WE HAVE CONTACT (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 12) (7 page)

“She would shit bricks if she knew what we had to go through, to just fly out of here. Like we won a lottery to be so lucky. Or shit, does she think we stop working at five o’clock?” Todd nodded his head that he heard Bobcat before he introduced himself to the next person in line.

—

“Alright everybody, settle down!” Bobcat stared at everyone as they started sitting down in their seats. “I would like to get a few things straight before we get started. My name is Bobcat,” he turned to his left, “his name is William,” he then turned to his right, “this gentleman here is Marcus.” Bobcat turned back to everyone, “Before you get too rambunctious, please understand a few years ago I was a helicopter pilot.” He jerked a thumb at William, “he has been, and always will be, a wrench monkey.” Bobcat heard a few chuckles at his comment. He turned to his right, “And he is, well,” he looked over to Marcus and scratched his chin, “Actually, he is a rocket scientist.” A few more chuckles happened as Marcus shrugged.

Bobcat heard William’s voice sing-song, “Which one of these things is not like the other?”

Ignoring his friend, Bobcat continued, “We are not in your chain of command, we don’t give a shit about your government, we are here because our Queen, Bethany Anne, has requested that we help fill you in and answer questions. As you can tell, I am not accustomed to speaking in front of a large audience and frankly, if my language offends you,” he pointed to the exit, “Don’t let the nonexistent door hit you on the ass on your way out.”

Bobcat grabbed his drink and took a sip, “So, if you can’t be civil, and I’m looking at you government representatives in the audience, then please just keep your mouth shut. I am pretty sure your government would not appreciate finding out that your snarky comments caused your whole team to be forcefully ejected from this discussion.” He set his mug back down, “Just a little insight, we are a betting group, and I have odds that France will be the first country removed.”

There were certainly some chuckles from the audience, this time. However, those representatives from France bit their tongues and didn’t say a word. Bobcat frowned and looked over to the group representing France, “Dammit, I’ve got a hundred bucks riding on you guys pissing us off, don’t go being a better man than me right now!” This time, Bobcat was able to get even the French representatives to chuckle.

Shaking his head, Bobcat got back on task, “Okay, we have received most of the questions and eliminated the duplicates. For the most part, Marcus will answer a lot of the technical issues, and will be around to answer more of the refined scientific questions after our main meeting. This is so three-quarters of our audience and myself, won’t have our ears bleed from having to listen to too much math.”

This time, Bobcat was able to get a few cheers from the audience. He picked up his mug and waved it out to the audience, “Plus, there is free beer when this is all over.” Significant cheering happened at that point.

 
“You bastard!” William whispered, “That’s how you’re going to get the meeting to stay on time!” Bobcat chuckled under his breath.

Bobcat reached down and picked up the first note card, “I am not going to stipulate which country this might or might not be from since we might have received it from multiple sources. So, here goes the first question. ‘Why do you believe the aliens are not friendly?’”

Marcus stood up, “Bethany Anne explained to your political leaders that our massive advances in technology are due to integration between alien technology and earth’s technology. She did not explain that part of the reason we can integrate so well is that we are, in fact, in communication with an alien.”

It took a couple of minutes for the room to settle down. “Please, don’t make me point out which of those countries represented here already have alien technology in their possession. So, let’s get over the fact that aliens exist and move on. For anyone that wants to question my assertion that we are in communication with aliens, you can merely look to the fact that our alien technology is working. Either we are that much smarter than everybody else, or we have outside knowledge. I suppose another option would be that we found the alien equivalent of a Rosetta Stone. However, I will assert that isn’t true, and you can believe what you wish.”

Marcus reached down and lifted up his paper tablet to flip it to another page of his notes, “No, the alien is not going to be made available for your review. No, he is not going to be at your ‘beck and call’, no he isn’t interested in switching sides.” Marcus looked up, “Yes, he has a name. He named himself Thales of Miletus, Bethany Anne calls him ‘TOM’ for short. So, that is what we call him.” he looked around, “I can see from my inquisitive friends in the audience wondering why he chose that name.” A few heads were nodding in the audience, “It is because TOM felt that Thales of Miletus’s focus on math represented his clan’s efforts to understand math at their core. He is one of twelve clans of aliens which make up the Kurtherians.”

 
Marcus continued, “A short, short background on Kurtherians is that they are what some science fiction writers would call a master race. Any of the technology you see us using is something Kurtherians had a minimum of a millennium or more in our pre-history. This group of aliens, twelve clans, broke up into two groups. A group of seven, and a group of five. The seven groups of aliens, over time, took to modifying sentient races on planets until they achieved enough technological and warfare capabilities to fight another race. Often, these fights would be in different solar systems.”

“So, in time the seven decided to take their enhanced races and use them as cannon fodder to attack the five. One of the five clans decided to try and help a few races out in the universe by helping them evolve so that they might be able to at least have a fighting chance should the time come.”

Behind the three guys, a giant screen showed the original spaceship screenshot from the video that had been shared with the world leaders the previous day. Bobcat spoke, “We do not know if the spaceship in this somewhat blurry picture is a Kurtherian ship or not. For the sake of safety, we are going to assume that it can be inimical to the human race. While we have no intentions of blowing it out of the sky, I can guarantee you we have no intentions of it leaving if we can stop it.”

Bobcat lifted up another postcard, “What can our countries do to prepare?” Bobcat looked across the audience, “One, you can consider whether or not you want to provide an acknowledgment that aliens exist in the first place. Second, you have to fight the concept that any advanced race that attains faster than light travel will obviously be friendly. Assuming you don’t want to do either one or two, or both, you should probably stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye.”

William stood up and shook his head towards his two friends before looking out at the audience. “You need to focus your scientific efforts into genetics, gravitic capabilities and proactive ideas around defense. It would help if you decided to get along with your fellow man, so you’re not fighting each other. But rather fighting what’s coming at you from up there.” He pointed to the ceiling. “We recognize that there is a lot of expectation that if you discuss aliens with a large group of people, there will be mass hysteria. Or, that is the general assumption of your governments. If you don’t get them prepared, then make sure you have plans should you need to explain this to them really quickly.” William sat back down.

As William sat down, Marcus took his seat as well. Bobcat pulled up the next card, “Assuming this ship is malevolent, and we can contain it, how much time does that buy us?”
 

Bobcat looked out to the group, “Honestly, we don’t know. While we suspect that this particular ship, after discussions with our alien contact, is a scout ship. The safest assumption is five years. Although, it could be as much as 20 years. In the off-chance that they are friendly, then it could be a few hundred years. We are not in a major pass-through zone out here. According to TOM, they probably believe our solar system is a useless dead end. This is one of the reasons we have been left alone for so long. We have evidence that shows we have been visited by both the five and the seven. One of these days, could be next week, could be ten years, they will come back and check on us.”

Apparently, the beer was not as big a draw as the information Bobcat, William and Marcus were providing. Bobcat lost his bet with William when they went over the time limit by three hours.

Clan Temple Near Shennongjia Peak, Hubei

Sun Zedong, ex-General in the PLA, sat in a restful pose in the temple of the Sacred Clan, his eyes closed. One might be forgiven for believing he was at peace sitting there in the dim candlelight, shadows playing on the stone walls hewn out of the sacred rock.
 

It was but an illusion.

Zedong was biding his time, as Sun Tzu taught. Take the measure of your enemy and strike from a position of power, not ignorance.

After his unexpected rescue by the Leopard Empress, Stephanie Lee, Zedong had been happy to have his head removed from the Governmental chopping block.

Now, Zedong was determined to put it back on the chopping block for the sake of his country and his people.

He could barely hear the soft footfalls of the feet approaching when his name was spoken in the quiet of the temple, “Zedong, the Empress would like to speak with you.”

Sun Zedong opened his eyes, a bell reverberating outside the mountain temple, calling to those who worshiped in this forsaken place, and nodded his understanding.

—

Zedong kept his thoughts clear, his worries under his conscious thought. There had already been too many little tells which suggested that someone in the group, perhaps the Empress, could read minds.

He nodded to the guards standing ready at the entrance to her suite. They allowed him entrance. Truly, there was little he could do to the woman. She had already displayed her ability to change, the high healing rate of those who followed her and the speed of her attacks.

He was but a baby compared to her.

Then, there was her father, who rarely was more than a few steps away at any time.

Stephanie Lee was wearing a white robe, with green embroidery in the shape of a leopard flowing up her right side. The opposite side of the gown was unadorned. She was sitting down, a table in front of her with two pillows for those who would join her. He stepped in front, bowed, and then stepped to the pad on the left when she nodded in recognition.

“General Sun,” she started, “we have waited as long as we might for those in power to relax. We cannot wait longer, as my enemy grows in strength. Who was it, the British Prime Minister who said, ‘Ask me for anything but time?’”

“No, my Empress,” he answered, “It was the French leader, Napoleon.”

“Yes, thank you.” She nodded her acceptance of his correction. “I have a need for your services, General. It is for this and other things which I saved you. Is this understood?”

“Yes, my Empress,” Zedong replied, “I understood that you would use my contacts and capabilities to move the Clans efforts forward.” He pursed his lips and added, “It is a logical contract requirement for saving my life.”

Stephanie Lee looked at the General.

Yin, can you confirm if he is lying?
Stephanie Lee asked.

No. He is as calm on the surface of his thoughts as one who is telling the truth. Or, he could be a consummate liar.

Then we will send insurance.

“Ting?” Stephanie Lee spoke loudly, then waited. Zedong was not surprised when the simple-looking peasant female arrived moments later.

“Yes, Empress?”

“You and General Sun will take a helicopter as transportation, and go meet with some of his contacts. See who we can persuade that the future of China lies with the Sacred Clan, not the present selfishly-focused political leaders of our nation.”

“Yes, Empress.” Ting bowed low.

Zedong bowed also and rose fluidly up to follow the shorter woman out of the suite. It was some time before he allowed himself the barest amount of hope.

The Leopard Empress had provided a simple peasant to monitor his movements.

There was no way, he figured, that she would have any idea of the more sophisticated discussions he might have with his contacts.

QBS ArchAngel, The Bitches’ Workout Area

The practice room was relatively large, with a viewing area protected with transparent, unbreakable glass off to one side for eight to sit and watch those fighting on the floor.

But the whole room was empty save for two friends. Two friends who had been on a highway to hell tracking Forsaken and Nosferatu across the United States years back.
 

That road ending in the Florida Everglades.

Where John’s life had been ending rapidly, choking on blood. His knife jammed through his chest protection by the last Nosferatu the group had been fighting. The four of them had been able to handle one, but two Nosferatu had been one too many for everyone to survive the encounter.

John had taken the hit, as he would have wanted it if any on his team was going to go down. These men had been his brothers, his kin, and he was ok if it was his blood that would be spilled to keep them alive.

Until Bethany Anne.

She had come in like a demon savior, eyes glowing red. His friend, Eric, standing in front of him, yanking the blade out of his chest as Bethany Anne provided her life-giving blood to heal him.

Now, his friend wanted to do something dangerous, something John was trying desperately to talk him out of, “Are you
nucking futs
, Eric?” John asked him, shaking his head. “Of all the Gott Verdammt stupid ass ideas to get a woman’s attention, I cannot suggest kicking her ass as the one I would pick buddy.”

Eric shrugged and grinned slightly, “I can’t say I’m looking forward to the meetings with Bethany Anne and Stephen after you, either.” Eric leaned to his side to stretch. “But I have to make sure she knows, deep in her bones, that the Eric I am now is not the Eric she helped save back in Costa Rica.”