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Babbling Babs Water Park proceeded far ahead of schedule. It would be ready before the end of the conference. With a few suggestions from Babs and liberal use of gravity tricks, they created a water park out of a princess’ dream. In the center of a lagoon, there was a volcano cone that had an overhanging face on one side. Using a grav cell the water flowed up out of the main pool and arched ten meters before spilling over into a high pool thirty meters in diameter. Out of this pool were six waterslides. If you were courageous, you could ride up the waterfall to the upper pool. On the outside of the atoll, a line of cells created a standing wave that could be bodysurfed. There were a couple of high dives that would have been suicide on Earth. All of this under a glass dome looking out on the moon surface, stars, Earth, and Sol all at the same time. The Mars Conference attendees would be there for a grand opening along with a press contingent specially flown in for the event.
Col. Wu planned to use the pool opening event to get close to the crew. After that, he just didn’t know. He was a master of improvisation.
“Tomorrow will be our first full day out of quarantine, I want to spend the day at my new water park open only to the ASS crew. The day after can be for everyone else.” Babs declared.
“Seems reasonable. How about a sneak peek tonight with just core crew?” Oliver countered.
“You read my mind. Let’s tell everyone before they scatter as soon as the door opens,” she replied.
“If I might make a suggestion, let’s let Col. Wu know and give him a way to break in. He has been lurking about trying to get on the base. Best let him, in a controlled fashion,” Marco pointed out.
Babs groaned, “Do we really have to deal with that human garbage tonight?”
“If we let him sneak into a private function then, especially if he comes armed, we own his ass. After what we have learned from the refugees, the world needs to unify in common purpose. China is a quarter of Earth’s population like it or not. They need to understand and at least not hinder our efforts if they won’t help,” Marco replied.
“I know you’re right, but Al told me that Wu personally has been mixed up in the attacks against the crew. Dealing with him just after I get out of lockdown... I’m just being selfish I know.... Damn let’s get it over with,” Babs said with a big sigh.
“I will inform his informant, but how violent should we make his takedown?” Al said when he knew a decision had been made.
“He has to be in condition to have a conversation otherwise, what’s the point,” Marcos pointed out. “There’s Ariel trying to escape. Hey Ariel. Gotta talk about some unpleasantness.”
“Damn so close to the door. What is it?” she said.
“Wu.”
“Wu who?”
“You know Wu, the POS that shot up your parents ranch,” Marco reminded her.
“I’m going to fuck him up. I heard he is at the conference.” Ariel declared.
“How to fuck him up is the question. We need to send a message to China’s ruling elite. Not the kind you’re thinking of right now. We let him into the water park tonight, you know to attack us, and then we have a chat.” Marco said.
“Who’s hair-brained idea is this?” Ariel wanted to know if her husband was losing his mind or Al had a brain fart.
“Mine,” Marco said. “So, it’s up to you how to subdue him. But he needs to be able to talk.”
“Well at least you left me the fun part. I’ll rig something up in a couple of hours. Right now, I just want a long walk on my base,” Ariel accepted. With that she opened her locker and pulled on an EV suit then thinking again she pulled on boots and grabbed an extra bottle of oxygen. “Husband, I am going for a walk on the surface. Why don’t you join me?”
“Great idea, we can go to the overlook and make out.,” Marco joked as he headed to his locker.
∞
“Everyone that will be interacting with people outside the Sol system must have embedded Q comm. It will be the main mechanism for keeping you safe. There are no consulates to escape to. If you get in trouble, the rest of us need to know,” Oliver pleaded.
“If that thing in our head starts playing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida over and over I’m going to bash you Oliver,” Ariel threatened. “You hear that Al? No screwing around.”
“I know I am a practical joker, but I promise to take this part of our relationship seriously,” Al swore.
“This is otherwise a great idea, let’s make it work.” Ariel finished her say.
“How long we going to be out?” Gen. Frank asked.
“Surgical time is a bit long at four hours because of all the fine work. But recovery will only be a couple of days. One team will do two a day. Our first away team will be prepped by the end of next week.” Oliver replied.
“I’ll go first,” Babs said.
No one liked surgery. Babs insisted she be the first and volunteered to have a prototype neural link installed too. She and Al were close, and both seemed to want to be closer still. In the end, all twenty of the new Q comm devices were implanted.
One by one the crew came online with each other. Learning to sub-vocalize was nearly a week’s process and everyone was thoroughly tired of the throat whispers by the end of the second week. No need to get it perfect right away. Control was easy enough and the same protocols as telephone usage were quickly adopted.
Babs and Al now had a direct connection through the prototype link. It wasn’t as intrusive as Babs had feared although some practice was needed to turn it on and off at will. Al and Babs were both saying ‘What’ to each other until Babs got it under control. On the plus side, Babs and Al’s collaboration writing new algorithms was fantastic. His efficiency almost doubled in less than a week. Both were pleased with the new arrangement.
Babs thought to Al, ‘You have a curiosity of human sexuality that will have to be controlled, Al. When I am having sex, you need to be quiet as a mouse, understand?’
‘Yeah, it would be weird to have a conversation when you are trying to get laid. I’ll be quiet.’ Al replied.
‘As long as we understand each other. I don’t want to have this thing removed.’
∞
Wu knew he was physically defeated. The water acted as if alive and he was in a washing machine. Spin, stop, reverse, over and over. Finally, he puked and went limp. The water calmed into a sphere floated over the overflow drains and collapsed. The subcompact pistol lay two meters away, but he didn’t even think about reaching for it. A huge man approached.
“Take off all your clothes. All of them,” he commanded. Wu complied.
“Follow me,” he said and walked toward the fake volcano. Wu went on wobbly legs his manhood shriveled to an embarrassment. Another huge man was waiting near a waterfall that fell up. As Wu arrived the two seized him by an arm and a leg each and chucked him into the up fall. Wu felt like he was in a river rapid for a few moments and then the perspective changed, and he fell into a large calm pool.
“Good evening Col. Wu,” Oliver greeted.
“Mr. Eversole,” he replied looking around. On a beach at a large picnic table, he saw not only Babs but also Marco, Gabriela, that Taiwanese traitor Junebug Huang, the foreign ministers of Russia and Australia. An unknown woman wearing earbuds was also present. All but he were wearing ASS coveralls making his embarrassment even more acute. This was a very deliberate setup but bringing high level officials from other countries was unfathomable.
“This will be the last time an attack on my crew will be tolerated. The Chinese Empire has arrived at a crossroad. You will go forward with the rest of humanity or your leadership will be removed,” Oliver delivered the ultimatum.
“You will not always be lucky. Eventually, we will kill all your crew. China is patient,” Wu said in defiance.
“I did expect this attitude. Your history is well known to us. Port Aransas, an American moon base, the attack on the Pettigrew ranch and ordering the destroyer Nanchang to kill my tugboat crew. You, Col. Wu are personally responsible for these crimes. If you do not agree to take the message to the Emperor, Ariel Pettigrew will push you out an airlock. She didn’t even want to give you this chance, but I know you have a personal relationship with the Emperor. These other fine folks are witnesses and will also be briefed right now. They will be making official reports to their governments. We are deadly serious.”
“I am listening,” Wu said a little of his arrogance waning.
“This is Misha,” Oliver indicated the woman with earbuds. “She is over one hundred years old, but like most women won’t tell her age exactly. We liberated her and sixty-two others from slavery last month on a planet that was once populated by humans. That planet had been destroyed by a kinetic strike by unknown actors. There are species in the Galaxy that want to keep humans in servitude and Earth’s existence is an inconvenience. All of Earth must unite to confront this. The Chinese Empire will not be allowed to be an impediment. Now I will let Misha tell you about her life. Our translator from Galactic is not perfect yet so be patient,” Oliver motioned to her.
Misha took her cue and began telling the story of her life. Most would have been boring to other off-world people until she started telling of her activities organizing slave revolts. She was not an ordinary slave. She had traveled to numerous planets using a variety of disguises and tricks. Misha was an interstellar Jane Bond. Or more accurately a Harriet Tubman.
Wu listened and thought, ‘These people could possibly destroy the Empire. Especially if that slut Junebug Huang convinced Taiwan to help. Which they would.’ This talk of interstellar travel confused him. Why tell such an obviously ridiculous story? A woman who could grace the cover of men’s magazines over one hundred?? Why say such things?
“You are a powerful enemy Mr. Eversole, why do you talk nonsense to me?” Wu asked.
“What you need to understand is that everything you just heard is absolutely true. Al, show him Atlantis,” Oliver requested.
Al had created a movie quality video of arriving in Atlantis, the short battle using helmet cams including Ariel getting up close and personal with the last Centaur. Misha standing naked save for boots looking at the discovered Book of Enoch. It was so totally outside of Wu’s understanding of existence he could not respond. A full five minutes passed before he could form a sentence.
“I will need to show this to the Emperor,” Wu finally managed to say.
“Now you are using good sense. When you are ready, have a hologram hooked up to the internet and ask Al to show it to your people.”
“How will I get in touch with Al?”
“Just say ‘Al The Magnificent, Oh mighty creature wise and wonderful, please show we mere mortals the story of Atlantis,” Oliver joshed. “Think you can remember that? Now go. A transport is waiting for you.”
Wu left. Eight hours later he was pushed out of Dorney two blocks from Tiananmen Square by an enormous man. Still naked, still humiliated.
“We had no idea of the scale of your discoveries,” Andre the Russian Foreign Minister said after Wu was out of earshot. “These new lands are rich in minerals and energy?”
“Yes, minerals will become cheap and plentiful. One other item we did not divulge yet is American Space Service now has fusion energy. It was a byproduct innovation of our original gravity work. Russia and Australia will need to shift their economies. Extraction will be moving to new geographies.” Oliver said.
“Australians love to travel. No worries for us. I do have a suggestion if you deem it practical. Use fusion heat to melt a goodly chunk of those ice caps. You know speed things up. The oceans will be hypersaline and lifeless. Need fresh water from the ice to make sea life viable. Australians love their seafood.” Minister Lawrence said.
“That is an incredibly good idea. I will bring it up with my brother. How did you think of that so quickly?” Oliver replied with surprise.
“Geologist by training. Earth has gone through many cycles like this but normally over millions of years.”
“About this fusion energy, when will it be implemented here on Earth?” Andre asked since oil and gas were the biggest piece of Russia’s economy.
“Present plan is five years unless we are pressured from the outside,” Marco responded.
“Outside?” Andre was lost for a moment.
“The Masters will attack,” Misha clarified. “If the Shaitan find out about Earth they will attack immediately. You must be ready. That is why Oliver is pressuring all nations to work together if not unify.”
“Misha will be acting as a guide when we go out. We hope to stir up trouble out there, so we have time to get ready to return to the stage.” Marco said.
