“I discovered at an early age that a strong aggressive offense is the best defense against arrogant, empire building egomaniacs. I care about success. I definitely have an ego and it’s a big one. But I think it’s foolish to stomp on an idea that works, just because it wasn’t mine. I embrace achievers and abhor those who build roadblocks to achievement.”

  Mike smiled warmly. “Bet, I wasn’t just wrong about you…I was completely dead wrong. You are exactly what we need out here.”

  Bambi, breakfast please.

  On it.

  The table opened up again and there were two plates with scrambled eggs and sort of bacon, with toast and jam.

  Bet let out a breath and mumbled, “Oh this is wonderful. I’m really hungry.”

  “Doctor, do you think the others will come in with us?”

  “Oh hell yes. Look at it this way. You have a bunch of old scientists, each with one foot in the grave. It’s been several years since they had any relevance in the scientific community and they’ve more or less given up on life. Then you come along, give them a healthier body and vitality and tell them they can help to save the world. You have offered them a sense of importance. They can use their years of experience for the good of mankind. They matter again.”

  Mike nodded, grinned and asked her, “Bet, how old do you think I am?”

  She displayed her intelligence by answering, “I have no idea, because I assume you’ve been through some youth process. You look like you’re in your mid-twenties. If I must guess, I’d say you’re around fifty or sixty.”

  “I’m seventy one years old. Now, let me ask how old you are?”

  She looked sheepish and told him, “You don’t just ask a lady that sort of question. However, I’m eighty six.”

  “Bet, I don’t believe you’ve looked in a mirror yet, but you look more like fifty, and if I may say so, a damn fine looking fifty. That’s a partial benefit of our med unit repairs. After you’ve been upgraded, you’ll have the youthful body of a twenty five year old woman. And, you’ll live to be more than two hundred, maybe even much older, we’re not sure yet.”

  She couldn’t hide her huge, wide, toothy smile. “Damn, Mike, you sure know how to make a sales pitch.” Then she frowned. “So, what’s the down side…there’s always a down side to good news.”

  “Smart girl. Yes there is a down side. To be upgraded is a very painful process. We’ve learned a lot, since I was upgraded and it’s a lot better now. But it’s still a rough go for anyone who wants to join us. Also, there’s a good chance we’ll all be killed by aliens, within the next two years.”

  She became dead serious, when she declared, “If I get a shot at a new life, in a young body, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let a bunch of aliens fuck it up for me. I’ll deal with the pain and do everything I can to stop those bastards.”

  Mike held out his hand and she shook it, as he asked, “So you really do think the others will want to join up?”

  “Mike, I think they’ll all want to join you. However, most of us have family on Earth and we’re going to want to let them know we’re OK. I suppose we can do that without letting the bird out of the cage. We’ll concoct some sort of story about volunteering for some secret government project. That should be believable to our families, because most of us have worked on top secret projects, at one time or another.”

  She pushed a fork full of scrambled eggs in her mouth and her eyes shot open, as she said, “Oh my God. This IS a secret government project, isn’t it?”

  Mike grimaced and admitted, “It is and it isn’t. Bet, we are an independent group of people who don’t really trust any one government on Earth, not even the American government. I suppose, in a way, we are our own government out here. We are completely autonomous and answer only to the need to defend Earth.”

  She looked skeptical. “I’m not sure I like that, Mike. You have already frightened me once. Why should I trust you and not the government of my own country?”

  He leaned forward and challenged her, “Bet, I’m not Napoleon and I have no desire to rule over anyone.”

  He changed his tone and offered, “Haven’t you ever been afraid of something the government was doing, in spite of warnings from the scientific community? Look at how many times some scientific endeavor was sidelined or altered, because some congressman wanted the project performed in his state, or some crony company was going to donate to his campaign.

  “And what about the enormous organized corrupt body that congress has become. None of them are working with criminals per se, but they work closely with industrial giants who are out for the almighty dollar. So, a project that should only warrant a fifty thousand dollar grant, gets bumped up to two million and has to be conducted through some company that’s charging a fortune to manage the research.

  “What I’m saying is that if we let people like that take over the defense of Earth, the last thing that will happen, before we’re destroyed, is that several large companies will have made more profit.

  “I’m pretty sure the first thing a lot of the politicians would want us to do is to figure out a way for them to be carried to a safer world so they could be safely hidden and protected there.”

  His voice had grown louder and his anger at the adulteration of everything he held dear, caused him to rise half way out of his chair.

  Better calm down a little, boss. She’s not handling your anger very well.

  Yeah. Thanks, Bambi.

  He sank back into his chair. “Bet, I’m sorry…again. I think my problem is that I’m scared. I’m very concerned for the survival of the planet. I feel that regardless of anything we can come up with, it’s going to be inadequate. It’s very tempting to put it all on the backs of the Americans, but I’ve had too many looks into that nest of vipers on Capital Hill to believe that the bureaucracy can pull things together fast enough to save us.”

  She surprised him, by reaching out and taking his hand in hers, saying, “You’ve been burned by that bureaucracy before, haven’t you? I have too, Mike. I wish you were wrong, I really do. But I see your point and it is sadly true. If we can pull in the right people and do it without the interruption of the government, we can get things done with a speed they never could achieve. We’ll do it, Mike. We must do it.”

  He was strangely comforted by her touch and her words. He liked this woman and he knew she would be a tremendous addition to the team. He wouldn’t tell her until after she was upgraded, but he definitely wanted her on the senior staff.

  They talked for another two hours. He pulled no punches, as he described the agony of being upgraded. She was intimidated by that prospect, but assured him that she knew it was worth the aguish. However, she suggested that the others be made aware of the reality of it, in a kinder fashion.

  “Bet, I’ll have Mary handle it. I know I can be a bull in a china shop. But, we absolutely will not soft peddle it to them. They have a right to know it will be difficult. Mary has a nice way of dealing with bad news and she already had the assignment of explaining it to the scientists.”

  She grinned at him and patted his hand, as she sarcastically told him, “You’re a kind man.”

  Before he could rein in his response, he replied, “Screw you.”

  She laughed. “Oh, so that’s why you brought me here, to screw me. I might like that. I haven’t been laid in nearly thirty years. This could work.”

  “Oh good grief, Bet. I’m sorry. I was just shooting out the first response that hit me and it was crude and uncalled for. Forgive me, please.”

  “Mike, this is going to be a very odd relationship, if you have to apologize every ten minutes. I forgive you. Just never stop calling it like you see it. I respond best to the unvarnished truth. That was something I rarely got from oversight committees, in the government, or academia.”

  She patted his hand again and asked, “So, when do I go for my upgrade? Can I send a message to my daughter and grandchildren first?”

  He smiled and told her, “You need a few days to fully recover from being partially,” he paused, and then said, “Youthanized. So yes, you can send messages to anyone you wish. But we’ll have to clear them first. We will not make changes to the message, without letting you have input to it, before hand. Our computer will monitor your progress, for now; and when you’ve reached the point of strength that’s required, we’ll put you into hell.”

  She shook her head and said, “Youthanized. I realize you have usurped a word that properly captures what you’ve done for us, but it could easily be misinterpreted. On the other hand, it is appropriate. You have euthanized our old bodies and given youth to us through our new bodies. Still, it sounds as though we’ve been murdered. Better to stay away from the word.”

  He nodded in agreement. Then asked, “So, Bet, you have a daughter and grandchildren, tell me about them.”

  The next hour was far more pleasant than the first two had been. They exchanged stories of their youth and their families. It was a very enjoyable time for both of them.

  Bambi interrupted on the speakers. “Sorry to break in, General, but the Naval officers you asked about are doing well and I thought you might wish to speak with them.”

  Bet stood up and said, “Well, Mike, this has been very nice, but you obviously have work to do. I’ll need some help getting back to the medical area. Perhaps you could escort me, or have someone show me the way.”

  “Bambi, have a robot take Dr. Fulwiler anywhere she wants to go.”

  “Yes sir. Doctor, there will be a robot chair outside the door in thirty seconds. Just sit in it and tell me what you wish to see.”

  “Oh, thank you. Mike, I see that you have a very competent assistant.”

  “Bet, you have no idea how true that is.”

  I like her, boss. Can I keep her?

  She’s ours already. Show her the Bridge and give her a look at the various planets. Answer her questions and if she wants to meet you, tell her you are currently located deep in the ship, in a restricted area, and you’re working on too many things to break free at the moment.

  Mike, I interpret that as meaning you don’t want her to know I’m a sentient being.

  Not yet. Let’s wait until people have been through the upgrade to make them aware of that.

  Got it.

  He commed his son and asked how it was going. Wayne assured him that the vets were dealing with this better than they had hoped. Wayne had originally feared that many of them would want to go back to Earth and use their regained youth. But thus far, nearly half of them were leaning toward staying and getting the upgrade.

  Son, we need a higher percentage of return for our efforts. Also, have you told them they would be restricted to the Mother Ship and train out here, not on Earth? They might not be going to Earth for quite a while, if ever. The last thing we need is for the people of Earth to see our big men who can easily lift a car, flexing their muscles. And how long would it be before one of those guys wants to try out his new abilities in a bar fight. We’d be explaining the dead bodies for months and the media would be pressing for answers, as well as arrests and prosecutions.

  I see your point, dad. We’ll explain it to them in the next video.

  Chapter 4

  Mike, was in conference with Mary and three scientists, as they worked out the details of an idea Bet had suggested. All of the highly prized scientists would use the same reason for their disappearance. They would tell their relatives that they were members of a group of elderly consultants who had been invited to provide ideas and guidance for dealing with a threat to the planet from outer space, such as an asteroid. This was not entirely untrue and because it was technically accurate, they were satisfied that, while they were misleading their relatives, it was not an outright lie.

  They kicked around several more ideas and asked many more technical questions, which required direct input from Bambi. It was very frustrating for the scientists, because Bambi was unable to provide the details they sought. The Saurans were clever in how they protected their knowledge of engineering, particularly where the drive engines were concerned.

  It was clear to Mike that the meeting had run its coarse and he was just about to leave, when Bambi told him, General, the president is calling. I told him you would be right with him.

  It had been decided from the very beginning that ship’s time would be set to Earth Eastern Standard Time. So, when the President called, it was nine in the evening, in Washington, DC. Mike quickly excused himself. As he walked to his room, he responded through the comm.

  “Mr. President, how can I help you?”

  “Mike, I have brought a few more people into the loop. I felt it was necessary, in order to get things rolling, and to add some brainpower to our side. If that offends you I’m sorry. But you have to give me more leeway, to make these calls. After all, I am the President of the United States.”

  “I’m not upset, sir. I’ve already come to the same conclusion. You’re correct sir, I have to trust you to make the right call. Just remember that many of your decisions will not only affect America, but the entire human race.

  “May I ask who else you’ve brought in?”

  As Bob Stassen read off the list of people in on the project, Mike chuckled inwardly. He didn’t want the President to know that he already knew of the additional people, because Bambi had placed micro-stealth-drones in the White House and at Camp David. She was also monitoring key offices and secure telephone lines, such as Hardesty’s and Oldfield’s.

  Bambi kept Mike apprised of the moves being made down there, even the ones that the President was unaware of. Bob Stassen’s advisors told each other it provided their boss with plausible deniability.

  For instance, the Secretary of Defense, Mike Hardesty, had brought in a small team of men who he tasked with some interesting duties. They were to find out where in space the Mother Ship was located and to work up a plan to capture it, if they could get out there.

  Another team was tasked with capturing any of the spacemen, as Hardesty had called them, especially Mike, or Jo. It was a logical move and Mike was pleased that Hardesty had the balls to consider those possibilities. It made sense to Mike and he wasn’t worried about it, because they had no chance of succeeding, although they didn’t know that.

  Todd Pierpoint, the President’s National Security Advisor, had his people looking for any friends and relatives of Mike and Max, who could be used as leverage against them.

  Mike had Bambi check to see if any effort was being made to arrest or otherwise hassle any of Max’s friends and relatives, as well as Mike’s, of course. She assured him that she was watching very closely and saw no such moves and had not overheard any calls, which would indicate plans to bring those people in.

  Bambi wrapped up her analysis, Mike, Pierpoint seems to be a decent guy. I think he’s just protecting his ass, by covering all the bases. When one of his subordinates asked if they should put pressure on a few relatives, he exploded and warned them to stay away from them, but maintain a covert watch, just in case. He did authorize phone taps on all of them.

  That upset Mike; but on second thought he realized it should not have surprised him. Throughout the history of mankind, it had been shown that people in power were capable of doing anything to protect their status, no matter how despicable. The sycophants around them were some of the worst; Heinrich Himmler, Hitler’s chief of the SS, for example.

  The fact that the Americans were this paranoid, made him wonder how bad the other governments of the free world would be. And then, there were the governments of nations who didn’t have a track record of high moral standards or ethics. He would need to talk with Max about internal security. I hate to admit it, he thought, but I might need my own Himmler. That possibility sent a chill down his back.

  The President wrapped up the short list of new insiders, and then told Mike, “I can’t emphasize this enough, Mr. Hurst, and I don’t mean to impugn your integrity or loyalty to America or the human race. However, after reviewing your record, it’s obvious that you simply don’t have the experience or staff to deal with the enormity of this dilemma. If you would just come down to Earth and set up base here, we can work together on this.”

  Mike was glad the President couldn’t see his evil grin, as he responded, “Sir, my small staff and I have had the same thought. We, that is to say both of our people, need to get rolling on a number of projects, which will be critical if we’re to have any chance at all. We need the help of the best scientific minds you can put on this project and those will be your people.

  “The need for secrecy and manufacturing space is vital, for as long as we can maintain it. I’m suggesting that you authorize the use of land on Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, where we can begin to build production facilities. We think initially five hundred acres, but there might be a need to grow larger, so you might want to have your people keep that in mind. I am not insisting, sir; I merely suggesting.”

  Mike Hardesty spoke up. “Mr. Hurst, do you have any preferred location on the base?”

  Mike thought that was a subtle way to see how much info Mike already had about Nellis.

  “Not really, Mr. Hardesty. But I would think that anywhere inside the basin would be preferred. It’s already very secure and we definitely want to keep prying eyes from seeing what’s going on there.

  “Incidentally, when we return in a few weeks, we’ll be bringing two fabricators with us. The small one is capable of producing a number of interesting gadgets and the larger one will be able to produce a combination of space and atmospheric fighters, the likes of which you won’t believe. They’ll have targeting abilities that don’t currently exist anywhere on Earth; and the plasma weapons are amazingly accurate. One of the best things about these weapons is that they recharge and fire in nanoseconds. With these, you could annihilate an entire air fleet of Russian bombers in ten seconds, using two fighters.”