I might have guessed. I bet they wished they’d never met me. I feel sorry for them.”

“They can’t hold them forever and no court will convict them for what they did.”

“I thought the US can hold you indefinitely on terrorist charges?”

“The military can, if they ship them to Guantanamo Bay.”

“I’ve been upgraded to a terrorist, it’s incredible.”

“That’s just so then can hold you, Jo-el.”

“I wonder if they can set something up outside of the US? Somehow I doubt it.”

“Not until they’re out, they are the only ones who know about you. My guess is they’ll be kept overnight then let go if they do nothing to assist you.”

“So, back to square one. Time to exit the American media. Who was Cathy Vogel planning for me to meet in Australia?”

Sally began reviewing again. “Oh, wow, you’re not going to believe this. She called this lady before emailing about Australia. The reporters name is Adrianna Murphy.”

“Murphy,” I laughed, “one of the clan. That’s funny. Show me this Adrianna Murphy?”

Sally initiated the disc monitor and a very attractive, young woman wearing business attire appeared in view. She was sitting as a curved desk with a handsome, equally young man, discussing the events that had recently taken place in New York. It was a morning news show in Sydney.

“Did Vogel explain what she wanted?”

“Sure, she told Murphy that you wanted a live interview in Australia and she’d picked Murphy to conduct the interview.”

“Why Murphy?”

“Up and coming reporter, well respected.”

“So, how did Vogel leave it?”

“She’d get back to her.”

“Well, I think we should do that in person, what do you think?”

“You’re the boss, Joey.”

“When does Murphy finish the current show?”

“About twenty minutes, then she has to debrief, followed by a break for an hour or so before reviewing stories for the evening show. It’s eleven-forty, Monday morning there right now.”

“Well I think I should zip down there and buy her lunch.”

“You’ll need cash for that and I would lay off the Scotch.”

“Right, good idea. Can you get me some local cash, you said you had a plan for that?”

“Steal it.”

“Huh!”

“From a crook. I’ll tell you where and you just go get it.”

I considered Sally’s new cash acquisition solution and decided I liked it. “Okay, cool.”

The news studio was downtown Sydney but it was Easter Monday so the streets were mostly empty and many shops were closed. The weather was sunny and warm, a faint haze hung over the tall office buildings. Sally had chosen a small-time car thief to fund my lunch. He was away at Manly beach, a favorite hang-out for youngsters in Sydney. I bounced into his apartment, south of the city and helped myself to two hundred and fifty Australian dollars. I had no feelings of guilt, which surprised me somewhat.

Adrianna Murphy had completed the news show and was headed to a sandwich bar in the studio building. I waited in the building foyer until she came out of the escalator. She was tall, with long blond hair, layered loose around her face, streaked with thin brown highlights. Her blue eyes sparkled brightly and her skin was pure silk. She walked with confidence, keeping her head forward, avoiding the glances from men who couldn’t help taking a second look. She had no one in tow, so I moved in quickly behind her as we reached the line to order.

“Miss Murphy,” I said. She turned and almost didn’t look at me, no doubt trying to avoid my approach instinctively. But she must have noticed me in the corner of her eye and recognized me immediately. I was dressed in a light-weight suit, white shirt and tie. I was as handsome a man as she was a beautiful woman.

She stopped dead in her tracts and looked directly at me, her lips parting briefly as she considered her reply. “Are you…?”

I nodded and said, “let’s go somewhere more private.” Adrianna Murphy was from Tumby Bay in South Australia, I planned to take her there.

“Where are the wings?” she asked.

I told her to turn off her cell phone and that I’d explain why later. She complied. “I thought we could go to the Tumby Bay hotel,” I smiled.

She was surprised, “that’s a long way from here, Mr….”

“Call me Jo-el.”

“Jo-el”, she pronounced the -el emphatically with a broad Australian accent.

“Follow me,” I gave her my hand, she didn’t take it, but she followed me along the foyer and around a corner into a vacant corridor. I stopped. “I need to hold your hand.”

She hesitated, then reached out with her right hand. “Don’t be frightened, shut your eyes.” She did what I asked.

We bounced to the Tumby Bay Hotel, across the road, behind a wall. I told her to open her eyes. She let out a silent burst and pulled immediately away from me. She raised her arms defensively and searched around, the two-story hotel was to her right, she recognized the red roof. Her mouth opened and remained that way. She looked at me then back at the hotel.

I watched as she fought off a myriad of urges to object. Then she said calmly, “did you make reservations?”

My heart melted, it was fantastic, I grinned from ear to ear. Then I heard Sally in my ear. “Oh God, another one.”

“Of course.” I said and led Adrianna by the hand across the road.

We were seated at a table for two in the back, as I had requested, a little away from the busy main area. Our walk past the tables solicited many glances, we were a little overdressed for Tumby Bay, but no one seemed to recognize either Adrianna or myself, I assumed the inference was hard to assimilate.

I ordered mineral water when the waiter arrived.

“Mustn’t drink and fly,” commented Adrianna, quietly.

“You weren’t fazed?”

She held her glass in mid-air. “You want to really know?” she said. I raised my eyebrows. “My stomach is doing bloody loops from here to the outback, I’m struggling to hold it together.”

“You’re doing great,” I said. “Most people would have fainted.”

“I’m close, believe me.”

And then the usual questions. How? Who are you?

“Well you know my name.”

“Look, mate, I know that’s not real.”

I loved her Australian idiom.

We both ordered seafood salad, generous portions and wonderfully prepared.

I explained that I was human and had been given technology way ahead of what was currently available on earth. I told her about my ability to bounce anywhere in the world. I told her I’d met with various agencies in the US and they distrusted me. That was the real reason for the commotion at CNN in New York. I described what happened to Cathy Vogel and her boss, Stewart Nolan. Then I revealed that it was me behind all the information that led to the arrests of criminals and terrorists in America and England and that I’d now given similar information to all the remaining authorities in Europe.

“Why not Australia?” she was offended. I said Australia was on my list.

She told me about the call from Vogel, that her station was an affiliate of CNN. She grew more and more excited during my narration. She realized that the person sitting across the table would make her famous.

I asked her if she believed me.

“I’m in Tumby bloody Bay, aren’t I? Not sure I have a better explanation how I got here.”

“Adrianna, I can’t tell you everything. It’s too much to absorb right now. But I plan to tell the world everything, eventually. I want to do a live interview.”

“When?”

“As soon as you can be ready.”

“Then I need to get back. I assume you’re not going to leave me here?” I smiled kindly. “Good. I love this place but it’s not Sydney.”

“How about we take a detour on the way back?” I asked.

She hesitated for a moment, “what have you got in mind?”

“Joey, what’re you up to?” Sally.

“Come on.” I led her outside and away from prying eyes then bounced her to the top of Ayres Rock. It was spectacular in the daylight, the views into the outback went on forever. Adrianna said she’d never been there but as a kid she always wanted to. I could see people milling around the base, so I bounced her to an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean, palm trees and clear blue sea surrounded us on all sides.

“Hold my hand,” I said. She took it without hesitation. I took off into the air, gently. Adrianna looked down, fear swept across her face, she gripped me tighter. We flew with our arms outstretched, like birds, above the small island, swooping up and down, the warm wind caressing our bodies. There was a small beach on the east side with a curve of rocks on one edge that created a natural pool without waves. You could see right to the bottom, maybe twenty-five feet. Brightly colored coral shone in the sunlight, small multi colored fish picked food from the rocks. We landed on the beach, the sand was a soft yellow, the water at the edge lapped peacefully along the shore.

Adrianna looked at me and said, “let’s swim.” Before I could object that we didn’t have swimwear she was removing her dress.

“Oh please, the little tart.”

“Let me be, Sally.”

Adrianna was naked, I was mesmerized. Her body was perfectly formed, tanned and firm without an ounce of fat. She clambered gently into the pool, then turned around and beckoned for me to join her. I stripped instantly, which brought a shriek of laughter from Adrianna, and joined her in the warm water.

“I might have guessed you could do that,” she wrapped her arms around my neck. I was hard, I pulled her closer, she didn’t resist.

“She a relative, Jo-el, you’re going to do your cousin.”

“Shut-up, Sally.”

We made love in the water, then again on the beach, in the little waves washing along the edge. The sun caressed our skin, the sand was cool against our naked bodies. Then we lay still on the beach, listening to the ripples washing the sand and staring up at the clear, blue sky.

“I could get used to this, Jo-el,” Adrianna said.

“Me too.”

“It’s a fairytale. I shut my eyes and I marvel at what’s happened in the last few hours. It’s doesn’t make sense and no one would believe me. I must have died and this is heaven.” She turned to look at me, her face a question.

“No, Adrianna, you didn’t die.”

“Oh good.” I felt Adrianna’s hand reach out to hold mine in the sand.

“I could fix that, you incestuous slut.”

“Give it a break, Sally.”

“Tell me about your name, Adrianna.”

She twisted her head to see me, “simple, my dad is Irish and my mum Polish. Both second generation Aussie, my grandfather left Ireland for a better life, my grandmother escaped the Nazis.

“She’s your cousin, Jo-el, I checked. Sixth cousin, once removed, only a couple of years older than Maggie.”

I ignored Sally, hoping she’d give up.

“Can we stay here forever?” said Adrianna.

“Gets my vote.”

She rolled over on top of me and kissed me hard on the mouth. “Want to go again?”

I stared into her bright green eyes, her long blond hair, tangled and wet, hung in my face. “I might need to remove some sand first, you know….” I laughed. She stood up and dragged at my arm and pulled me into the sea. We washed away the sand then fell back onto the beach, Adrianna on top and made love once more.

“How long have we been gone, Jo-el?”

I had no idea, “Sally, what’s the time?”

“I’ll tell you, but I’m not telling her,” was the reply.

“Jesus, Sally, are you jealous?”

“You only met her a couple of hours ago and you’ve bonked her three times.”

“Who’s counting? Now, what’s the time?”

“Ten past two, Sydney time.” She answered, curtly,

“It’s two-ten, Adrianna.”

“I better check in.” She got up and went back to the ocean to wash the sand away. I watched her and marveled at her figure. “Can you get some towels?”

I stood up. “Better idea, let’s go straight to your place.” Adrianna had a two-thousand-foot apartment on the tenth floor in Sydney.

“It’s so damn easy,” she grinned. “Man, I like travelling this way.”

We gathered our clothes, I told her to wrap her hand around my arm. “The bathroom, I don’t want to drip salt water on the carpet.” She said.

“Your wish is my command,” and moments later we were standing in her small en-suite bathroom.

“Ooh, weird feeling, even when you know what to expect.”

We both eyed the shower at the same time, neither of us said a word.

“Oh God, not again!”

Chapter 40

CAUGHT

Adrianna went back to the studio. Before we parted I gave her instructions on how to contact me. She would set up the interview and I’d turn up at the appropriate time. I bounced back to San Francisco and fixed a drink, then called up Sally. It was a good minute before she appeared. I didn’t comment.

“You want to wake up Yerchenkov?” I asked.

“Whatever, Jo-el.”

“I thought you liked whacking people?”

“It’s your game.”

“You don’t like her, do you?”

“Who?”

“Adrianna.”

“You only met her for five minutes and you’re in the sack.”

“Why do you care, Sally?”

“They use you, Jo-el. Don’t you see that?”

“Some might say, I’m a lucky guy, she’s a doll.”

“And I’m chopped liver?”

Oh crap! I wasn’t going to win this one. I stood up from the sofa, then knelt at her chair taking her hands in mine, well sort of. “No, Sally, you’re not chopped liver. You’re very beautiful. In fact, you’re my image of the most beautiful woman in the world.” I smiled and looked into her eyes.

“When you were twelve!”

“I love you Sally; you look after me.”

“But.”

“But what?”

“But I can’t do it.”

What was I supposed to say?

Sally continued, “I couldn’t even get you horny in the shower, you love playing with yourself in the shower.”

Oh Jesus! I was going down in flames.

“You kissed me!” I said.

Sally was quiet, I could see the joy that brought to her face. It had meant that much to her. She hated to see me with another woman, she was just a holographic image produced by a computer, but she was developing feelings and she had figured out a way to kiss me and it was incredibly important to her and what had I done, I’d run off to a beach with the next girl I’d met and made love to her in the sand.

“How did you do that?” I asked, but she didn’t answer, I left it alone.

I woke up the Russian Yerchenkov, whose business involved kidnapping young girls and women in poor ex-Russian republics and selling them to pimps and brothels all over Europe. He was none too pleased; it was very early in the morning. We had a similar conversation as I’d had with Espinosa, except he didn’t have a bodyguard with him and he was naked, which didn’t improve his negotiating position. He did tell me to ‘fuck-off’ in a broad Russian accent, but that goes with the territory, so I didn’t. Sally got to whack him in the leg, just like Espinosa, which I’m sure she appreciated. That seemed to knock the sleep out of Yerchenkov, but to be honest, I didn’t think he was likely to take a blind bit of notice of my sincere request that he shut down his business. I was wrapping up my conversation when Sally literally shouted in my ear.

“Oh Fuck! They know who you are!”

“What are you saying, Sally?”

“There’s a Delta team and about thirty military guys heading for your house in San Francisco.”

“How long?” My heart began to race, Yerchenkov recognized the change in me and moved from his position on the bed. I took no notice.

“Two minutes.”

“Bounce me home.”

I was in the family room trying to think. The disc monitors. I grabbed the little container and the one I’d been using. The life pills, I leapt up the stairs two at a time, by the time I was half-way I remembered I could have bounced up to the bathroom. I picked up the box of pills. I was sweating profusely, my breathing was heavy, I needed to get out of there. What else did I need?

“They’re in the street.”

“Bounce me to the park, somewhere.”

Sally picked the public bathrooms, it was dark, no one around. I changed my look to an Asian man, baggy jacket, black, greying hair, fortyish. I wondered outside, breathing deeply, there were a few joggers in the distance, but no walkers. Slowly I calmed down and headed to a café I knew was open on a Sunday night on the outskirt of the park. When I arrived it was almost empty, I sat at the back facing the window to the street, for what reason I don’t know, it just felt right. I ordered coffee and begun to relax.

“Sally, what’s happening?”

“They’ve cordoned off your street and are in your house. The neighbors are all outside asking questions, nobody is telling them anything.”

“How did they find me?”

There was a pause for a minute, I felt alone, “Sally,” I called out in my head.

“It was the coloring book. Fingerprints.”

“The one I bought for Billy?”

“Yes, she took it with her when you bounced them back to her condo.”

“Shit! That bloody woman.”

“I told you she was a bitch.”

“Where did they match the fingerprints? I don’t have a record.”

“TSA, when you come into the country.”

Of course, every non-citizen is finger-printed, I was still on a Green Card. Mary didn’t want to take citizenship, she thought we might go home one day.

“I’ve got some bad news, Jo-el.” I could hear the fear in Sally’s voice, I’d never heard it quite like that.

“What?” I asked, not sure if I wanted to know.

Again, a pause. “They’ve arrested Maggie and Sean.”

I placed my hands over my face and felt tears well up in my eyes. I shook with horror and breathed in and out so hard, I must have looked like I was hyperventilating. A man from behind the counter came over to me and inquired if I was okay. I shooed him away.

“Where are they, Sally?”

“Maggie is at a police station here in San Francisco, it only just happened. They’ve taken her to a two-story basement, deepest place close by. Sean is in a similar situation in Costa Mesa, no basement, they don’t have one.”

My initial instinct was to get them out. But what would I say to them and where would I take them. They didn’t know who their father had become. They couldn’t tell anyone anything about me, they were useless to these assholes. Except for one thing and that was as plain as the eye can see. They were a bargaining chip to get at me.

Sally interrupted my misery, “they’re moving them to the east coast. I’m sorry.” She knew I was hurting. “They are both in FBI cars, Maggie is being taken to Travis Air Force Base, Sean is leaving out of John Wayne. There’s two guys with each of them holding weapons to their heads.”

Oh, my God! They must be frightened to death. “How long before they are airborne?”

“Twenty minutes for Maggie, maybe ten for Sean.”

Perhaps I should get them out, but I struggled with what that would achieve? Right now, they knew nothing about me, which was fine. There was nowhere to take them? Their current lives were over, not a chance of a reconciliation with the authorities in the US, so no way they could continue as they were. And it was my fault. Damn the bloody Americans. I fiddled nervously with my coffee spoon. I should let it play out? Those idiots would soon realize that Maggie and Sean knew nothing. Lie detectors and sodium pentothal wouldn’t help. I cringed at the thought. The clock on the right wall was moving fast, I had five minutes to rescue Sean. I was in two minds. Tears blurred my vision, my stomach wretched, I fought the urge to rush in, I needed time, then suddenly the correct path became clear. My head raised up, a rush of adrenaline invigorated my body and a smirk crossed my lips.

“What do you think I should I do, Sally?”

“Get them out and terminate the bastards,” she replied, instantly.

Sally’s solution, subtle as a brick.

“I didn’t pick up the container, is there time?”

“Sure, if you don’t mind kicking some teeth.”

“Show me!”

My heads-up screen came to life with a view of the outside of my home. A circle of heavily armed men stood in the street. I moved the view inside the house. They were turning it upside down but hadn’t reached the garage. I left a couple of bucks on the table at the café and walked around the corner. I changed back to Jo-el.

“Activate the shield, Sally and bounce me into the garage.”

Immediately I heard the commotion from the kitchen. The container was where I’d left it on the shelf. I grabbed it and was about to leave. A soldier came through the door from the kitchen and saw me, I grinned at him as he raised his weapon.

“Fuck you bastards,” I yelled at him and bounced back to the park.

“That felt good, Sally.”

“Where do you want to go?”

“I need to stash this thing, find me a lock-up that hasn’t had a lot of use lately.”

“Okay, ready?”

“Let’s go!”

A light came on as I came to rest. Boxes were strewn randomly and a layer of dust covered everything. I placed the container along a wall after depositing the pills and small box with the remaining disc monitors inside. “Where am I?”

“Stockton, hasn’t been opened for almost two years.”

“Fine, let’s go find a hotel?”

I changed my likeness back to the Asian man.

“You want to stay in Stockton?”

“No, let’s go downtown San Francisco. A Hyatt.”

Twenty minutes later I was enjoying the view from a suite on the twenty-sixth floor of the Grand Hyatt.

I called Sally to join me. She walked around the room, admiring the décor, pretending to run her hand along the drape curtains. She was elegantly dressed in a white cocktail mini-dress with an outer shear cover. A gold pendant graced her neck. Rings sparkled on both hands.

“You look adorable,” I said, but my voice couldn’t hide my fear.

She smiled and sauntered over to where I was standing, allowing her cheek to touch mine very gently. I was taken aback as I felt the softness of her face on mine.

“I like the new look, tré chic.” I’d upgraded my look, still Asian but younger, expensive dark grey suit, white business shirt with cufflinks, modern tie and highly polished black shoes. “Seems like you have a plan, Jo-el?”

“Jason Lee,” I said, “that’s how I signed in. So first thing, I need some more cash, I only had enough for one night, what with the security deposit.”

“You want to steal it?”

“Yes, preferably from a bad guy, but if the FBI have any cash lying around that would be perfect.”

“I like the new you, Jason.” She smiled and allowed her nails to run down the side of my face. “They have lots of cash all over the place, confiscated mostly. There’s a couple of million in the Los Angeles office safe.”

“Ten thousand will be fine for now, too much to carry.”

“So smart. You want to get it now?”

“Is it guarded?”

“Just a couple of guys outside, but it’s a walk-in safe, lots of other stuff there, guns and drugs.”

“Okay, let’s do it.”

Ten minutes later I was placing twenty thousand in the room safe and three thousand in hundreds in my jacket pocket. Slight change of plan.

“What about the kids?” Sally asked back in the hotel suite.

“They must be on their way to the east coast?”

“Actually, they’re keeping Maggie at Travis and flying Sean there to pick her up.”

“Cheap bastards.” Sally laughed.

“Have they tried to contact me?”

“No, not yet.”

“It’s late on Easter Sunday, I’m sure we’ll hear in the morning. Probably need to ensure their ducks are in a row.”

“Adrianna sent a message about ten minutes ago, you won’t like it.”

“Now what?”

“The US State Department have asked the Australian Government to delay the interview for a couple of days and they agreed.”

“How did they know?”

“Adrianna tweeted that she was interviewing you. That did it.”

“Damn!” I should have told her to keep quiet about it. Next time. “At least I’ll get some sleep tonight.”

Sally looked disappointed. I was fascinated, I went over to her and touched her face, her skin was smooth. I grinned at her. “What have you done?” She drifted away and flopped down onto the sofa, crossing her legs and beaming at me. “Sally, how can you do that?”

“I want to be real for you, Jo-el.” A devilish look pieced the air.

“Are you all real?”

“Not yet, no, but I can touch,” she grinned.

I was at a loss. “Let’s have a drink, downstairs. It’s late but I could use something.”

That night Sally slept in the bed next to me. Well maybe she didn’t sleep but she was there. I heard her purr every so often. She lay on her side gazing at me, her eyes wide open, a smile etched on her face the whole night.

Chapter 41

STAND-OFF

It was the last week of March; the miserable weather of winter was receding, giving way to the joy of spring and the dream of summer. The sun was electric, bright, unencumbered by clouds, the forecast was glorious weather all day. I awoke with a rush of fear. Fear for my children, now grown up but caught in a tangle of my making.

Sally had allowed me to sleep until my natural clock chimed. It was gone seven on the west coast of America, already mid-morning in Virginia. I ordered room service and told registration I’d be staying for two more nights. Sally was curled up on the sofa like a contented kitten waiting my instructions.

“Where is Sean and Maggie?”

“Underground at Langley.”

That was as I expected. “Messages?”

“From Alberton about an hour ago. He said, I’ll read it out to you, ‘Mr. Murphy, we have your children as I’m sure you are aware. We mean them no harm; we will release them as soon as you give yourself up and join me here at Langley.’”

“Is he underground?”

“No, he’s in his office.”

“He thinks he’s got the upper hand.” Dumb ass. “Does he have any children?”

Sally eyes widened, she immediately understood where I was going. A moment passed. “One, Becky, twenty years old, she’s at George Mason University, a Junior. She’s there now, just back from spring break.”

“Who else is on the team searching for me?”

“Pippa, General Kale and Georgina Lambert, plus some others.”

“Pippa has Billy,” I waited for Sally to continue.

“The General has two boys, both presently in Afghanistan, Lambert has three grown children, two boys and a girl, all are married, she also has two grandkids.”

“Find a deserted house, maybe a vacation home, better if it is owned by a crook. No cell service and no internet and miles from the nearest town.”

I could sense the excitement oozing from the sofa. “How about a cabin in Alaska?”

“It needs to have facilities. Heating, water, electric.”

“Okay.”

I waited as Sally did her thing. I didn’t particularly like what I was planning to do but I had had enough of the bullshit and it was time to fight fire with fire. Hopefully this whole episode would be finished by the end of the day.

“Perfect, five bedrooms, everything in place. The owners were there over Easter. They plan to be back in a month so they left a bunch of tinned food and there’s plenty of wood.”

“Show me.”

Sally placed the disc monitor in the air. The lakefront cabin was spectacular. Alone on a small peninsular that jutted out onto the frozen lake. She showed me inside. Wood frame everywhere, mahogany beams, elegant fittings and tasteful art depicting wooded vistas, wild animals and distant scenery. “Let’s go check it out.” I bounced to the cabin and spent five minutes investigating. Wonderful what money can buy. I turned up the heating and checked the fridge, it was empty, I’d have to fix that.

“A cleaner comes in every two weeks, she’s not due back for thirteen days.” Sally said.

“Who does it belong to?”

“Gerald Bale, financier, from New York.”

“He’s a crook?”

“The worst, his hedge fund collapsed in the recession, he managed to hide more than two hundred million.”

“Good, well, you know what I mean. Okay, let’s round up the tenants. Becky Alberton first. What’s she up to?”

“She just showered and dressed, she has a class at eleven. She’s alone in her dorm room.”

“Perfect, anybody in the corridor?”

“Yes, couple of girls heading for the stairs.”

“Bounce me in as soon as it’s empty.” I changed back to Jo-el and waited. Next moment I was in an ill-lit corridor, pastel, lime-green walls, room two-zero-seven was right ahead, a Becks bear label stuck under the number, very apt. I knocked and tried the handle, it was open, I went inside. Becky Alberton was stuffing books into a backpack, she looked up, surprised but unconcerned, continuing her task. I’m not sure if she recognized me, it didn’t matter. There were two beds, she had a room-mate, both unmade, quilts strewn haphazard, sheets creased. Becky was slim, flat chested, her hair short, she wore glasses with thick brown rims. Her jeans were frayed with slits at the knee and she wore a George Mason Sweatshirt. Typical college student attire, she reminded me of Maggie, when she was at Cal Poly.

“Who are you?” she asked, calmly.

“My name is Jo-el.” That got an immediate response, she jerked upwards and stared at me.

“The birdman?” She was excited. I nodded. She waited for me to explain why I was in her dorm room. The initial excitement turned quickly to trepidation as she tried to figure out what was happening.

I’d done it again. I hadn’t thought through what on earth I was going to say.

“I’m going to take you to a cabin.”

“Like fuck, you are,” she spat out, blood rushed to her face.

“I’m not going to hurt you.”

Then she screamed. The loudest scream I’d ever heard. Oh crap! I grabbed her left arm with both of my hands. “Bounce me, Sally.”

Moments later we were standing in the living room of the lakefront cabin. Becky recognized she wasn’t in her dorm room and fainted. I managed to catch her, she was a wisp of a girl, I carried her over to the large sofa, adorned with bear rugs and laid her down carefully. I felt awful. I wanted to tell her I was sorry. I stood watching her for a couple of minutes, she was breathing slowly. Sally appeared.

“Is she okay?”

“Sure, she’ll be fine.”

“Did anybody hear that scream?”

“Certainly did, two girls are in Becky’s room now wondering where she is. Not much you can do, Alberton will find out sooner or later, that’s the plan, right?”

“Seemed like a good idea, but I feel dirty.”

“They took your kids, Jo-el.” I’m not sure if that fact made me feel any better.

“Let’s get Billy.”

“He’s at Pippa’s fathers’ place with a babysitter. He’s watching TV and she’s in the kitchen right now.”

I bounced to the house and picked up Billy, he seemed to remember me and didn’t fight. I returned to the cabin, Becky was still on the sofa, out cold. Damn, I needed her to watch Billy.

“You’ll have to keep an eye in him, Sally until Miss Alberton wakes up.” I switched on the TV and found some cartoons, Billy became engrossed quickly, totally unaware of his change in location.

“That will do, I think. Kale’s boys are in a worse place; they might like the cabin as a respite. Lambert’s children have partners who had nothing to do with this, why cause them grief?”

“Your room service just arrived.”

I bounced back to the Hyatt and devoured the eggs benedict, which were surprisingly good. I slurped down the coffee. Then I picked up a few groceries and was back in the cabin less than ten minutes from when I left.

“Are you going to tell them anything?” Sally asked as soon as I was back.

“I’m sure they’ll know pretty soon; the babysitter is probably freaking out.”

“She already talked to Pippa.”

“Okay, where is Pippa?”

“She’s in Alberton’s office, he’s on the phone with George Mason.”

Becky Alberton stirred on the sofa. We watched as she focused on her surroundings. She was still laying on her back. She saw me and then Sally and slowly pushed herself into a seating position. She began to shake, visibly, I waited for the scream. It came, loud and long, she bent over, her face almost at her knees, she was crying, her hands supporting her head. Eventually the screaming stopped, that was a blessing, she wiped the tears from her eyes and began to take stock of her situation. She saw Billy, who had ignored the outburst and was still engrossed in the TV. Her head darted from side to side, she was planning an escape.

“Becky,” I said, calmly, “we are in Alaska, twelve miles from the nearest town, it’s twenty degrees outside.”

She looked at me and glared, I saw hate in her eyes, that upset me more than she could realize. There was too much for her to deal with, it didn’t compute in her brain. That much was as clear as day on her face. She ran. Straight to the front door, which wasn’t locked. I heard it open and felt the gush of freezing cold air fill the cabin. She left it open, so I went and closed it.

“Tell me if she gets into difficulty,” I told Sally. Snow at least a foot deep covered the path from the house. The sneakers on her feet were thin, I didn’t think she’d be gone long. In less than two minutes the draft of cold air hit me once more and Becky was back. She was crying, she sat on a chair in the hallway away from us, she’d closed the front door, she was learning.

“I don’t think she’ll be much of a babysitter for a while,” I said, “so monitor Billy, I think it’s time to visit his mum and her father. Are they alone?”

“Yes, he’s still on the phone.”

I bounced into Alberton’s office. It was neat, no papers lying around, two chairs in front of a custom desk, pictures of Alberton with various important people on the walls. A plastic plant in the corner by the window, which looked out to a green area and a parking lot.

He put the phone down, he knew immediately where his daughter was, or at least, he knew what had happened. Pippa jumped out of her chair and was about to run to me, but she hesitated. She stood still, I could see she’d been crying.

Alberton spoke first. “Is she alright?”

I nodded. “Disorientated, she fainted initially, but she’s awake now, she tried to run but realized it was pointless.”

“Where?” he asked.

“Alaska.”

Both Alberton and Pippa gulped.

“Billy’s fine, he’s watching TV,” I said.

Pippa sniveled and pulled out a tissue to blow her nose.

“Swop,” I said. Alberton knew.

He examined me carefully, up and down. When I’d entered the room, he was fraught, a distressed father. I understood perfectly how he felt. Now he was gathering himself, breathing evenly, almost thankful. The unknown had become known.

“They don’t know, do they?”

I shook my head. “Are they oaky?”

“Scared, bewildered, but we haven’t harmed them.”

I nodded, a sign of gratefulness.

“You’ve changed their lives. They can’t go back; they are my children and must accept that. What you did was wrong, very wrong. I came to you, I told you who I was, I showed you what I can do and I used the technology to help you and you stabbed me in the back. How am I supposed to proceed now?”

He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me, fear still shone in his eyes. Pippa was the same. But she knew I wouldn’t hurt Billy, she’d seen me with him, we’d been together, we’d slept in the same bed. She radiated sadness, regret, mistakes, it was as if she wanted to fling her arms around my neck and kiss me again, but she realized that would never happen.

Alberton hadn’t agreed yet and I wrestled with an alternative from his view and I didn’t like anything I came up with.

“What are you waiting for?” I asked.

He didn’t reply immediately he pushed his chair back from his desk, stood up and turned to look out of the window. His back was to me.

“This is my last day,” he said, the tone was mournful. “I was wrong.” He didn’t look around. “The Europeans are besieging us; with your intelligence, they’ve rounded up more than a hundred people. They have so much evidence they don’t know which way to turn. They are calling you a God. They are desperate to meet you.” He turned back, his voice became quieter. “They are frightened, also. I think when they hear what you’ve told us, they will be even more so. It will take a long time to accept you, maybe we never will, I don’t know. I’m sorry. For your children, I understand why you would want to keep this a secret from them. We can try, I’ll request a directive that hides their identity, I’ll say that the raid on your home in San Francisco was unrelated. It might work, I don’t know.”

“What did you tell them?” I asked.

He stood by the desk, his fingertips on his right-hand resting on the surface, his left hand lifted to his forehead and he pinched the side of his temple and frowned. “That you were a fugitive and we were using them to find you.”

“Maggie’s a police office.”

“She knew we were outside the law. She said what we claimed was ridiculous. We used a lie detector test, they don’t know anything. I’m sorry.” He bowed his head. “How do we do this?”

“Did you tell them I was, Jo-el, or the Birdman?”

He shook his head, “No.”

“Take them home,” I said.

He nodded.

“What about our children?” It was Pippa.

I wanted to tell them that when my children were home I’d release Becky and Billy, but why wait? If they lied to me I’d just grab them again, they knew that.

“I can bring Billy here, now, if you’d like.” Pippa’s face brightened, her eyes lifted, she was a mother again. “What should I do with Becky?” I looked at Alberton.

“Take me to her,” he said without hesitation. “I’ll talk to her.”

“Okay.”

I bounced to the cabin and picked up Billy, he was still the contented little boy I’d left in front of the TV. Pippa had a great kid. I wondered what she would do next. I was back in Alberton’s office in less than a minute. Pippa cried and held her son close in her arms. I apologized again to her but she didn’t listen. As far as Billy was concerned I don’t think he would suffer any trauma from the events of the morning.

Alberton came over to me and I held him under the arm and bounced back to the cabin. Becky was sitting on the sofa, where she’d fainted. There was a glazed look across her face, this episode in her life would take time to dissipate, I hoped she would be okay. Alberton hugged his daughter, there was an obvious bond between them, it was truly encouraging to see.

“I’m sorry, Becky,” I said. She stared at me like I was a ghost or a daemon in a horror movie. She didn’t understand what had happened, I wondered how Alberton would explain it. I think in time she would look back and see it as an adventure, or that’s what I hoped.

He told her to close her eyes and he held her very close, her head in his shoulder. I bounced them to his office. I asked Sally where Maggie and Sean were.

“Above ground, in a car, heading for the airport.”

I left the two of them and went back to the hotel room in San Francisco. The maid at the cabin would be surprised, she’d left the TV on and the heating turned up and there were groceries in the kitchen.

“Let’s get some coffee,” I said to the wall. Sally appeared, grinning widely; she took my arm.

Chapter 42

THE BAD GUYS

“I feel like I’ve finally taken a step in the right direction.” We were in the Hyatt coffee shop, I was Jason Lee, handsome Asian business man. Sally had accommodated my change of identity, she too was Asian, slim, with jet black hair, brown eyes, bright, red lipstick, but still the face structure of Sally. Truly beautiful. I studied her across the table and imagined the delight for so many men if their wives could do what she did. Or, was that wrong? Was I pandering to the sin of man when they noticed a beautiful woman, while their wife was on their arm. But it would work both ways, right? I could be whatever she desired. Would holographic technology end divorce? It was an interesting idea.

“I think you should have whacked the little shit.” Sally said.

“Alberton?” She nodded. I guess the personality hadn’t changed, hold the divorce laws.

“What next?” Sally asked.

“I think I need an update. I set a lot of wheels in motion yesterday.”

“Where do you want me to start?” she asked.

“Europe. Alberton said they want to meet me!”

“They do, the French, Germans, Italians, Spanish, Dutch, Belgium’s, have sent emails to the Americans requesting an introduction. Maureen Fields has sent you three messages, very apologetic, asking for a meeting with you and the Home Secretary. There’s been frantic communication between many of the European countries trying to find out if anyone knows more than and next.”

“What about the press, over there?”

“Crazy, you are the only news item, well not actually you, but the arrests in every country. Some are saying it’s a blessing from God, there’s a lot of rubbish being said.”

“Anything bad?”

“Lots. There’s crazies spouting off that it’s the work of aliens and an invasion is imminent. They say by eliminating all the bad guys we will let our guard down, it’s all a ploy to distract the police forces of the world so that the alien force can take over.”

“I guess that’ll never end? What’s the reaction outside of Europe?”

“Distrust and skepticism. The Russians are censoring news about the arrests, the Middle East hasn’t said much at all, but then many of the people arrested are radical Islamic terrorists, or supporters. China is fascinated, their Leader has contacted the American Ambassador and wants to discuss what’s happening.”

“What about the US President?”

“He wants to meet you.”

“Mr. Popular, suddenly?” Where do I start? “What happened to Cathy Vogel and Stewart Nolan?”

“They let them go. Vogel has sent you an email, said as soon as you want an on-air interview they would set it up.”

“Wow! The about-face by the CIA etc. was sudden. What happened?”

“All the pressure from Europe, mainly. You solved a lot of problems over there. The US President stepped in and asked some nasty questions, literally an hour ago, just when you were persuading Alberton’s daughter how nice Alaska was in March.” Sally laughed. “Alberton and co just had to back off.”

“So, I could have waited?” I said.

“I guess, but you didn’t know they would do such a quick about face.”

“So, what’s the market doing with all this good news?”

“Up, a lot. Dow’s up more than eight hundred points.”

“That’s good.” But I wondered for how long. “I think I should sell.”

“I can do that for you,” Sally said.

I hadn’t thought of that, Miss Hacker-in-chief. “Okay, sell half of everything in my portfolio.”

“Done,” she said

Sally sipped at her coffee. “Are you actually drinking that?” I asked.

“No, just letting it touch my lips, I can feel the edge,” she smiled and put the cup down.

“Now I have to decide what to do first? Also, how much do I tell and when do I drop the big bomb?” The waiter was hovering, he refreshed my coffee and looked at Sally’s full cup a little dismayed. I think he was about to ask if it was to her liking but decided to make himself useful elsewhere.

“Maybe you should revisit Espinosa?” Sally proffered.

“You’d like that!” She smiled, but didn’t reply. “I said twenty-four hours, didn’t I?”

“No, you said tomorrow, no precise time.” Trust Sally to have all the facts.

“Has he done anything?”

Sally shook her head and smirked, then lifted her left hand and shook it while mouthing ‘ouch’.

“Very funny, Sally. Does he have a plan? He must see the news like everybody else? Maybe he’s figured out who I am?”

“He called the local police and they are camped at his house. His idea is to have them explain to you that he’s really a good boy and an honest business man.”

My eyebrows raised, “as good a plan as any, I guess. Are they all on his payroll?” Sally nodded. “Can you prove it?”

“Sure,” she was enjoying this. “I can show a video of each of them taking money. So, lots of amputations,” she grinned.

The problem when you make a threat is you must carry it through or you might as well not bother.

“What about the Russian, is he shutting his business down?”

Again Sally shook her head and performed the same theatrical act with her left hand. I realized I’d entered the next phase of the Jo-el and Sally show and it was going to get ugly. Sitting there in the elegant surrounds of the Grand Hyatt coffee shop it was all a little distant, even though I’d become used to the instant changes in scenery from bouncing around the planet. I drank some more coffee and thought about the repercussions that my actions would have and I was sure that I couldn’t possibly imagine all the possible scenarios. I was right.

“Okay, decision time. Message the US President that I would like to meet him on Wednesday. Ask him for a time and a place. Also, message Maureen Fields to set up a meeting for Thursday, afternoon, better for my sleep needs. Tell Cathy Vogel I’d like to say a few words tonight, say, six eastern time. It’s redundant to meet with all the other leaders, they’ll have to wait. I want to see how Maggie and Sean do after their ordeal. As soon as they land text Maggie to come over for dinner tonight.” Sally’s face screwed up. “What?”

“Little problem there. Your housekeeper went in earlier and it’s a mess, a real mess, she didn’t know what to do, so she left. She called.”

“Right, Monday, cleaning day. I’d also forgotten about the raid. Shit! Show me.” My home appeared on my heads-up display, it was upsetting, every draw was emptied, every item on the floor. The garage was trashed, my bikes moved somehow and some of the parts removed, tank, exhaust pipes. Jeez! Upstairs was just as bad. I was just about to say that Alberton would have to pay to put it all right when I remembered I had twenty-three thousand dollars of his money, well the government’s money technically. I shut down the display.

“Find me a reputable company that does clean up and fix a time for me to meet them at the house.” Sally nodded.

“And Maggie?”

“Oh, yes. Tell her I’ll take her to dinner, wherever she wants.”

“All done.”

“Gosh, I could rent you out as an assistant,” I grinned.

“Thanks a lot,” she said, “is that all I’m good for?”

“Nah! You’re a keeper. Which reminds me, Adrianne. How about half an hour with her, later?”

“Doing what?”

“Jeez, Sally. An interview,” I exclaimed sternly.

“Just checking, you were mightily distracted when you last saw her.”

I was quiet while I reminisced about the island in the Pacific, that was fun, maybe I could have a little more down time. All work and no play as they say. Sally was giving me a dirty look; she couldn’t read minds but mine was transparent at that moment.

“I can’t figure out the time zone, you set it up, okay?”

Sally frowned, but nodded.

I finished my coffee, then exchanged cups with Sally and swallowed most of hers, which was cold, in one go. “Let’s go see Espinosa.”

Sally perked up. I stopped by reception to pay for the two extra nights, then we made our way back to the suite. The room was made up, the breakfast things gone. I changed back to Jo-el.

“What’s he doing?”

“Lunch with his wife, just the two of them. Bodyguards outside the door, two policemen in a room down the hall, also eating.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted Espinosa’s wife around but you can’t have everything. “Bounce me in, full shield, I’ll play it by ear.” I left my wings off, I felt they were becoming somewhat redundant.

Espinosa saw me first and was startled. He dropped his fork that he was using, American style, in his right hand and pushed back a little way from the table. He didn’t say anything. His wife had her back to me initially, she read his face and quickly swung around to see me. Fear and hatred washed over her, she gritted her teeth and spat out a piece of meat. She was a lot younger than her husband, maybe in her thirties, I assumed a trophy-wife, but I didn’t care. Espinosa pressed a button under the table and the two goons came in through the door, guns at the ready.

I spoke English, but they heard Spanish. “Don’t use your weapons, remember Manny.” Both kept their weapons trained on me and looked back and forth at Espinosa, waiting for instructions. He bowed his head and indicated with his hand to drop the weapons. As they did so, the two policemen came through the door behind them.

The air in the room filled with fear. I watched all of them, their breathing was heightened and they shook.

Espinosa spoke. “These policemen will tell you I am a good man, an honest business man.” He nodded at them. They waited for me so give them permission to speak. They were terrified. I put my hand in the air, my palm toward them, they understood. Them I pulled a disc-monitor from my breast pocket and placed it in the air, where it hung. All the eyes in the room glared at the disc in wonderment.

“Sally, show them taking money.”

The monitor sprang to life, the four men standing took a step backwards. It was a Three-D video of the taller of the two policemen. He was standing by his car on a dirt road. A man in a black hat, wearing jeans and a dirty, long-sleeved light brown shirt held an envelope at arm’s length toward the policeman. His pock-marked face split with a wide grin, his teeth were broken, yellow. The tall policeman took and envelope and examined the contents, he pulled out a wad of bank notes. Then he looked up and smiled.

“Freeze it, Sally.” The video froze.

“You take money from this man,” I said, indicating Espinosa. “Either leave now, both of you, or this video and many others will be sent to the magistrate in town.” I left it at that. The tall policeman looked at his compadre and then at Espinosa, then they both left.

I turned to Espinosa. “You can’t win,” I said, “I know everything. Even though you are an evil man, I offered you a life with a quarter of your wealth and you turned it down. Now you must pay.” Espinosa’s face crumpled in terror, he grabbed at his left wrist with his right hand and screamed.

“Do it!”

His left hand fell onto the table then bounced like an uninflated ball onto the floor. Drips of blood splashed from the falling hand. Espinosa watched his limb drop, his eyes so wide they covered half of his face. In the first few seconds he didn’t feel anything, adrenaline pumped around his body cutting off the pain that would soon burn his wrist. Blood spurted from the wound, it hit the food on the table and even splashed a little on his wife’s plate. Instinctively Espinosa gabbed the stump with his right hand, blood oozed between his fingers. He sucked in a deep breath and screwed up his face as the pain now began. The cut was professional, as good as any surgeon, he pressed hard on the stump, stemming the red tide that ran along his forearm and dripped on the floor.

I watched, incredulous to the power that I possessed, my face rigid, no pleasure emanated from my eyes, just a reality that in less than two weeks I could do something so repugnant.

“You have until tomorrow to close down your business or I will return and remove your right hand and leave you with nothing.”

I bounced back to the hotel room and went to the fridge that contained a small bottle of Black Label Scotch. I emptied almost half in a glass nearby, no ice and downed it in one gulp. Sally was seated on a chair by the sofa, her legs crossed. She said nothing, she didn’t need to, she was immensely happy. This was her way, there was not one iota of doubt that Espinosa deserved his fate.

For fifteen minutes I sat silently on the sofa, looking at nothing, but seeing Espinosa’s hand fall from his wrist. The scotch seeped gratefully into my system, drowning the tension. I rose from the sofa and left the room, I didn’t ask Sally to join me. Outside the sun was glorious, but the air cool. People rushed about in every direction carrying on as if nothing had happened. I walked for an hour, then entered a restaurant and devoured a mountain of pasta. No more drink. Slowly my actions resolved themselves in my mind and I accepted them as right. I remembered Fuentes, it was so easy, I wasn’t there, I didn’t see him die.

I returned to the hotel suite and called Sally. She appeared in the chair, with her legs crossed as if she hadn’t moved.

“What’s Yerchenkov doing?”

Sally didn’t flinch, she didn’t smile, maybe she was beginning to developed enough human feeling to understand. “He’s at his home in Nice watching the news about all the people being rounded up by the police, he’s alone, but he’s drunk, very drunk. There are two bodyguards outside the room. It’s almost eleven there.”

“Did he do anything to shut down his business?” Sally shook her head.

I changed back to Jo-el and bounced into the room with Yerchenkov. He looked at me with a blank stare. His eyes were red and glazed, he didn’t seem to care that I was there. I watched as his brain switched to the on position and he sat up ever so slightly on the couch. He spoke English to me.

“It’s you,” he gestured at the TV. “Ya bastard.” He belched and tried to lift himself up again but failed and flopped even lower on the couch. He was drinking sixteen-year-old Lagavulin, single malt scotch, a fine choice. He saw me eyeing the bottle. “Ya want one?” He belched and farted.

“You haven’t done anything to close your business,” I said.

He tried to roll over a little but didn’t make it and came back to rest as before. “Ahh… I can’t. It’s my baby…. Eh!”

I was concerned he wouldn’t understand what I was going to say to him. I walked over to the door and beckoned the two bodyguards to come in. They were shocked to see me and immediately drew their weapons and fired them at me. The rounds ricocheted around the room without harm, but the noise was piercing. They ran out of bullets and began to reload from a new clip.

“Burn the weapons, Sally.”

No sooner said than done. The automatic pistols became too hot to hold and both men dropped them on the carpet.

“Whack them in the leg, I’m done with their antics.”

It was Charlie Chaplin all over again. Both men leaped sideways for no apparent reason and fell to the floor. They didn’t bother to get up.

“You assholes are here so you can tell your boss, who’s too drunk to remember, what I have to say, okay?”

They nodded. I told Yerchenkov what I’d told Espinosa about shutting down the business or I’d be back, then Sally amputated his left hand. It didn’t seem to bother him at first, he kept looking at it, holding it up in the light, the blood trickling down his arm and laughing. Gotta love that single malt. Then he started crying and scrunched himself up on the sofa into a fetal position. I told his bodyguards to take him to a hospital and then left.

Chapter 43

TV

I had an hour before the appearance on CNN. I’d told Cathy Vogel that this was not going to be an interview, more of a statement by me. I agreed that I’d listen to a couple of questions but I’d reserve my decision about answering. I struggled with how I was going to inform the world why I had suddenly appeared. I still felt the need to demonstrate my intentions. I could show people what I could do and the incredible technology but when it came to Cirion, I had no way to prove it was real. I couldn’t take anybody to Cirion. The video of that planet could be made in Hollywood. It was impossible for me to understand what the reaction would be. So much had been written about the possibility of life on other planets but we hadn’t seen it and much of our expectation was that the life would be very simple, like plants or simple organisms. The idea that there were many ‘human’ planets and one in particular was hundreds of millions of years more advanced than our own was going to stretch most people’s belief system. Only Pippa knew of Cirion and anyone she’d told and I didn’t know if she had told anyone, she had been out of Sally’s range, underground. I toyed with visiting her so I could hear the reaction, but the bad feeling between us was too new.

My plan was simple enough. Get the world on board with me, believing everything I said and then hit them with the bad news coming in seventy or so years. Eradicate all the evil on our planet so that we didn’t need our military and police forces, which would free up enormous funds to finance the building of spacecraft. It seemed totally logical to me and I hadn’t thought of anything else so far that solved the problem. I was aware that many people wouldn’t trust me, but I had to get the big players on board, the US, Europe, China, even Russia. If they all started building spacecraft, I truly believed we had a chance.

We had seventy years. We would start slow, small craft to test the technology. Sally reckoned we could send a first mission to the new planet within a year, maybe with a craft capable of carrying twenty or so. The leap forward in technology would be so exciting, I couldn’t believe that any of the Superpowers would not want to be part of it. We were going to enter the space age for real this time, a new era, a new beginning, if I didn’t blow it.

At a quarter to six in the evening, eastern time I bounced to the CNN studio in New York. Vogel had designated an empty conference room, where she and Stewart Nolan were waiting nervously. I arrived in full Jo-el outfit but without wings. I’d follow their advice about dress.

“Hope you guys are okay?” I said as they rose to shake my hand. The instant relief that I’d appeared was apparent in their manner.

Nolan spoke, “yes, we’re fine, but it was a hell of a ride.”

“I can imagine.” Or maybe I can’t but what the hell.

“What happened?” Vogel asked. “Why did they change their minds?”

“They didn’t tell you?” She shook her head.

I explained what I knew and tried to keep it short. I could see Nolan wanted to ask about the interview.

“What are you going to say?” he asked, eventually.

“Before we discuss that, are you okay with how I’m dressed, or how about the wings, or I could wear a suit?”

Vogel looked at Nolan and said. “I think it’s up to you.”

“Okay, I’m going to add the wings, then explain they’re false and then maybe change to a business suit. That should amuse the viewers.” I smiled.

“What do you want to say?” asked Nolan.

“I need to win people’s confidence, I have so much to tell but it’s so incredible I believe I need to let it out slowly. Then if I prove what I say it will allow people to accept something that I can’t prove later.”

“Like what?” asked Nolan.

“Not now, I’m sorry, but I plan to tell everything in the next couple of weeks.”

“Right, you better come with us.” Vogel was examining her watch, she indicated the door.

I followed them to a typical studio set. Four cameras were facing the main stage, spread out around a red desk, screens covered the back walls. People with head phones milled around, everyone turned when we entered the studio. At the desk was Leyland Price, a well-known reporter, immaculate in a black suit. He smiled and reached out his hand. His hand shake was solid. A woman with a cloth dabbed his head, then came over to me and began wiping the sheen on my forehead. My nerves elevated twenty times.

“Do you want to stand?” Vogel asked.

“Yes, I think that would be better,” I said. My stomach decided to do a back-flip. I wondered if Superman ever got nervous.

“Two minutes,” someone shouted.

I took a deep breath. “Might be better if I’m offstage and you introduce me, then I walk on.”

“Perfect,” Leyland replied, putting me at ease.

“Red light on a camera means it’s live,” said Vogel.

I stood off stage a little.

“Ten seconds,” came the voice, Vogel disappeared. I added the wings and heard a collective gasp.

“Action.” I saw the red light on a central camera come on.

“Ladies and Gentleman this is Leland Price at CNN. We are truly honored to have on set with us right now the man who is at the center of the biggest news story, maybe of the century. The man some of us have called the ‘Birdman’ but as we shall find out, that is just one of his abilities. May I introduce, Jo-el.” He emphasized the -el for some reason, and put his arm out towards me.

My stomach did a triple somersault and I thanked God for the smart-suit. Don’t ask why?

The back monitors were showing a video of the rescue on the Beach in Turks and Caicos, just about a week ago, my first public appearance. I had no idea then what I was getting into, now I was the number one news story. Maybe I should have stuck to being a lifeguard. I quickly reminded myself that I was there just to make a statement that would change the lives of many women and children.

I reached out and shook Leyland’s hand, he was sitting at the red desk. Then I stood back from the desk and lost my wings. The man with the boom-mike nearly fell over.

“Leyland, thank you so much for allowing me this air-time, I’m sure there are many people who want to know who I am. Firstly I want to let the viewers know that I’m here this evening just to make a statement and not to answer specific questions.” As my diatribe began I felt more comfortable, even in the lights I could see the faces of some of the studio team, they wanted to hear what I had to say. “But I will tell you a little about myself.” I paused and took a quiet breath, you could hear a pin drop.

“I am a simple man who has been given technology far advanced than we have currently on earth. My wings are a hologram; they are not real. Leyland, please come here,” I indicated for him to join me standing on the stage. He came over and as he did I brought back the wings in all their glory, stretching them out as far as they would reach. “Touch the wings, Leyland.” He seemed a little pensive, but reached his hand out, which passed right through the wings.

“They look so real,” he said. “If they’re not real, how do you fly?”

I had decided that I would disclose some of the technology, specifically that which was too difficult to sidestep. I brought the wings into my body and then had them disappear.

“I am able to fly because I am wearing a belt computer that contains an anti-gravity device.” That was an obvious queue for Leyland.

“Can you show us?”

“Of course,” I said. “Let me first show you the computer that controls much of what I can do.” I raised my silver, mesh, tunic and showed the computer to the camera, which was sliding closer to me to get the shot. When I replace my tunic, the camera man moved back. Then I lifted off the ground, maybe five feet and stayed there in mid-air for a few seconds before returning to the ground.

“Is the anti-gravity technology going to be available to everyone?” asked Leyland. I knew this would happen, a barrage of questions. Plus, I still had some shares in Ford and GM, imagine what they would do if I said ‘yes’?

“No, that’s not possible,” I lied. “Leyland, let me continue.” He nodded. “The clothes that I’m wearing I call a ‘smart-suit’, it can change appearance to anything I wish. So, if I would like a business suit all I do is…” I changed my clothes to a suit somewhat matching the suit Leyland was wearing.

“Incredible,” I heard him say.

“No, this technology will not be produced for a very long time.” Don’t want the whole garment industry collapsing, at least not until I’d sold some more shares.

In my mind, I toyed with explaining the ‘bounce’ technology but I felt that it could easily outshine why I was there.

“Now I want to explain why I requested this on-air interview, Leyland.” He motioned for me to continue. “This is the serious aspect of my presence here today. Much of the current news stories pertain to the arrests of terrorists, child molesters and various other criminals across both the USA and Europe. All the information being used by the authorities in each country to identify these people comes from myself. I am not going to explain how I do this but tonight I am issuing a warning.” I paused for a few seconds for effect. “As of today, as of this exact moment in time, if a rape or any crime is perpetrated against a woman or child, I will send a video of that crime to the local authorities responsible for apprehending such individuals. There will be no chance whatsoever to escape prosecution. If you commit a rape or harm a child you will be caught.” I looked over at Leyland, who seemed tongue tied for a moment, then walked off the set.

I think they went to a commercial break. Cathy Vogel came over to me and said, “you can’t just leave it like that, Jo-el.”

“Why not? I think I was very clear.”

“What now?” she asked.

“I’m leaving, let’s see what happens in the next day or so.”

“Are you trying to end all crime?”

I smiled, “not sure that’s possible but it’s a step in the right direction.”

“Okay, let’s go back to the conference room.”

I left Vogel and Nolan a few minutes later telling them that I’d keep in touch and return when I thought it was necessary. They were grateful, they had more than enough material to keep them busy for weeks. They were treating me with kid gloves, yes sir, no sir, they understood it would be easy for me to go to a competitor, they didn’t want that, which was fine with me, CNN were at the top of their tree and I liked Cathy Vogel.

What was it? Why didn’t I feel happy about the CNN spot? It seemed so fabricated to me, and I felt that’s how it would appear to the viewers. It reminded me of the meeting in the hangar, like I was a school teacher taking a fifth-grade class. Maybe I didn’t like the role I was playing? Perhaps there was another way?

I showered and called Sally. I was only waring a toweling robe. She was elegant in a short, blue cocktail dress and high heels, a topaz stone hung from a silver necklace around her neck, a giant topaz ring on her wedding finger.

“Is that real?” But as I said it, I realized nothing about Sally was real.

“You like it?” she did a twirl, then came close to me. I could smell a scent.

“I can smell perfume?”

She laughed and put her arms around my neck, they were real, then she kissed me long and hard, her tongue probing inside my mouth. I could feel her body against mine, her abdomen firm against me. My loins came alive; she knew immediately and gyrated sensuously up and down with her body to arouse me. It worked. I pulled away, wrapping the towel robe tighter. I was speechless.

“You don’t like me, Jo-el?” she pouted.

“I know what you are, Sally. It’s weird.”

Sally walked gracefully to the window and stood staring out at the San Francisco skyline. Then she turned toward me slowly her face lit with joy. “I am what you ever want me to be, Jo-el.”

I crossed the room to her and wrapped my arms around her waist and kissed her on the mouth. She molded to me like putty. I was hard and I wanted her. “I love you very much, Sally, you know that.” She twirled away and fell on the sofa. She was like a sixteen-year-old girl who’d been kissed for the first time, glowing with vanity, nervous, shaking with delight.

“Not yet, Joey, I’m not ready. But soon.” She whispered, her face beaming with pride.

Not ready. I didn’t know where to go with that. I left her to enjoy her power over me and went to the bedroom to dress.

Sally was still sitting in the same position when I returned. “Did you watch me on CNN?” I asked. She nodded. “And?”

“It came over a bit like a magic show, at first, I was waiting for you to pull a rabbit out of a hat. But the warning brought it alive, that should work.”

“That’s what I thought. I don’t feel comfortable explaining who I am. Even to me it all seems so ridiculous.”

“They’ll get used to it.”

Maybe I thought. “So what’s next?”

“The company I picked to clean up your house will be there in half an hour.”

“Oh, right. Can you meet them?”

“Can’t do that, Jo-el, you know that.”

“How far away can you get?”

“About two hundred and fifty feet.”

“I just don’t want to see the mess.”

“They’ll need some cash up front.”

“A lot?”

“Maybe five hundred.”

“What about Maggie?”

“She picked an Italian restaurant downtown, real close to here.”

“Good, is Adam coming?”

“No, I just said her.”

“Good. What time?”

“I said you’d see her there at six.

“Okay, so I’ll have an hour or so after meeting with the clean-up crew.”

Sally nodded.

“I was wondering; can you terminate hundreds of people at once?”

Sally paused for a while, her eyes lit up and the edge of her mouth curled. “Sure!”

“Like, how many?”

“What are you thinking, Jo-el?”

“Just tell me.”

“Thousands, I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see any reason why it wouldn’t work. Are you going to tell me what you’re planning?”

“No, not right now, I need to think about it first.”

After I meet with the President. I need a gift and I think I knew exactly what he’d like.

“The Russian is moving his money.”

“Oh, good.”

“Not really, he’s transferring it to a friend. I sent him the account numbers and routing but he decided to ignore it. There’s one for the chopping block.” She laughed.

“Son of a bitch! What’s he planning?”

“His friend is a billionaire, but he’s not on any list, nasty piece of work. He’s in Monaco, so Yerchenkov went to see him, after his visit to the hospital.”

“Tell me what happened?”

“Yerchenkov explained what happened. You’ve stirred up a hornets’ nest with the criminal classes, Jo-el. You’re not their most popular person, right now. They wonder how far you intend to go.”

“I’m planning to wipe them out.”

“That would be the thousands of people you want me to whack?”

“Actually no, but put them on your list.”

Sally grinned. “I think I like where you’re going, Jo-el.”

“So, what are they planning to do about me?”

“What do you think?” She smirked.

I threw up my hands, “come on Sally, I need to hear this.”

“Kill you! What else?”

I mean, what did I expect? I just hadn’t focused on the repercussions. Plus, I hadn’t got started yet, anyway. I sat back into the soft cushions, arching my head back and pondered the cornice on the ceiling. Very elegant. But I did have to reckon with these assholes. I had made some nasty enemies and in the next few weeks, I’d be making a hell of a lot more. But what could they do? I was invincible, wasn’t I? That thought drained quickly from my mind as I remembered how quickly the American authorities had found out who I really was. I had no idea how many people new my true identity and Sally could only know if they talked about it. Damn, so that meant that Sean and Maggie were likely to be their targets. I wondered if they’d figure out my weaknesses. It didn’t matter, I just had to assume they would.

“They’ll go after Sean and Maggie!” I said to Sally.

“Eventually, yes. But they don’t know your identity yet, Jo-el.”

“Who does know?”

“I’ve only found four so far and the only one who would definitely reveal it, is General Kale.”

“Problem is Sally, if the bad guys find out that there’s someone out there who knows my identity, they’ll go after them anyway. They are not safe.”

“So, we should take them off the map.”

“Where do you get this stuff, Sally?”

“I’ve seen a lot of movies, Jo-el, I’m a big fan of Clint and De Niro. ‘You talking to me?’” Sally laughed and pointed a hand at me, shaped like a pistol. But I wasn’t happy. I had to protect Sean and Maggie. Nothing could happen to them. “It’s time to meet the clean-up crew.”

“Okay, but Sally, Sean and Maggie, if they get within a hundred miles I want to know. Right?”

“Sure, Jo-el, I’m your man, well you know what I mean.” She laughed again, she worried me.

Chapter 44

MAGGIE

I nursed a single malt scotch at the Italian restaurant waiting for Maggie. The Russian was on my mind and it doesn’t hurt to change things up from time to time. The restaurant was modern, known for its eclectic Italian dishes, small potions but exquisite. For a Monday it was busy, most tables already full. I was seated in a booth, surrounded by etched glass, that was ample for two people and cozy for four. I had decided to keep quiet for the time being about my Alta-ego with Maggie, the less she knew the less, hopefully, she would worry. Once the world was a safer place, I’d confess.

I saw her enter the restaurant and speak to the hostess. She was wearing designer jeans and a dark green sweater, her hair looked ruffled, her face intense. She found me but there was no joy on her face as she marched to my table.

“What the fuck is going on, Dad?” she hadn’t even sat down. No ‘kiss-hello’ or ‘how are you doing?’ I was taken off guard. She slid into the seat opposite and waved at the waitress, who was close by, “vodka martini” she barked with a wave of her hand. She flashed her driver’s license at the girl, who left without giving it a glance.

“It’s not her fault, sweetie,” I said.

Maggie froze and glared at me, “no, it’s yours, isn’t it?”

Oh crap! what on earth does she know? I took a larger than normal swig of my beverage and delighted in the burn in my throat.

“What do you know, Maggie?” I asked, keeping my voice low.

“That’s the problem really, nothing. But I know something. I mean why the fuck would Sean and I be whisked off to fucking CIA headquarters without a damn word. Have you any idea how scared I was? I shook the whole bloody way there.” Her drink came, she took a deep gulp.

“Maybe a little quieter, sweetie,” I looked around the table, but no one seemed to be paying us any attention.

Maggie leaned forward, then stopped what was on her lips, she sat back again and viewed me up and down. Then she gulped another mouthful of her vodka martini. “It’s you!” she blurted out, her eyes widened with her mother’s sparkle. She looked a lot like Mary, reminded me of the time when Mary and I dated in Ireland. It made my heart sing just looking at her, allowing me to reminisce. “You’re him!” she now searched around the restaurant to see if anybody was listening. “You’re that freak, Jo-el, or whatever he calls himself.”

I was shocked. How could she recognize me so easily? What do I tell her now? I hated lying and telling my daughter an untruth was simply abhorrent to me.

I nodded, but kept my face straight.

Maggie sat back in her chair and emptied the cocktail, ungracefully. She searched for the waitress to order another.

“You’re different,” she said, “you look younger, leaner, more hair. How did you do that?”

I bowed my head. “I’m sorry, sweetie, truly I am. I wouldn’t wish on you and Sean what happened. They just wanted me. They weren’t going to hurt you.”

“They put us in a cage, Dad. Bars on every side, bars on the fucking ceiling for Christ-sake. It was like being Hannibal Lecter. I couldn’t believe it. The toilet was a hole in the ground, I had to go in front of Sean, it was disgusting.” I could see tears well up in her eyes. I reached out with my hand to touch her, but she pulled away.

“It was a mistake, Maggie. They were wrong about me, they’ve changed their minds, it won’t happen again. I’ll protect you.”

“Where were you, then, why didn’t you stop them if you’re so damn powerful?”

“It was too dangerous for you and Sean.” I left it at that.

Maggie’s second drink arrived and I ordered another. She had calmed down somewhat and was sipping her drink, now. She was examining me; she didn’t know if the man across the table from her was her father or a freak. The quiet interlude between us was healing the rift, I could see excitement come into her eyes. She was turning over various scenarios in her mind. Her father was Jo-el. Everybody on the planet wanted to meet him and here he was facing me. I was related to him, I had access to this weird being.

“How?” she asked.

“It’s a long story, Maggie.”

“Can you tell me?” She glanced around the crowded restaurant.

“It might be better if we were alone.”

Now she had changed, no more the father who had caused her so much fright and humiliation. Now the most famous individual of the moment. Her anticipation put a red glow on her cheeks, there was suddenly mischief in her mannerism. Her father was something special and she had him to herself. It was like meeting a pop superstar. Our waitress came and we ordered. I told her we could talk about it later.

“Have you spoken to Sean?” I asked.

“No, well, we did text a couple of times.”

“Is he okay?”

“Same as me, I guess, but I don’t think he suspects who you are.”

“Why not, you must have spoken on the way back?”

“Hardly, it was seeing you, Dad. You’re different.”

“I need to see him.”

She nodded.

“I’m staying at the Grand Hyatt.” She stopped eating and looked up.

“Why?”

“They trashed the house.”

“Damn! Right, I should have guessed. What are you doing?”

“Cleaning crew going in tomorrow. They even disassembled parts of my motorcycles.”

“Bet that pissed you off?”

“Bloody right.”

We made small talk, then walked over to the Hyatt and went up to my suite. Maggie was impressed.

“Splashing out, eh! Not like you, Dad?”

“Another story.”

She plonked herself down on the sofa where Sally had been, then looked at me expectantly. “Do the change thing! Just to prove it.”

I changed into Jo-el with the wings.

“Amazing,” her eyes were beaming, she’d forgotten all the unpleasantness of our first moments. “You can change your face, you can be anybody, how does that work?”

“It’s a hologram, just like the clothes, they’re not really there.”

She came over and touched my face, poking her finger at my cheek to see if her finger passed through the holographic image. But it was so thin, so she couldn’t see it.

“So, are you going to tell me, or what?”

“Maybe I should show you something else.”

“Whatever!”

“It’s hard to know where to start. Let’s go have some fun.”

Maggie was excited, like the little girl I remembered on her first trip to Disneyland. “Where would you like to go?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

“If you could go anywhere in the world right now, where would you go?”

It was like seeing a kid with a new toy, her face was alive. “You’re kidding?”

I shook my head and waited. “Oh, Europe is out, middle of the night there.”

“What? We’re going to fly somewhere?”

“Sort of.”

“Dad, tell me,” she begged.

“How about Hawaii? Waikiki Beach. It’s early evening there, we could have an ice-cream.”

“We’re going to fly three thousand miles for an ice-cream? How long will that take?”

I asked Sally what the temperature was in Hawaii, she said seventy-five degrees, perfect. “Take your sweater off, Maggie.” She did what I asked. I changed back to Dave Murphy in light slacks and a golf-shirt.

“Man, I’d love to be able to do that.” Maggie said.

“Hold my hand.”

“Bit weird, Dad?” Maggie was confused.

“Something I didn’t say on CNN earlier. I can travel anywhere in the world at almost the speed of light.”

Maggie yanked her hand from mine and stepped away. She stared at me incredulously. “You’re joking? No way.”

I nodded and reached to hold her hand again. “We need to be touching. You won’t feel anything, just maybe a little disorientation when we arrive.”

“You weren’t joking, were you? I don’t believe this.”

“Let me find a spot out of sight, okay. Ready?”

She bobbed her head once and I bounced us to a small park near Honolulu Zoo. The air was warm and the sun bright, a light breeze blew in from the sea. Maggie help my hand and stood still, with her mouth gapping wide open.

“Oh my God! I don’t believe it.” She looked around, there were local Hawaiian people along a pathway and towards the zoo.

“Come on, let’s get an ice-cream.” I pulled her out of her trance. We walked along Waikiki beach, watching the giant waves break on the sand, the surfers skimming the clear blue ocean. Maggie kept spouting expletives. I was taking my daughter on a trip and she was in awe. Every father’s dream. I’d jumped back in time to a period, long gone, that I had truly adored, when my children looked up to me and held my hand tightly. When an ice-cream or a new toy was enough for me to be the best dad in the world. My heart beat strongly and I savored this moment, I was as happy as I’d been for a long, long time.

We bought Ice-cream and sat on a wall watching the sun slowly set on the western horizon. I told Maggie the whole story, up to the pending disaster. I fought with myself if I should go that far. She believed me, everything. She said, how could she not believe me, we were in Hawaii, we traveled there in one second. Then I could see a frown appear on her forehead.

“Why Dad? If these aliens have been watching us for so long, why now?”

“The last thing I haven’t told you yet. I haven’t told anyone else, either. You would be the first to know. I was keeping it until I thought the people of the world could accept it and believe me.”

I had her complete attention. “What, Dad? What could be anymore nuts than all the stuff you’ve said?”

“Jo-el,” Sally voice blared in my ear. “That Russian billionaire has just found out about Pippa.”

“What’s he doing?”

“He has a crew in DC, he just instructed them to abduct her.”

“How long?”

“Fifteen minutes, max.”

“Okay.”

“Dad, what’s up?”

“Small problem, we need to go.”

“What about the last thing you were going to tell me?”

“I’ll tell you later, really. Come-on, we have to find somewhere out of sight.”

I almost dragged Maggie away from the beach to a hotel close by. We found an empty corridor, I grabbed her arm and we bounced back to my hotel suite in San Francisco.

“You better go home now, sweetie. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, I’ve got to go, life on the line.”

“Jo-el, I can take care of it.”

Of course, I’m not thinking. Maggie was looking at me, she was about to say something, but I raised my hand.

“You’re just going to kill them!” I asked.

“Yes!” Of course, that’s what I do.

I had panicked. “Okay, Sally, sure, do it.” I said it out loud.

Maggie was confused. “Who were you talking to?”

“My computer, I call it Sally.”

“Why?”

“Hang-on!” I said to Maggie, she saw I was absorbed. I pulled out the disc-monitor and threw it in the air. “Put it on the monitor, Sally.”

A Three-D image of three men exiting a car in darkness appeared. It was raining, the men were wearing heavy overcoats, their faces hidden by baseball caps. Two of the men had their right hands tucked deep in side-pockets, the other had his hand tucked under his overcoat. It didn’t take a lot of imagination to understand what they were carrying. The street in view was empty, nothing moved. I recognized Pippa’s building. Maggie stood by me watching.

“What the hell is happening, Dad? They’re carrying!”

“Wait Maggie, just watch.”

The first man reached the front door and hit it hard with his right foot, it crashed open. They rushed in. “Sally, do it!” I shouted. But nothing happened. Then the Three-D video flickered and came back on, I’d never seen that before. The men were taking the back-stairs, Pippa’s apartment was on the third floor. “Sally!” I shouted. The video went off. Shit!

“Sally, what the hell is going on?” I started pacing around the room. But Sally didn’t answer. Shit! I was blind, I felt naked, I was sweating. I imagined the scene, then I calmed down, even if they got her I could find them. Maggie had returned to the sofa. She sat with her hands in her lap leaning forward, watching her father stress out.

Then the video came on again. The men were lying haphazardly in the emergency stairwell of the apartment building. They weren’t moving.

“Is it done?” I asked the air.

“Yes, Jo-el. They are all dead.”

I breathed easier, I thought of Pippa and Billy. “We need to inform the authorities.” I said.

“I’ll do it.”

“What went wrong, Sally?”

“What’s going on?” Maggie asked.

“Maybe we should talk when Maggie leaves?” I heard Sally in my ear.

“You killed those guys, Dad! How did you do that? You can’t do that. I’m a police officer.”

I looked at her, my mind all over the place. My little girl. I’d just bought you ice-cream in Hawaii, on the beach, we held hands. My daughter the police officer, trained to uphold the law.

I sat on the sofa next to her and took her hands in mine. “I’ve told you about what happened to me, Maggie. You know my plan is to eliminate evil around the world as best as I can, to crush the criminal class. I’ll tell you why in a minute.” I bowed my head and told her about Yerchenkov and his billionaire friend. “Sally, informed me that Yerchenkov‘s friend had a team of thugs in DC, they were planning to abduct Pippa Moran, she’s a CIA agent who I met a few days ago. She knows a lot about me. She knows I’m Dave Murphy. Somehow they must have found out and they planned to use her to get to me.”

“So you killed them. Dad, damn, you can’t do that? That’s so illegal, I don’t know where to start. There’s a thing called due process in the States. You can’t take the law into your own hands just because you want to.”

Then I saw her face contort, wrinkles line her brow, her mouth drop open. She stood up and stepped away from me. I knew what she’d just figured out, what I didn’t know was how she would react.

She was at the window, as far from me as she could get in the suite. She turned and stared at me, the daughterly love had vanished, she had fear written across her face. “I’m at risk, aren’t I? If you try eliminating all the criminals around the world, they’ll come after me. And Sean, too. You must tell him. I’m not safe. Oh my God! They’ll do anything to get you and there’s people who know who you really are. Every criminal in the world will be your enemy and there are some nasty people out there. They have to kill you. They will band together to find you. Oh, my God!” she paused, then said. “My life is over.”

I went over to hold her in my arms.

“Don’t touch me,” she shook her arm as if I had a disease and moved away from me.

“I can protect you, Maggie.” But that wasn’t where her head was at. It was the fear, always looking over your shoulder, how could she continue to live the life she’d chosen with Adam? “Maggie, you need to hear why? Let me explain. But she wasn’t listening, she was close to the door. She didn’t look at me as she left.”

I poured myself a drink and sat alone staring at the far wall, seeing nothing. Around and around my mind wandered, over and over the same crazy issue. I couldn’t shake it away. Maggie and Sean. How small our worlds are in the scheme of the things? How petty our problems? Yet to each of us our problems are like the tallest mountains to climb. To us, insurmountable.

Chapter 45

WAR

I woke with a dull headache. It was Tuesday, two weeks had passed since my first encounter with Ka-el. As I lay there searching through the fog in my brain I could feel an immense sadness. Not in a million years could I have predicted the events of the past two weeks. I wanted it all to go away, I wanted my life back. I didn’t want all the crazy power I’d been given. What seemed like a fairy-tale had become a nightmare. I wished to God that I hadn’t ridden down highway twenty-five and found that box of madness. I didn’t want to be a Superhero, if that was what I’d become.

I showered and dressed, then ate alone in the restaurant downstairs. My brain cleared and I perked up with my third dose of caffeine. My initial, dour mood slowly faded. Back in the suite I called Sally.

“What happened yesterday, Sally? Why did the network fail?” I’m sure my concern was very evident.

“Overload,” she answered, unemotionally.

“That’s it?”

Sally nodded. “I was monitoring the rape cases, remember you dumped that on me. I’m watching Sean and Maggie.”

“Maggie was here,” I objected.

“Okay, Sean. Then there’s the criminal groups, you’ve started a firestorm, Jo-el.”

“Wait a minute with that, how many rape cases do we have?”

“One hundred and forty-seven.”

“Jeez!”

“Ninety-two of the perps didn’t see you on CNN and didn’t hear about it, either.”

“Okay,” I thought for a moment. “Send the ninety-two an email with a link to my warning, I’ll give them another day. Send videos of the fifty-five losers to the local police. Now tell me what happened at Pippa’s apartment?”

“The forth guy in the car, the driver, heard the police sirens and left in a hurry. The three dead guys are in the morgue. One little problem?” She said, waiting to see my reaction, damn woman was becoming more human every day.

“What?” I was calm, or relatively.

“One of the three you wasted hadn’t actually killed anyone. He’d put a couple of guys in hospital, but he was young and new to the team. He’s not known to the police; the other guys have form.”

“So we, that’s ‘we’ Sally, not me, killed a guy without a police record.” I thought about it for a moment and just didn’t seem to care. He was on the broken path and no doubt would whack someone one day.

“What’s Pippa up to?”

“She’s very frightened. The CIA figured it all out during the night. They’ve got a guard on her.”

“Before we get to these criminal groups, what’s Maggie doing?”

“She’s taken another day off, she called your cell about twenty minutes ago and wants to see you.”

“Where is my cell phone?”

“The FBI have it in lock up, it’s turned off.”

I looked strangely at Sally. She could receive my text messages even with the phone off. “Can you text her to come to the hotel?” Sally nodded.

“Anything with Sean?”

“No, he went back to work this morning, doesn’t suspect you I guess. Wants to forget the incident.”

“Text him and see if I can have lunch with him.”

“Okay.”

“Now, tell me about the criminal groups.”

“You might want to sit down.” I gave Sally a funny look but sat on the sofa anyway. “They realize where you’re going, Jo-el and they’re scared, which is not a condition most of them are used to. Most are very rich and only semi-illegal, they have legitimate businesses and enormous weight and influence with local politicians and police. So, they’ve been talking to each other, which is also very unusual and they’re starting to make plans. The one fundamental decision they’ve all agreed on is that you have to go.” She paused. “And as soon as possible.”

“Have they figured out how to get rid of me?”

“No. But the FBI and CIA found out who you are, pretty quick.”

“Yea, my mistake.” I stood up and walked around the hotel suite. “I’m pretty sure I can dodge these guys alone, it’s just Sean and Maggie that worry me. I need to think what to do with them.”

“So you’ve written off Pippa, then?”

“Oh, right and Pippa. So, what’s their plan?”

“Well the good news is they’re arguing. The top guys aren’t used to democracy, they’re more into the dictator M.O. So far they’ve not agreed on any specific action, which gives you a chance to strike.”

“What do you have in mind?” One-man army, our Sally. Or should I say, one woman.

“As soon as I recognize they are plotting your death, I’ll whack them.”

“Simple enough. I like it.” I smiled.

“So I have your blessing to start.”

I guess having your finger on the nuclear button causes a tad of consternation, I felt my heart beat rise and head begin to sweat. “How many do you have on the list, so far?”

“Eighteen.”

“Show me some of them, I want to understand who these people are.”

Sally placed the disc monitor in the air and an image of a white, old man, maybe in his seventies, in a business suit appeared. He was sitting at an ornate table in a large, oak-paneled office. Around the table were six other men, similarly dressed of varying ages. None of them were smiling. The old man spoke.

“Jimmy, tell me again about the CIA woman.” They were talking about Pippa. One of the men at the table replied.

“We’re pretty sure she knows his real identity. But he must be protecting her, Oleg Verminov had three guys taken out last night, trying to get her.”

“Who’s Verminov?” asked the old man.

“Russian billionaire, he knows Yerchenkov.”

“How’d he get to them?” The old man asked.

“We don’t know. The driver didn’t see anyone, the three were brought out of the apartment in body-bags.”

“How’d Verminov know about the girl?”

“We don’t know.” Jimmy.

“So we need this woman?”

Heads nodded.

“So, how the fuck do we get her?”

A different man, bald with a beaked nose. “I talked with Jerry Spiel last night, he has a guy in the CIA, they’re working that angle.”

“I fucking hate Spiel, we have to deal with that low-life?”

No-one said anything for a moment. Then the old man continued. “Okay, what’s this woman’s level?”

“Special agent,” came the reply from Jimmy.

“How come she knew?” Nobody answered. “Who else knows?”

Jimmy replied, “We assume there must be others, but we don’t know who they are. I’m calling around.”

The old man nodded his head, his silver hair was glued in place.

“Does this asshole have kids?”

“We don’t know.”

“Well he must have family somewhere. As soon as we get an id I want every fucking brother, sister, niece, nephew, aunt, uncle, the whole fucking lot. We grab them all.”

My mouth was dry, I watched the old man’s face closely, he meant business.

“Who is he, Sally?”

“Conrad Lietz, German, net worth, three plus billion, drugs mainly. But he has a chain of legitimate warehouses across Europe. They’re in Berlin right now.”

“Who’s Jimmy?”

“British, ex-SAS, gone bad, in charge of security for Lietz.”

“Whack Lietz.” I said.

I watched Conrad Lietz double up and grab at his chest, the six guys jumped out of their chairs and tried to stop him from falling. They lowered him to the carpeted floor. Lietz took his last breath. I watched him die, it was wonderful. Piece of shit.

“Show me Spiel.” I told Sally.

The monitor went blank. I looked over at Sally.

“He has one of those nuclear bomb shelters, I can’t penetrate it. He’s out of reach for now.”

“Where is he?”

“New Jersey.”

“He’s American?”

“Sure is.”

“Do you know who his CIA mole is?”

“No, I’ll have to monitor every CIA agent and see if someone says something that gives them away.”

“Damn. This isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.”

“What about the Russian, Verminov?”

“Same problem, he flew to Israel yesterday, he has a bunker there.”

“Shit! Was he on the list of eighteen?”

“Yes.”

“How many can you access, right now?”

Sally was quiet for a while. “Nine.”

“Are they all the same as Lietz?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Well then, in your words, take them off the table.”

Sally smiled at me, she looked excited. “Done,” she said. God, it was that easy.

I paced around the suite for a while, pondering the mess I’d just unleashed. I wasn’t going to be able to hide from the aftermath. Ten crime bosses, dotted around the globe, fall dead of the same cause, all at the same instance, was like announcing it on Twitter. Still this could only be a good thing in the long run.

“Sally, did the President pick a time to meet?”

“Ten a.m. eastern time tomorrow.”

“Okay, good.” I’ll tell him everything, get the US on board. Maybe they could help me with these guys?

“How’s the market doing today?”

“It’s down, media says it’s fear.”

That’s normal, no one likes the unknown. “Sell the rest of my shares and put half my money into put options, say three months out. Weapon stocks, I’m going to eliminate the need for guns.”

There was a knock at the door.

“Maggie,” said Sally, “you want me to go?”

“No stay, she should meet you.”

I opened the door and Maggie strode in, past me, I could feel a tirade coming. She saw Sally, sitting on the sofa. “Who’s she?”

“That’s Sally, I told you I’d named my computer. She’s a holographic image created by the computer.”

“Why does she have to look like that?”

“That was my choice, Maggie. Why not a beautiful woman?”

“Why not mum, then?”

I decided to fight back. “I didn’t want the hurt, Maggie, do you understand that?”

“You’ve changed Dad. I’m not sure I know you anymore.”

“How could I not change, sweetie, look what’s happened.”

“Why Dad, why?” she cried out and then began crying. “Why did you have to take on the whole fucked-up world?” She sniveled and sat down, in an armchair, away from Sally. “Why couldn’t you just be a hero, I mean, what those alien people gave you made you incredible? Why spoil it and try and fix the whole world right off the bat?”

“Let me explain Maggie. There’s a reason I’m doing this.” Maggie wiped her eyes and turned her face toward me, expectantly. “I asked the same question. Why did these people from a planet, millions of light-years away, who have been monitoring us for hundreds of millions of years suddenly decide to contact us now? What triggered their involvement?” Maggie concentrated on my words. “The Cirion people are human, also. Their planet formed millions of years before earth and they developed technologies that we just dream about. They’ve told me that there are many ‘human’ planets at different levels of development. They also explained that they feel a bond with all those different human races. They have been reaching out to all of them to form a union of humans in the universe. I know it sounds like a science fiction novel. It sounds crazy, but we believe there’s other life in the universe and we’ve been sending out probes for years attempting to make contact. The people of Cirion have a policy of non-interference, unless certain circumstances exist. Isn’t that a similar policy that this country has with the rest of the world? I know, in the past there’s been world wars, but in the past fifty-plus years we started to change. It’s early days for us on Earth but we’re moving in the right direction, don’t you think?”

“Get to the point, Dad.”

“So the question is why are they now interfering?” I stopped talking, I hadn’t told anyone this so far and I realized it would be very difficult to accept and I was finding it difficult to say. “The answer is that the only criterion for interference is a possible annihilation of a human planet and extinction of its inhabitants.” Maggie’s mouth dropped open, her eyebrows rose.

“Are you telling me that the end of the world is coming?” I nodded. “And you believe them? Dad, people have been predicting the end of the world forever. I bet if I googled it now, there would be a list of nutcases predicting every possible reason why the world will end.”

“Maggie, this is different, think about it. I’m not just some nutcase, as you call them, standing on a soapbox, spouting on about the end of the world. Look at me! Look at what I can do; look at what I’m doing. Doesn’t that bring some validity to what I say.”

“How do you know you can believe them?”

“I don’t.”

“You don’t believe us?” exclaimed Sally.

We both looked over at her. “You haven’t proved it, Sally, you can’t prove it, can you?”

“I can show you calculations, I can show you what happened to Cirion two million years ago.”

“What’s she talking about, Dad?” said Maggie.

“There’s a galactic storm heading for earth, similar to one that destroyed their original planet two million years ago”

“What do you mean, their original planet?” Maggie spurted out.

“They had to move.” I said.

“The whole fucking planet.”

I nodded my head. “What did you say, Sally? Only thirty-five percent survived?”

Sally said “Yes, approximately.”

“Wait a minute,” Maggie stood up and help her arms out. “I don’t understand. When? When is this storm going to wipe us out?”

“Seventy years or so.” I said.

“Oh, God, for one moment I thought you were going to say next week. So, we have seventy years?”

“If what the Cirion people say in correct, yes.”

“And what are we supposed to do?” Maggie was now very animated.

“Leave.” I said.

She glared at me and then at Sally and swung around, her mouth gapped open as wide as it would go. She spluttered, “What? Leave? And where the hell are we going?” She was facing me again.

“To another planet.”

“Jesus, Dad, what the hell are you smoking? That’s some heavy juice. You’re kidding, right?”

I shook my head and looked down at the carpeted floor. There was silence in the room for a moment. I waited for Maggie’s next question. In my mind I played a game, guessing the letter of the next word to emanate from her mouth.

“How?” she almost shouted out.

I smiled, inwardly, I was right. I told her to sit down, which she did, reluctantly. I explained about the spacecraft we needed to build, the two planets that the Cirion people had found that could sustain human life. That we would have to start again, rebuild, but with their technology. Maggie was dumbfounded. She constantly shook her head.

“So, how are you planning to sell this to the world, Dad?”

“By doing what I’m doing, do you see that, now? I have to do something unbelievable or no one will believe a word I say. It would appear that we have a long time, seventy years. But the task is beyond belief, we’ve never been outside of our solar system. We’ve put people on the moon, a quarter of a million miles away. These planets are one point six trillion miles away; it will take about four months at almost the speed of light to reach them.”

“This is too much, Dad. I’m lost. Who else have you told?”

“You’re it,” I said.

“Me! You haven’t told anybody else?”

I shook my head.

“Why not?”

“Come-on Maggie, you can figure that out.”

“They wouldn’t believe you.” I smiled.

“I’m meeting with the President tomorrow.”

“The US President?”

“Who else?”

“And you’re going to tell him.”

“That’s my plan.”

I could see in her face that she was beginning to understand what I was trying to do.

“I guess you’d never have gotten close to the President without all the stuff you’re doing? I can see that. They’d have locked you up in a funny-farm. Wow! It’s insane.” Then she paused and stared at me for a long time. “Why you?” She looked at Sally, “Why’d you pick him? Nice guy, but world savior, that’s a stretch. And why just one person? Don’t you have a few more of those belt computer things?”

Sally smiled warmly at Maggie. “He a reasonable man, he will do the right thing. We only had one belt. It was part of the original mission package, sent two hundred and fifty million years ago. The Cirion people had several contingency plans when they decided to send out monitoring stations to far away planets, one of them was that maybe one day someone from Cirion would come here so they wanted a belt that was compatible with the computer software at the time. But they’ve never been able to figure out how to travel at faster than the speed of light and until they do, no one from Cirion could travel here. But it doesn’t matter now, does it, because in seventy-three of your years this planet won’t exist.”

“Well you’re a happy fucker, aren’t you?” retorted Maggie.

Chapter 46

SEAN

Sally ignored Maggie, her expression deepened.

“Joel, problem.”

“What?”

“Two guys just chopped off the left hand of both Cathy Vogel and Stewart Nolan.”

“Jesus Christ! Show me what’s happening.”

A live video of the scene at the CNN studio in New York came on the disc-monitor. Cathy Vogel was in Nolan’s office, slumped in a chair, grabbing at her severed wrist, blood spurted from the wound, she was screaming. Nolan was behind his desk sitting on the floor, screaming as he stared helplessly at the stump that moments ago was attached to his left hand. Blood poured down his arm. A man ran into the office and screamed.

“Where’s the perps?” my voice was raised. The scene jumped to two guys leaping two steps at a time down a grey stairwell. “Knock them out, Sally, but don’t kill them.” Seconds later both men collapsed as if they’d fainted. “Who are they?”

“I assume you meant who sent them? Probably Verminov, they’ve done work for him before. They had passes to enter the studio, but the passes were fake. But whoever gave the initial instructions didn’t do it verbally or by text or email that I can find. Which means they must have been outside the network, probably underground.”

“Are they carrying?”

“No, or I might have seen them.”

“Verminov is sending a message.” I said.

“Probably because of those ten guys you terminated.”

“That was bloody quick.”

“Who knows what I did to Espinosa and Yerchenkov?

“Anybody with a Twitter account.”

“What about the ten guys?”

“That hit the airways fifteen minutes ago, but was probably all around the underworld within minutes. Those men died almost half an hour ago.”

“Still that is damn quick, thirty minutes to initiate retaliation.”

“I’m reviewing the two guy’s movements. They live near 120th street. Ah! One of them said to the other on the subway, ‘fifty k for a hand job, easiest money I’ve ever made’. I’ve got the phone call, twenty-two minutes ago, from a guy called Manning, he’s in New York. He told them they get fifty thousand dollars each if they chop off the left hands of Vogel and Nolan in the next thirty minutes. He told them where they were and said a guy would meet them with security passes at the entrance. They took the subway.”

“Unbelievable. Who else is at risk, Sally?”

“My guess is anybody you’ve had contact with that is open knowledge.”

“Adrianna?”

“She’s asleep, early hours tomorrow there.”

“No one gets close to her, Sally, okay?”

Maggie had watched the video and listened to us talking, there was a look of astonishment written firmly in her eyes. “What the hell is going on, Dad? What did you do?” I explained about the ten crime bosses and the ones that were out of reach. I told her about severing the hands of Espinosa and Yerchenkov. “You did what?” she said.

“It’s war Maggie, and I’m playing their game, I just didn’t realize how deep their reach can be. I have to be more careful.”

“People are dying. Innocent people are being mutilated.”

“Maggie, I can’t argue with you now, I need to go see someone.” I turned to Sally, “what’s Pippa up to? I need to talk to her.”

“She’s at home, there’s a swat team stationed near her apartment, she’s safe.”

“I need to find out who else knows my real identity, she has to tell me. Is she in her apartment alone?”

“Yes, just Billy.”

“Where are you going?” Maggie asked.

“I have to see this CIA lady, you can stay here or leave, you’ll only be at risk if Verminov and his friends find out my real identity. I’m seeing Sean for lunch if you want to come with me, in about an hour.”

“Maybe,” she said.

Women. I changed into Jo-el.

“Sally bounce me into Pippa’s apartment.”

Pippa was in her small family-room reading while Billy played with an ipad on the sofa. She was startled but not surprised.

“I thought I’d see you today,” she said, when her breath allowed.

I smiled and put my hands in the air indicating surrender. “I need your help, Pippa.”

“Wow! I thought you Superhero’s were pretty self-sufficient.”

“You know what happened here last night?”

“You killed those three guys who were planning to either kill me or kidnap me, right?”

“Did you see what happened at CNN this morning?” Pippa shook her head. I recounted the events, she turned white. “I need the names of all the people who know my identity. It’s the only way I can protect them.”

“Or, you could give yourself up to those bastards,” she said.

“Is that what you want, Pippa?”

“I’ve got protection for now, we all do. You’ve caused a nightmare for anyone who’s met you. My guess is that if you were to die there’d be a collective sigh of relief.”

I was bewildered, I turned away from her to think. As soon as I’ve spoken with the President, then I can announce the real reason I was here. That should change her perspective.

“You’ll change your view, soon Pippa, trust me. But first I need the names.”

“After what’s happened do you think any of them will admit to having anything to do with you?”

“It doesn’t matter, does it? If Verminov finds out who knows my identity, they’re dead. He’ll extract the information and it won’t be pleasant, then they’re useless to him and he’ll get rid of them.”

“Who’s Verminov?”

“He a billionaire Russian, drug lord. He seems to be leading the search to find me. There’s a guy called Jerry Spiel who has a mole in the CIA. It’s just a matter of time.”

Pippa hesitated, then said she’d speak with someone. “Come and see me in an hour.”

Maggie was still in the suite when I returned, she had CNN on the TV. They were interviewing various colleagues of Vogel and Nolan. Along the bottom of the screen was a breaking news message noting the deaths of various prominent business men from America to Europe. I was being linked to the deaths. I watched with her for a while. After a few minutes the lead story moved to the deaths of the businessmen. No comments had yet been forthcoming from any part of government.

“You’re going to have to talk to the FBI, Dad. They know it was you.” She looked over her shoulder at me, fear very apparent across her face. “I’m not sure you’re winning the media war.”

“It’s early days, Maggie. As soon as I’ve told the President everything, I’m sure he’ll make a statement and things will change.”

“I hope so,” she muttered.

“Has there been anything about the number of rape cases?”

“Nothing while I’ve been watching.”

“Sally,” I called out. Sally appeared by the window, away from where Maggie was seated. “What’s being reported about the incidence of rape?”

“Not much, it’s too soon for the police to assemble the data. There was something saying certain police forces had received videos and they were following up with enquiries. There’s numerous rape web sites praising your warning.”

“Have they actually arrested anyone?”

“Twelve guys interviewed by the police have admitted having sex with women, all of them said it was consensual. Nine of the women raped agreed it was consensual.”

“Dad, most women don’t want the stigma of being a rape victim, you know that.”

“Jeez! I should have started with murder. Let’s do that Sally, can you get a note to Leland Price?”

“Sure.”

“Tell him to announce on the air that I’m sending videos of all murders to the relevant authorities starting today.”

“You’re keeping me busy, Jo-el,” replied Sally.

“Are you saying you can’t cope?”

“No, I think I can do it, but I’m nestling up to edge of my capacity, eventually something has to give.”

“Okay, I hear you.”

Five minutes later a breaking news item appeared on CNN about the murder videos.

“The police are going to be stretched to the limit, Dad.”

“Yea, well, tough.”

“I have to go back in tomorrow,” Maggie added. “Looks like you’ll be keeping me busy, too.”

“Sally, did Espinosa start closing his business?”

Sally grinned, “not only has he issued orders to shut everything down, you got a wire this morning confirming receipt of a hundred and sixty million into the bank I set up.”

“That should keep us in champagne for a while.”

“Dad, you can’t keep it?” Maggie looked astounded.

“No sweetie, I know, just a little joke.”

“What about Yerchenkov?”

“He went with Verminov to Israel,” answered Sally.

“I guess he’ll have to live like a mole if he wants to be able to wipe his own ass for the rest of his life. Let me know if he pokes his head above ground.”

“Problem, Jo-el. Sean messaged a friend on Facebook about fifteen minutes ago that he went to Washington DC for a day on Sunday. Nothing else. But I’m seeing texts asking a Samuel Sands to check out Sean. Sands is a gun-for-hire in LA.”

“Who’s asking?”

“A billionaire drug dealer called Mickey Gregorino, also in LA.”

“Is he working with Verminov?” I asked Sally, I was biting a nail.

“I don’t know for sure, I can’t find him, but he has a basement shelter in his house in West Hollywood. So, I wouldn’t bet against it.”

“Where’s Sands now?”

“He’s just leaving his apartment in Culver City, he’s about thirty minutes from Costa Mesa.”

“They must be chasing people all over the country! What do they do to ‘check people out’” I made quote marks in the air.

“Hang on, let me see,” said Sally.

“Dad, you need to warn Sean.” Maggie’s voice was raised.

“I know that, Maggie, but if I can get Sean to convince this Sands guy that he has nothing to do with me that would be good, right? They’d cross the name Murphy off the list.”

Maggie scratched her head. “But, you’ll have to explain all that to Sean in the next thirty minutes.”

“Way ahead of you, sweetie.”

Sally butted in. “It seems they are told to ask five questions. Why did you go to DC? Have you ever spoken to the CIA or FBI? Where does your father live? When did you last see your father? And, do you have any brothers of sisters?”

“Seems like the first question is the key. Find me a funeral in DC yesterday.”

“Sure.”

“What are you going to do, Dad?”

I smiled at Maggie, “I can’t stop these people trying to find me, Maggie, but I’m going to do my level best to make it as difficult as possible.”

“So, how?”

“I’m going to see Sean in about ten minutes, are you coming?”

Maggie switched off the TV and said, “Why not, I hear the weather down there is lovely this time of year,” but she looked scared.

“Sally, how much longer till Sands gets there?”

“Maybe eight minutes.”

“Show me the guy on my heads-up.”

Maggie was watching me cautiously, while checking her phone to see the time.

“What are you doing, Dad?”

“You’ll see, okay, let’s go.”

Sean was twenty-eight years old and working at an escrow company in Newport Beach. He lived in the lower rent district of Costa Mesa, sharing with another guy who was always travelling, so most of time Sean was alone. He had a girlfriend he’d found online but it wasn’t serious. He’d only known her for two months. He’d told me many times that the escrow business was not where he wanted to spend his life but he didn’t seem to be doing much about it.

Maggie and I bounced to a parking lot at the back of the office building where Sean worked. I took her hands in mine and explained what I had in mind. She nodded then left me in the parking lot to find Sean.

A few minutes later I saw them leave the building. Sean looked alarmed, Maggie’s hand was pulling at his arm. On my heads-up I saw Sands drive into the parking lot. I changed my look to completely resemble Sean then walked into the building finding Sean’s office with Sally’s help. No one said a word. I took Sean’s seat and waited for Sands. There was a picture of a pretty girl on Sean’s desk, the new girlfriend I presumed, but none of me. What did I expect?

The phone on Sean’s desk rang and the receptionist said that a Samuel Sands was here to see me. I went to the front desk, then led him to the conference room. Just another client.

“How can I help you, Mr. Sand?” I was polite.

Sands was nervous, out of place in this environment, he fidgeted with something in his pocket and kept glancing at the door. The conference room had no windows to the inner office only to the outside.

“Did you go to Washington DC, recently?” he asked.

I allowed my mouth to gape open a little and paused before answering. “I’m sorry, are you here to open an escrow?” I threw him a ‘very surprised’ look.

“No, Mr. Murphy, I’m here to ask some questions?”

“I don’t understand.” I said, innocently.

“Just answer my questions and I’ll be out of your hair. Did you go to Washington, DC?”

Again I paused, then answered, “yes, I did, why?”

“Why did you go there?” he said, still nervous.

“Are you the police?”

“No, private detective.”

“Oh, okay, why are you talking to me?”

“I can’t tell you that,” he said and I sensed the unease he was feeling.

I smiled, calm the dipshit down, “actually I did go to DC, my aunt Sarah died, I went to the funeral yesterday.”

“What was her full name, please?” He pulled out a small notebook and pen.

“Sarah Robinson.”

He then asked about the FBI and CIA. My face kept with the ‘haven’t got a clue what you’re talking about’ vibe. We went through the other questions, I kept the answers simply, he asked where my father lived. I gave my address as simply San Francisco and I said I had a sister. Eventually I objected and refused to answer his last question about when I’d last seen my father. Sally had told me he had a gun in his inside pocket I could see him considering bringing it out. He would not have liked the result. Then suddenly he stood up, thanked me for my time and left. I think it worked.

I met Maggie and Sean at the Mexican restaurant across the street. Maggie had ordered a Margarita; Sean was drinking iced-tea. Maggie winked at me with her left eye and I did the same back. We chatted about the horror of the trip to the CIA headquarters but Sean didn’t have any idea of the real truth. For the time being that was just fine.

Chapter 47

DON’T BE JO-EL

“You’re a sly fox, Dad.” Maggie said, back in the suite.

“I’ve got enough on my plate with you knowing everything, better this way. Hopefully I can keep him in the dark.”

“What now?”

“I think it’s time to go on the offensive. These guys are pissing me off.”

“Do you really think you can do this? I mean, rid the world of crime?”

“I’ve got some unique abilities; don’t you think? Once I’ve met with the President and he’s on board, these guys are going to be on the defensive.”

“Then what?”

“Meet with all the other world leaders, that’ll keep me busy and get them on board.”

“You’ve worked it all out, I’m impressed.” Maggie appeared to be drifting in my direction, I was pleased.

“It’s not going quite as smoothly as I hoped, but whatever does?”

Sally appeared without asking. She dressed down when Maggie was there, usually jeans and a simple top, today was green.

“More problems Jo-el.” I waited for her to continue. “There are twenty-seven people who have either Facebook or Twitter accounts claiming to be you, one of them just had his left hand severed.” The expression on her face asked, what do you want to do?

“Shit!” I swung around and threw my arms up. “Are you monitoring the others?”

She nodded. “Six are at risk, bad guys are headed toward all of them.”

“How close?”

Sally hesitated for a second, “first one will be at the Jo-el wannabe in three minutes.”

I smiled and changed into Jo-el. “Let’s go meet him.”

Sally showed me a small ranch house in the snow, a blue Ford truck was pulling up in the driveway. “The bad guy is in the truck.”

“Keep an eye on the other five, Sally, bounce me to the ranch house.”

I landed by the front porch just as the man in the truck was exiting the door. He was massive even inside his heavy coat. He wore a ski-hat, a tattoo of a knife was wrapped ominously around his neck. He saw me and froze. He knew immediately who I was and began to back away.

“Stay where you are.” I shouted. He stopped, I could see his hand reaching slowly into the deep pocket of his coat.

“Sally, activate the shield.”

“Already done, Jo-el.”

“Who sent you?” He didn’t answer. Instead he pulled the gun from his pocket and pointed it at me. I smiled. “If you fire that gun, I’m going to hurt you,” I told him. Problem was that didn’t compute, he was holding a gun at me, which in his mind was the winning hand. It’s hard to adjust your thinking, even when some dude appears out of nowhere right in front of your face. He fired twice. The bullets ricocheted off the shield. I felt a tap, nothing more. I was surprised to even feel that. But tattoo man was even more surprised. He fired four more times. Same result. I smiled, wider this time.

“Chop his gun hand off.” I told Sally.

“With pleasure,” I heard her say. I watched the result, it was the same as Yerchenkov, he didn’t feel it at first, he just stared at the gun and his hand falling to the ground, the blood spurting from the wound. Then the adrenaline subsided and the pain hit. He fell forward to his knees in the thin snow, grabbing at the wound, his eyes still staring at me. I heard the door of the ranch house open, I didn’t look around.

“I asked you a question?”

“Somebody called me, I don’t know who it was, fifty k.”

“I know who it was, Joel.” I heard Sally in my ear.

“Go find a doctor. Change your ways, next criminal deed and I’ll kill you.”

He left the gun and pulled the door of the truck open with his good hand, his bloody wrist was pushed into the arm of his coat. I stepped forward and picked up his severed hand, then I tapped on the side window of his truck, which he opened tentatively. I threw the hand onto the passenger seat, “they might be able to sew it back on.” I smiled. He drove away without saying another word.

I turned toward the front of the house. A young girl, maybe thirteen was standing in the doorway. “Shut down the Jo-el Facebook account, he was going to cut your left hand off.” Her face was white. She was speechless. I bounced back to the suite.

Maggie had viewed the whole episode on the disc monitor. “I can’t believe you picked up his hand and told him to have it sewn back on. He shot at you! That shows a sense of caring. Just weird.”

“It was an impulse,” I shrugged. “Sally, who sent that guy?”

“Intermediary, ultimate chain goes back to Verminov.”

“I just hate it when the only guy that gets hurt is the one at the end of the chain. Who’s next?”

The disc monitor screen flipped to a town that looked like France. “Ten to twelve minutes out, Bruges, Belgium. But there’s two more that are almost as close, one in the US and one in England.”

“Okay, let’s do them in order, but if the other two get close, knock them out, but don’t kill them. We need to send a message.”

I met the man in Bruges, a pretty little town, close to the English Channel, known for its canals, it went a little differently. He wasn’t carrying a gun just a knife. As soon as he saw me he spun around and ran back to where he had parked his little, red Fiat 500. All I did was whack him hard in the thigh and told him if he did anything criminal again I’d kill him. Sally had caused the next two to faint. I arrived at the man in Oregon, just as he was coming around, a pleasant suburban neighborhood, large houses, with manicured lawns. He was lying on the sidewalk, rubbing his eyes. When he saw me he jumped up and began running in the opposite direction to where he had parked. I whacked him in the leg then caught up with him. Sally told me he had murdered three people on contract kills, I felt no remorse when I lobbed off his left hand and explained why and what his future in crime would bring. He also left in a hurry, I didn’t even have time to suggest he might want to take his severed hand with him. Silly man. The fourth man was in London, it was dark. The area was Chelsea, high end neighborhood not far from the Thames river. The man was lying in the street with four strangers giving assistance. He’d fainted as he was crossing a road and had been hit by a London bus. Nothing for me to do, the bus had taken care of business.

After taking care of the last two I was back in the suite. Maggie had left, gone to see Adam.

“Probably wants to get laid” Sally said.

“Sally, that’s my daughter, don’t say things like that.”

“What, you think they’re not doing it?”

“Well, no, but fathers don’t want to hear it.”

Enough of this conversation. I realized I was supposed to return to see Pippa about the list of people who knew my identity. Sally confirmed she was still at home, fixing dinner for Billy. I bounced into the living area.

“I thought you’d forgotten about me.” Pippa said, still mixing something in a bowl.

“Busy,” I replied.

She turned to me holding a fork in the air, I could see liquid eggs running down it’s handle. An omelet. Nothing gets past me. “I was going to ask what you were up to, but I think I’d rather not know.”

“Do you have the list?”

Pippa replaced the fork in the bowl and turned towards me. “Alberton, Kale, Lambert, Grayson, you know all of those people. There is a guy from Homeland Security, Brian Sumani, an attorney, Felicity Denham and finally Sam Fitzpatrick, another CIA agent.”

“That it? What about the NSC, weren’t they meeting underground?”

“We never told them your real name.”

“What’s Kale up to, he wasn’t exactly a friend?”

“Watching from the sidelines. We know who you are, Jo-el. It’s a leadership issue now. We can’t control you, that’s the greatest fear. What do you want? Why are you here? It’s also a trust issue and we’re still trying to figure that out. I’m not sure you’re winning with your latest antics. Those business men you killed were big time contributors to politicians around the globe.”

“They were crooks; they were all planning to kill me. Initially there were eighteen, I eliminated ten, but eight have hidden in bunkers underground.” That wasn’t quite true, one was in Japan and another in Santiago, Chile, but Pippa didn’t need to know that. “You must know they’re crooked?”

“We have files on them and suspect a lot, but they never get close enough to the dirty work and the ones in the US have many legitimate businesses. It’s difficult to convict them.”

“Yea, well no need now.”

Pippa screwed up her face, “I think your approach is a little too vigilantism for the most of us.”

“I can prove beyond any doubt they are criminals and I will provide the information. You must have seen what they did to those two CNN people? I’ve been sorting out issues all day, those assholes were sending guys to cut off the left hands of the kids who set up false Facebook and Twitter account, pretending to be me. They are trying to turn the general populace against me. Clever, but it won’t work, I’ve sent some nasty messages back and once that reaches the underworld they won’t find a hitman who’ll scratch their asses.”

Pippa tried to look positive but the concern on her face was very apparent, “So, what else are you going to do?” she asked.

“You probably know I’m meeting the President tomorrow. I’m going to tell him everything. Did you tell the group about Cirion?”

Pippa nodded and smiled. “That was a revelation. The consensus was we need our leading scientists to hear what you claim, see if they could accept any of it.”

“I’m okay with that, it’s the right step. You know, Pippa, there’s something I didn’t tell you, the final piece of the puzzle, so to speak, why I’m here? But, I think I’ll tell the President first. It’ll be out soon enough.”

“So, you’re teasing me?”

“I guess. What are the team doing now?”

“Hiding, under massive protection.”

We stood staring at each other for a moment.

“I’m sorry,” Pippa said, her voice suddenly soft, she glanced down at Billy. Then took a step toward me.

“Don’t you dare, Jo-el.” I heard Sally in my ear.

I ignored Sally and closed the gap between us.

“I don’t believe it. Men! And I’m trying to be real. I hate you, Jo-el.”

I ignored Sally.

I kissed Pippa on the mouth and held her close to me for a while, then I pushed away gently, she understood. “I blew it, didn’t I?” she said.

“Maybe?” I smiled. “I have to go.”

I bounced back to the suite. Sally was gone.

“Sally,” I called out into the air. No response. I watched the people out of the window, going about their business. I felt suddenly alone, truly alone. It hit me how much I’d come to rely on her. I saw a young girl standing by a bus stop, eyes glued to a cell phone. Same thing I thought. “Sally!”

Chapter 48

ADRIANNA

It was almost four, I was watching CNN. The news revolved around the person I’d become. First the deaths of ten very rich business men, dubious ties to organized crime. What were people to believe? One side was good riddance, the other a tragic loss. Then the boy, purporting to be the birdman, Jo-el, his left hand severed, just like the CNN executives in New York. What did it mean? The talking heads had a myriad of answers but no clue. It was time for this creature to talk to the people. A video of my interview with Leyland Price, who’d disappeared, easy to guess why, played in the background. Murderers were being arrested, interviews with police stating they’d received videos of the murder. Conclusive evidence, the accused were confessing. Gun violence was dropping by the hour. Rapists were being caught. Women’s groups were jubilant. I felt like I was winning. Jo-el was the second coming of Christ. Or he was God, or he was an alien. What was he going to do next? What was his plan, could anybody stop him? The world waited.

Then the feed switched to Australia, I felt my heart beat faster, I leant forward on the sofa and turned up the volume. A female reporter at a CNN affiliate had been snatched on her way to work in a Sydney subway station. Her name was Adrianna Murphy.

I leapt from the sofa and screamed, “Sally!” and felt my eyes water.

Sally appeared with her back to the window, full Bridget Bardot. Her blond hair seemed to glow in the streaking sunlight. She was wearing a leather mini-skirt, black stockings, thigh-length black leather boots, a shear, white cotton top, that left nothing to the imagination. I gawked at her in amazement, then choked. “Adrianna.” I pointed at the TV. She didn’t move, she didn’t speak. I was dumbfounded. I was useless. Without Sally I was Dave Murphy, aging widower, balding, lonely, feeble, completely useless. My eyes pleaded, my mouth begged. My hands stretched out to her.

The Goddess strutted toward me, I was powerless, she placed her arms around my neck and her mouth on mine. She was real, everything about her was real. I could feel the warmth of her body, the shivering of anticipation. Her thighs caressed mine and I became hard. Her breasts touched my chest, I could feel her nipples, erect, solid. She smelt of roses, her fingers pawed at my hair, then reached slowly down, her nails scratching the back of my neck, my back. I felt her hands move around to my front, she touched me, then gently rubbed me. I was shaking. She kissed me hard on the mouth, her tongue reaching deep inside, exploring, vibrant, playing with me. Her hands were removing my pants; I could do nothing to stop her. I was like steel, ready, eager. My body was wet with sweat, my hair stood out on my neck, I shivered with pleasure.

We made love on the sofa, slowly, we made love on the floor, Sally on top. We made love on a chair, her legs spread wide around me, her rhythm in sync with mine. Never had I experienced such passion inside myself. With every thrust I quivered with ecstasy. For more than an hour we were intertwined, hot with emotion. Her lust for finality came in an explosion of heat, her head thrown back her voice screeching like a banshee. She grinned at me as I fell asleep by her side.

I woke a little later, confused. Sally had disappeared, but I heard the shower running. Did she need to shower, or was this the culmination of our love making, the human experience that she so obviously craved. For two weeks now I had lived a bizarre existence that stretched every imagination. There was no explanation for what Sally had become. I had decided what she should look like, I was responsible for launching the ship and I had to deal with the aftermath. Was this my nirvana, to fall in love with my computer, or was it hers to simply be human after watching us for millions of years?

Sally smiled happily when she returned from the shower. She was dressed in jeans and a simple top now, her usual attire. She sat herself on the sofa, her legs crossed while I cleaned up. I couldn’t discuss what we’d done, any more than I could with Mary or Pippa, or Adrianna. She didn’t seem to care.

“Adrianna has been kidnapped,” I said.

“Yes.”

She knew what I wanted to do, but she kept me waiting as if she was now an equal partner.

“She’s underground, probably in one of the disused subway lines in Sydney. It will be difficult.”

“Verminov?”

Sally nodded her head. “He wants you dead. You for her.”

“How do you know?”

Sally threw a disc-monitor into the air. The scene was the New York City skyline, there was writing in the clear blue sky. ‘YOU FOR HER, DEAD.’

“Wow! That’s as subtle as a brick,” I said. “Is he there?”

“Maybe, I haven’t detected him since he went to Israel.”

“When did he write that?”

“About two hours ago.”

“Can you find her?”

Sally looked at me, “you want to try and rescue her?”

“Of course, she’s innocent. It’s my fault.”

“You have me, I’m so much better than any human woman. Aren’t I Joey?” Sally stood up and beaconed me with her index finger. Her smiled was wicked, she grinned with a satisfaction of knowing I’d succumb to her. I was lost for a moment, stuck in a dilemma of which way to turn. Did Sally want to run the show now? Would she even do what I asked of her? Without her I was just Dave Murphy again. How long would I last with every one of the world’s crime bosses wanting me dead? A hundred billion dollars would hunt me down. I shook with fear, surely Sally could see that? My mouth hung open, my brain raced around in circles. What to do?

I took a deep breath and stepped toward her. I could see she wanted me again, her appetite was unfulfilled. She wanted to re-live the millions of years as a human, to experience the lost time.

I slapped her hard around the face with my right hand. She grabbed at her cheek, her mouth fell open, her eyes gleamed at me. She was confused.

“You will do what I say!” I shouted. “You will do everything that I tell you. Do you hear me?”

Sally stood up straight very slowly, her left hand still held close to her cheek. I had no idea if she’d even felt the blow. I hope she had. If she wants to be human, then she needs to understand what the downsides are. Her mouth was still agape; she was unsure of herself now. How should she respond? I imagined my last breath was imminent. I didn’t blink. This was the point of no return. My action would win or lose and part of me didn’t care which outcome prevailed. Her mouth closed. It was a sign. Her hand dropped to her side. The arrogance of a few moments ago began to vanish. I could feel my heart beating stronger; I could feel it pumping blood through my veins. I was winning the showdown, I felt it.

“We’re going to Australia, now, Sally. Both of us. We’re going to find Adrianna and get her out of the hole we buried her in.”

I waited for a reaction, I could see the spunk in Sally was ebbing.

“Okay,” she said, almost sheepishly.

Sydney has a myriad of disused underground tunnels built in the 1920’s. A railway system never completed. I changed into Jason Lee and Sally went with her Asian look. We arrived south of the entrance to St. James station, in Hyde Park, amongst the trees. The populace was going about their business, blindly focused on what they were doing. We were just another couple in the hustle bustle of a modern city.

“What time is it here, Sally?” I asked.

“It’s just past noon, Wednesday.”

“How many miles of unused tunnels are there?”

“Maybe ten.”

“Do you know where Verminov wants me to go?” I asked.

“There’s an unused tunnel just east of St. James, one of his men is close by, he’s unarmed. My guess is he realizes that any show of force close to the surface you would simply eliminate. I’d say that’s where he wants you.”

I nodded. “How far down the unused tunnel can you see?”

“About one hundred feet and there’s no one there.”

I was thinking what I’d do in Verminov’s position and what came to me was ugly. He had no idea what I could do underground, he was just playing a hunch. I still had the shield and smart-suit. I could fly, I just couldn’t connect to the network, so I’d be blind to their movements and conversation. If I was him, I would booby trap Adrianne. Rig her to a bomb with some form of detonation device that was easily triggered. How was I supposed to deal with that? I just didn’t think he’d have men willing to die to take me out. There would have to be a way for them to detonate and survive the blast. Eyes on the target and an escape route.

“Does he know I can change my identity?” Sally didn’t know, but with all the action I’d taken I had to presume he did. “Can you disarm a bomb?”

“I would need to see it and then connect to the network to work it out.” Made sense.

“We are going to need some conventional weapons, Sally. Machine pistols, lots of ammo.”

She was quite for a moment, pensive. I could detect fear in her eyes, something I’d never seen before. She had mass now, did that make her vulnerable? If she took a bullet would she die? It was too much for me to figure out. I had no idea, but I didn’t think so. She was an image created by the computer, even if she had somehow created a body. It seemed to me that her demise would have no effect on the network. It would simply create a newer version of Sally. A version without mass. Back to normal. Would I like that?

“There’s a stash of illegal weapons in a lock-up garage in Las Vegas.”

I was about to complain about how far away that was, but stopped myself as my mouth hung open. “Okay, we’ll go see what they are. But first let’s check out Verminov’s guy.”

We walked down into the train station toward the unused portion of the tunnel. In the distance, along the tunnel we could see a man in dirty green pants and a brown jacket hoping from foot to foot. He was standing beyond the crowd, who were heading for the platforms. To his right was a wire fence that blocked people from entering the disused portion of the tunnel. We milled around with the commuters while I checked him out. He didn’t notice us. I pulled Sally’s arm and headed away out of sight.

“Can you put him on my screen, Sally?”

Almost immediately he appeared in front of me. His complexion was light, he looked to be mid-thirties. His mop of brown hair was greasy, his beady eyes were flicking back and forth, watching the people along the tunnel. I could see a walkie-talkie in his right hand. There was a nervousness about the way he was moving his weight from one side to the other. I wondered what they’d told him he was supposed to do and how long he’d been there.

“How long has he been there?” I asked, Sally.

“Two and a half hours, he’ll be relived in another thirty minutes.”

That gave me an idea. “Okay, let’s get the weapons and figure out a plan.”

We were back in the park before we could find a location out of sight. We bounced to the lock-up. It was pitch black, Sally found the switch. The air was stale, a layer of dust covered the lock-up but the four wooded boxes were very clean. There were other items along the wall, but Sally indicated the boxes on the ground. She blew out all the fasteners and lifted the lids. My eyes focused on the nasty looking weapons stacked to the brim of the first two boxes.

“What are they?” I asked as I tentatively picked up the top pistol and turned it over in my hands. I’d never held anything like it, I could feel the power and deadliness of the gun. It was both exciting and frightening, I realized I’d already used my power to kill people but not with a device designed just for that purpose.

“They’re MP9’s made by Brugger and Thomet in Switzerland. Nine hundred rounds per minute. The ammo is in the other two boxes.”

“How long have they been here?”

“Since yesterday, they’re being picked up in about an hour.”

I looked sharply at Sally, “an hour?”

“These things are hot merchandise, Jo-el.”

“Okay, let’s take two each and a bunch of ammo. We need a couple of shoulder bags, don’t think we should be seen strolling around with these in full sight.”

We picked up a couple of bags in one of the other lock-ups and were back in Sydney within five minutes. The man in the brown jacket was still hoping from foot to foot, more nervous than before. We kept out of sight.

“Okay, let me know where this guy’s relief is?”

Sally paused a moment, staring into space. “He’s on the train, he’ll be here in about six minutes.”

“Put him on the heads-up.”

The man in a similar brown jacket, his eyes down, looking at the floor, a black ski hat on his head, appeared on the screen.

“Does he know the guy in the tunnel?”

“No.”

“Good. When he comes into the station, knock him out and copy his appearance. I’m taking his place.”

I watched the man for a while, then he slumped over. My dress changed to match what he was wearing. “As soon as Mr. Nervous leaves we’re going down the tunnel.”

Sally nodded. She was fidgeting with her hands and fingers, which I hadn’t seen before. I put it down to the fact she now had mass. It was making her uneasy, that was for sure.

I walked toward the man in the tunnel, my weapons bag over my shoulder. As I reached Mr. Nervous I held out my hand for the walkie-talkie. At first he seemed unsure about giving it up, but my face was adamant and he handed it over. We didn’t say a word; he almost ran back down the tunnel. Sally joined me. She cut a hole in the fence and we began our walk along the deserted tunnel. It was quiet, our footsteps were loud. I stopped. I used my thoughts to communicate with Sally.

“We should fly.” I lifted off the ground, Sally didn’t reply but she did the same. I didn’t understand her mechanics but it was no time to worry about such things. There were intermittent light bulbs along the tunnel giving off a dull glow that faded to darkness before the next one threw out a few rays, enough to guide our path. Water dripped eerily down the brick sidewalls. Unintelligible graffiti shouted nonsense at us on both sides, but even that disappeared as we drifted deeper into the tunnel depths. I tested the heads-up display, but that had ceased to work. Sally took the left wall, she’d changed to an all-black one-piece outfit, her hair hidden by a black ski-hat. Only her beautiful face glowed every so often, caught by the pallid light from the naked bulbs. She held an MP9 in each hand as I did. The bag with the ammo was snuggled back-pack style behind me. We didn’t speak for what seemed a long time. I wondered what thoughts she had. To me now she was as human as any person. I couldn’t imagine her as anything else. We had made love.

The silence brought doubt to my mind. Should I be risking my life for one person? I clamped my eyes shut for a second to force out the uncertainty of my actions, but it wouldn’t go away. I felt an ardent desire for action to rescue my thoughts, but the tunnel didn’t help. It continued relentlessly in the same fashion. We reached an area of total darkness, I passed the burnt out light bulbs. The wall was faintly visible as my eyes wrestled with what was left of the light. Sally was out of sight. I felt alone. My senses were on edge, I strained to hear every miniscule sound, something to indicate that we were nearing our target. I could feel the rhythmic beat of my heart loudly in my chest, my mouth was dry, my tongue reached for out for moisture from the dank surrounds of the never-ending tunnel. I was anxious and fidgeted with the weapons in each hand. The light became brighter, which made me more nervous. I could see Sally now, she was watching me, then glancing ahead. She felt the same concern. I stopped and checked Sally to see if she had done the same. We waited unsure of what to say.

“My shield is working, right?” I said in my mind, almost as much to myself as to Sally.

There was no reply.

“Are there people ahead?”

Again nothing from Sally. I twisted my head to see her, she was looking ahead. The network had stopped working but she was still with me. I didn’t understand but I was glad she was still there.

Her senses were the same as my own now, but no better.

I moved forward a little way, straining my eyes into the distant light ahead. She followed suit along the opposite wall. I stopped again, I sensed movement, but saw nothing. There was no protection where we were. I guessed we may be coming to a disused station. I drifted over to Sally so I could speak to her.

“This isn’t working for me, Sally. I think we should fly at them at speed and scare the crap out of them.”

She looked at me, but said nothing. There was a vacant look in her eyes as if she wasn’t sure where she was or why she was there. Then she nodded, but it seemed almost involuntary. I didn’t know what was happening to her.

I sucked in air and breathed deeply, my pulse was racing and I could feel sweat on my arms and the back of my neck. I’d chosen this path, what did I expect? The feeling I had of invincibility had diminished so much, yet I still had the shield. Would it work against a barrage of fire? A niggling itch that it wouldn’t scared me. I thought about Adrianne. I didn’t even know if she was still alive. This could be a trap. I thought about Maggie and Sean, the mess I’d caused in their lives. Sally was right, this was stupid. If what she’d told me was correct I was the only person who could save the planet. I thought about that for a moment and realized what bullshit. Who was I kidding? If I died they would rescue the belt and pick someone else to carry on. Or, maybe they wouldn’t and the history of earth had just seventy or so years to run. Why did they care? It wasn’t making sense to me at that moment. I couldn’t get my mind around the real reason for the Cirion people to care.

Then the explosion happened and I was dragged very quickly into the reality of where I was and what I was doing. The explosion came from behind us, from the station. The noise was deafening, like a giant whomph of a helicopter rotor-blade. Within a second a wave of hot air raced past us and heat followed with dust and debris. The air became unbreathable for a moment and the visibility disappeared to nothing. I shut my eyes tightly and wondered if my life would end soon. But the dust cleared and the air became breathable once more. Visibility was still almost none. I wondered what had happened and concluded that Verminov must have known we had entered the tunnel and had sealed it off. My death was paramount to him; no other result would be acceptable. The death of every one of his men down here was irrelevant as long as I went with them.

A minute passed and Sally was now an outline against the left wall.

“No going back.” I said.

Her silence was disconcerting.

“Give the air a minute or so to clear, then we’re going in fast, guns blazing. His men must know what just happened. I wonder what they are thinking?”

Sally didn’t reply, she didn’t even acknowledge me.

The dust began to settle, I raised my guns up and saw that Sally was doing the same.

I took off toward where the light had been, flying fast, at a speed like I’d never experienced before. It was incredible. I was going into battle; my fear immediately subsided. It must be like this for every soldier when he finally goes over the top and into the unknown. This is what he wanted to do from the first second, the waiting was excruciating. This is the action that the warrior craves.

The wall was racing past now, a blur. The air was clearing as I flew away from the blast. I glanced over and saw Sally matching my speed on the other wall. We were a team now. We could conquer the world.

It seemed like a long time, but in reality it was just seconds when I saw the men ahead of us, their backs against the wall. They appeared disorientated. I heard a shout and I saw them turn in our direction, guns raising, pointing in our direction. Now I could see fear in their faces. What was flying at them? I couldn’t imagine the thoughts that must be bouncing around in their heads at that moment. It didn’t matter. I didn’t care. I fired. Both hands.

The noise in the tunnel was deafening. There was no other sound, just the ear-piercing thunder of the rounds leaving the weapons. It was a mess. I saw men thrown backwards as if they’d been hit by a giant bat. I was past them in a split second and turned quickly. The men who hadn’t fallen had swung around toward me and were firing again. But I hadn’t felt anything. The shield was working. My invincibility was intact. I fired again and the men fell. All of them. I passed them again and turned once more. I couldn’t see Sally she must have turned sooner. Smoke filled the air. The resonance of the sound still hung in my ears. I came down and rested my feet on the ground, my weapons still at the ready, but there was little movement from the men that were now laying, strewn across the tunnel, haphazardly, as if they’d fallen exactly where they had stood and gone to sleep. Now I saw blood, dark red in the cold, dusty air. It was running in every direction. I traced the source of each trickle back to the man whose life was either gone or ebbing away. I saw a face turn in my direction, eyes of hate, wide and alive but fading. A last look at the strange being who’d ended their life. A last look of shear bewilderment.

I looked around for Sally but didn’t see her, I was at a fork in the tunnel. Another tunnel was at right-angles to the one we’d traversed. As the dust settled a little more I could see a chair tipped over on its side a short distance along the adjacent tunnel. Someone was tied to the chair. Someone different. Whoever it was they weren’t moving. A white, thin blouse came into focus and in that moment I knew who it was lying motionless, tied to the chair. I gasped and ran toward it. A line of blood, thicker and darker and not moving emanated from Adrianne’s head, resting very still against the ground. As I reached the chair I saw the hole in her temple, darkened and bloody, pointing up to the ceiling of the tunnel. Her face grimaced in death. The loveliness of her skin was still there. Her mouth, crushed against the ground, distorted by the ungainly position of her head, was still beautiful. I knelt at her side and carefully pulled a few strands of hair from her face, which was covered in dirt and dust. Tears were now streaming down my face. I had failed her. I knew she’d been dead for some time. It had all been a waste.

Then I heard a gun fire, loud and alone, disturbing the quiet that had begun to return to my head. I turned to the main tunnel and I could see the man, lying on his side with his eyes of hate. His mouth had pulled into an evil smile. There was a devil’s glint in his eyes, a discerning sign of satisfaction. A last thought of revenge. I didn’t understand. Until.

It had taken a while; I don’t know why. Maybe seeing Adrianne, my sense of failure. I don’t know. It didn’t matter. My right hand had dropped the weapon I’d held, but I don’t remember when. It was clasped to my right side above my hip. I looked down and saw the fresh blood ooze between my fingers. Sally had left me. I didn’t understand why.

EPILOGUE

On the planet Cirion.

“Eve, what’s up?”

“It didn’t work!”

“What?”

“My project.”

“What are you talking about?”

Eve turned to her father and frowned. What is it with grown-ups? Why do I have to tell them everything? I’m old enough now to have my own life. Her shoulders sank as she realized she would have to explain; you couldn’t hide your actions on Cirion. Her father could just as easily review what she’d been working on later, in his own time. But that might not be good, she wanted to spin it her way. She crossed the patio and slumped down in her usual place, opposite the viewing window, her face fell forward and she folded her arms. Her father came over and sat close by, he didn’t say anything, he just waited. She knew he would do that, she hated it, but that’s what he always did. Thought it was proper parenting or something, let the child tell it in their own way. What crap!

How could she get through this quickly and leave? Rach was going to the Zone and she wanted to go too. Now!

“I rebooted the computers on Earth.”

Her father twisted his head toward her, his eyebrows raised just enough. She knew the next word out of his mouth.

“Why?” Typical.

Eve struggled in her mind how to explain in the simplest terms so that he would just nod once or twice, which would indicate acceptance of her actions and she could get away. She knew the project had failed and she’d have to either pass it over or rework it. It had been almost two months of time wasted. She couldn’t turn in a report that left no further action required. The stupid planet was doomed and she had thought her idea to save it was brilliant.

She enjoyed Social Engineering as a subject and was excited to move onto a real-life situation. She’d picked a doozy. I mean the planet was outside of the vector, way outside and about to be wiped out by a Galactic Storm. So far away that probably no one alive on Cirion today would have even heard of it. A lost cause. Another do-gooders project of millions of years past, just forgotten. And she was going to rescue the billions of humans living there and find them a new home. What a challenge? They were so backwards. It was all set up. Her plan was so simple, give them the technology to leave before the storm hit and find them somewhere to go. They had almost sixty years. All she had to do was set the thing in motion and write it up and she would ace Social Engineering and tick that one off her list. Now she had to find another project or rework the Earth project. Her plan had failed and that wouldn’t earn her a pass mark. She ran the problem around in her head. She realized the software of yesteryear had issues, even with the update thirty million years ago. But she couldn’t fathom why the stupid computer had diverted so much power to creating its own mass. In some way it amused Eve that a computer would even want to be human, how ridiculous. It must have been because of that Earth male she’d picked, his deep sexual needs. How was she to know? Weird. Adults were such jerks. Well it got you killed, or I think it did. She didn’t really know; she’d hit re-boot and lost contact.

Eve’s mouth widened a touch into a faint smile, she had an idea how to fix it. But first she’d have to placate her father, Ka-el.

Copyright

Copyright © Terry Neale 2016

ISBN: 1540321320

ISBN 13: 9781540321329

All rights reserved

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either fictitious or the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead is entirely coincidental.

Content

Terry Neale
JO-EL

Chapter 1 KA-EL

Chapter 2 CIRION

Chapter 3 THE CONTAINER

Chapter 4 CONTENTS

Chapter 5 SALLY

Chapter 6 NEXT STEP

Chapter 7 TEST

Chapter 8 THE PROBLEM

Chapter 9 THE SOLUTION

Chapter 10 FURTHER INSTRUCTION

Chapter 11 JO-EL

Chapter 12 AN EDUCATION AT THE BEACH

Chapter 13 MORE INSTRUCTIONS

Chapter 14 THE REASON

Chapter 15 MORE DETAILS

Chapter 16 RIO

Chapter 17 DOWN-UNDER.

Chapter 18 CORK

Chapter 19 WINGS

Chapter 20 FIRST RESCUE

Chapter 21 REFLECTIONS

Chapter 22 MOUNTAIN RESCUE

Chapter 23 MEDIA FRENZY

Chapter 24 PROBLEMS

Chapter 25 TERRORISTS

Chapter 26 JOINT TASK-FORCE

Chapter 27 THE BRITISH AND THE AMERICANS

Chapter 28 THE AMERICAN MEETING

Chapter 29 THE MILITARY PROBLEM

Chapter 30 HOSTAGES

Chapter 31 THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

Chapter 32 PIPPA

Chapter 33 TRIP AT THE FIRST HURDLE

Chapter 34 RODANTHE

Chapter 35 THE TRUTH

Chapter 36 BYE BYE RODANTHE

Chapter 37 A NEW TACT

Chapter 38 CNN

Chapter 39 ADRIANNA

Chapter 40 CAUGHT

Chapter 41 STAND-OFF

Chapter 42 THE BAD GUYS

Chapter 43 TV

Chapter 44 MAGGIE

Chapter 45 WAR

Chapter 46 SEAN

Chapter 47 DON’T BE JO-EL

Chapter 48 ADRIANNA

EPILOGUE

Copyright