Ozark Mountains

The Spaceship

Elizabeth was looking at her sister, lying there motionless, and was wondering if she would make a full recovery. Max explained it to her that while the nanites were perfectly capable of fixing all physical parts of the body, the mind was a far more complex thing. Anna was in a coma, and there were no assurances she would ever wake up.

“Anna, I hope you can hear me… I need you to try your hardest to get better. Do not leave me here alone,” she whispered close to her sister’s ear, brushing a stray lock of hair from her forehead.

All major healing procedures were already done, and the sterile field was turned off. Her sister looked far healthier than she did in the hospital; if Elizabeth did not know better, it seemed as if Anna were peacefully sleeping. Max said they would not try to bring her back to consciousness until the evening, there were some internal fixes he was conducting slowly, healing on the cellular level. If everything turned out alright, by the end of the day she would get her sister back.

These last few days were a whirlwind of emotions for her. Ever since she woke up in the same bed Anna was lying in now, her life has been turned upside down. Even so, if not for all of the strange things that happened, she would in all likelihood be dead and so would her sister.

She thought about Michael, and how strange and what an unusual person he was. With such an enormous dream, and not-so-subtle sense of a higher purpose he exuded, without even being aware of it. He wanted to save the human race, no less; you cannot have dreams bigger than that.

Elizabeth closed her eyes and recalled that moment in the warehouse when she intervened in what would have probably been his execution. The pressure on the trigger when she shot down one of the thugs, and the hail of bullets she sent in the direction of the other. That was the problem. In the heat of the moment, she discharged the entire magazine on two targets and did not have any spare rounds. She did manage to exterminate one of the two vermin she came there for, with her first shot, and hit another in the next few seconds. Although, she was trained to be better than that, to be logical even in high-stress situations, except… this was personal, and the reason was absent at the time.

The leader, who was not dead as she thought at first, got up and shot Michael. He was the other one who had raped Anna, and she had to stop him. So, she rushed at him while he was still aiming a gun at the man who was her unknowing helper; it was a decision born of rage, hopelessness, and a wish to do something meaningful. She has already decided that this would be a one-way trip; Anna will get justice even if it cost Elizabeth her life. The full body slam was the only attack she could think of at the time, but he was so much heavier than she was, and all she managed was to distract him for a moment and to be shot in the process. That bullet felt like a freight train; she fell to the ground hoping that her action would give enough of a distraction for the man the thugs were trying to kill… and it did.

Through the pain, she saw the demise of the big brute and sighed with a sense of relief that her sister was avenged. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was the look in Michael's eyes, kind, and caring… trying to help her.

Then, like Alice in Wonderland, she woke up on the other side of the mirror.

This ship, the AI, his plan, and all this unbelievable technology that surrounded her. This was her new reality, and she was fine with that, in spite of how preposterous it all was. While Michael told her his story, she realized that this technology, no matter where it came from, could help her sister. This unexpected lifeline could save Anna’s life; everything else was insignificant beside that fact. She would have done anything to make her sister whole again. Pledging her life to a visionary, and if she was being honest, a somewhat megalomaniacal plan, no matter how noble — was a small price to pay. A part of her knew that Michael would have helped her even if she had chosen to take her sister and walk away, but there was a debt owed, and she always paid her debts.

***

E-waste Recycling Plant

This day was turning out to be a great one. That was what Michael thought as he was driving in the direction of the recycling plant, after visiting the bank where he deposited the money he acquired from the failed gold deal.

Max had arranged the whole thing through the creative use of electronic communication, so it was not such a surprise that everything went smoothly with the bank director. When somebody deposits six million dollars in your bank, things had better be going smoothly; the bank staff did not disappoint. For the first time in his life, Michael got to experience how the rich and famous were treated, it was something he could get used to. There was no waiting in long lines or having to deal with the cantankerous bank tellers. Moreover, Max made sure there was a solid false trail for such a large amount of cash; it could withstand rigorous scrutiny so the IRS would get their cut and would not get suspicious.

All of Dave’s debts were already paid, and the recycling plant property had become the newly formed company’s asset. Lawyers too could be very accommodating when there are large numbers involved; they go out of their way to make sure their rich clients are taken care of.

Dave was already waiting at the front gate, his posture and appearance far better than before Michael transferred medical nanites to him.

“You are early, I didn’t expect you for a few more days,” the old man said as Michael exited his truck.

“I finished my business sooner than I planned, even went to the bank and paid all of your debts. I now officially own this place,” Michael replied.

Dave must have seen the look of guilt written on his face. It was not easy, telling the man that what he once owned now belong to another.

“Now, don’t give me that look. This boat has been sinking for a long time, you saved me from going under the waves,” the old man told him with a happy smile.

A few minutes later, they were once again sitting inside the trailer, and Michael accepted a cold bottle of beer from Dave.

“Now Mike, I want to ask you something… I am an old man, and I have been through a lot in my life. With age comes experience to see things as they are, to believe your instincts no matter what the situation is. I know you did something the last time you were here because right now I feel twenty years younger. And it didn’t happen by itself. So… would you level with me? Will you trust me enough to tell me the truth?”

Michael contemplated it for a second, making up his mind. In the end, he went with his gut feeling.

“You’re right Dave, I did do something, and it is a strange story. If you’re willing to turn off your disbelief for a while, I’ll tell you. With the condition that you keep it to yourself.”

Dave looked him in the eye and then offered his hand, “You have my word,” he solemnly said.

“I believe you, now let me start from the beginning. I was walking in the woods on my property one day, and…”

The old man listened to the story with rapt attention, only going to the fridge to get replacements for their empty bottles.

“Hot damn… If I did not feel like I do, I would have called you a liar. That must have been the strangest story I heard in my life. But here I am, feeling like a young man again,” he said while looking at his hands, which had lost the inflammation advanced arthritis caused. “That is quite a thing you went through, and the things you are planning to do... damn.”

“So, is our deal still on, will you work with me?”

Dave raised one of his bushy eyebrows. “Of course I will, I gave you my word, alien ships or not. Just be careful Mike, you know what our government would do if they knew about it.” The old man’s face betrayed a wave of deep-seated anger and resentment towards those corrupt politicians that were chosen to shape the course of his nation. “They have some mighty big hammers, and every problem looks like a nail to them.”

They finished their beers and Michael, followed by Dave, went back to his pickup. Underneath the cover, in the cargo bed, were two big metallic suitcases that Max had constructed. While their appearance was not unusual, they were, in fact, a solid mass of dormant construction nanites. Controlled by Max, they would assemble an ordinary-looking recycling machine, which would be a cover for their real purpose. Max's plan was for them to use materials, supplied by Dave, and burrow under the ground where they would create a medium-sized nano-factory. Out of everyone's sight, and at the same time to also make a big storage container where all processed materials and metals would be kept.

“Let’s put this in one of those out-of-the-way warehouses,” said Michael, pointing with his chin at the back of the property. He first had to ask Dave for a hand truck, the solid nanites suitcases were far more than he could carry with ease.

The warehouse they chose was old and dusty, but still solid and waterproof. There was a big pile of scrap metal at its center, and under Max’s direction, Michael placed the suitcases on top of it.

“Now, stay back and watch this,” the AI said through the implant.

For a second nothing happened, and then the suitcases started to dissolve into the scrap metal, like ferromagnetic goo. The pieces of scrap metal melted and soon geometric shapes were starting to appear. It took maybe an hour, but neither Dave nor Michael took their eyes off this fascinating process. In the end, in front of them stood a brand-new industrial recycling machine, with a big intake receptacle for depositing of scrap material.

“If I didn’t see it with my own eyes…” said Dave, absentmindedly.

“I know what you mean, quite incredible, isn’t it,” Michael replied, mesmerized by incredible building abilities of nanites.

“Instead of looking like a couple of tourists at the latest attraction, would you mind putting some scrap into the receptacle, I would like to finish the job. This nano-factory still needs a lot of materials to complete its underground components, and you are burning daylight.” The AI said after a while.

Dave and Michael spent hours transferring scrap metal, old computers, and basically everything closely available into the receptacle, which accepted it all like a bottomless pit.

He left the plant when the sun was setting, instructing Dave that tomorrow, he should put as much material as he could inside the machine, but also to rest and take care of himself. Just in case the old man was short on cash, Michael gave him a few thousand dollars for expenses.

“By tomorrow, the nano-factory should be finished. It already converted and stored everything you and Dave placed inside of it; it’s building itself and soon it would be able to manufacture our first satellite probe,” Max informed him as he was driving away.

“Where is the energy coming from?” Michael asked.

“There was a miniaturized reactor inside the suitcase, but a bigger one has already been constructed, underneath. The fuel is separated directly from the air, so the power is the least of our concerns. What worries me is that we will outgrow this location, sooner than you think, and will need far more resources.”

"Let's cross that bridge when we come to it," Michael said. “Right now, I'm more concerned about Anna.”

“She will be ready to wake up by the time you get there.”

“Will she be okay?”

“Michael, I really don't know. I could give you percentages and predictions, but they all fall into the realm of maybe.” The AI replied in a quiet voice.

“Well, I'm holding my fingers crossed.”

Michael drove a little above the speed limit, wanting to reach home as soon as possible.

***

Ozark Mountains

The Spaceship

Elizabeth was not at the cabin, so after a quick shower, he went to the ship. It was dark outside, and a thick layer of clouds hid the light of the moon, Michael used his old army flashlight to light the way.

He found her in the AutoDoc, sitting beside her sister's bed, and it seemed as if she had been there for most of the day. The pang of guilt went through him for leaving her alone today.

“How are you doing?” He asked her after she noticed him.

“Hi, alright… I guess. I was sitting here thinking of all the things Anna and I used to do together. I’m not really a religious person, but I spent a lot of time praying for her to be alright.” Her hand was gently holding her sister’s. Under the white AutoDoc’s lights, he could see that there were dried tears marks on her face.

“I'm sorry I wasn't here today.”

“It’s okay, Max kept me company.” She smiled.

At the mention of his name, the AI materialized his hologram beside Michael.

“It is time for her to wake, are you ready?”

“Yes… there is no point in waiting,” Elizabeth said quietly.

At first, nothing happened, maybe she was breathing a little deeper, and both Michael and Elizabeth were holding their breath. He knew that if this did not work, she would be devastated.

It seemed like an hour to Michael, but could have been only a few minutes before the young girl on the bed stirred, and opened her eyes. She had that look of a person waking from a very deep sleep.

It took a few seconds for her to get her bearings in an unfamiliar environment, but then she saw her sister.

“Liz… what happened?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

“Anna!” Elizabeth shouted in happiness, hugging her sister as she began to cry with the hard sobs shaking her body. Every emotion she had bottled up from the day Anna was kidnapped were wanting to break free. Now, with Anna safe, she could let go of that constant emotional hold on herself.

Michael exited the room, unseen by Anna; it was a profusely private moment, and he wanted to give two sisters some privacy. That must have been what Max was thinking too, as soon as he saw the girl waking up, his hologram had vanished.

***

It has been an hour since he left them alone, sitting in the pilot's chair and using his CEI to go over his schedule with Max. Tomorrow he had planned to go on a day trip, this whole thing will soon be too big for one man to do alone, and he really needed some additional help.

He would start with his old team, from his days in the military, whom he trusted with his life in the past. To him, they were more than friends—they were family. Years had passed since they were all in a combat situation, but some things you do not forget, and they did have years of experience in covert operations. The nanites will be used to repair and wind the clock back on their bodies, and after they familiarized themselves with all the advantages this technology could give them, well… they will become a force to be reckoned with.

“They are ready to come out,” Max informed him.

Anna walked a little unsteady, holding her sister for additional stability, but when she saw him, she walked toward Michael, put her arms around his neck, and gave him a strong hug.

“Thank you for everything, Elizabeth told me what you did for me, and I can never repay you for saving my life.”

He was caught off guard, but in the next moment recovered and held the young girl. “It’s all right, it was the right thing to do, and it wasn’t your fault what happened,” Michael said as Max materialized his hologram beside them.

Anna showed the same amazement as her sister did when faced with Max’s hologram. For a while, she was like a little kid in front of the Christmas tree, waving her hand through his body, to everyone’s amusement.

“This is so cool!” Was the sentence she said several times.

A few minutes later, they were sitting around the table, drinking a freshly brewed coffee from a coffeemaker Max installed on the ship. When you get right down to it, the coffeemaker was an essential piece of equipment.

“How much do you remember?” Michael asked the young girl.

She took a deep breath, and then released it slowly. “I remember going home after my classes, it was a nice day, and I wanted to take a walk. The big van pulled near the sidewalk, and the driver asked me for directions to the nearest hospital. But when I approached it, a side door opened and two men, wearing masks, pulled me inside… after that, the van sped up.” Anna shivered, in spite of the ship's comfortable temperature. “I remember one of them hitting me in the stomach, so hard I couldn't take a breath, and the other injecting me with a syringe. Nothing after that, as if I have fallen asleep, and woke up here.”

Anna’s arms hugged her body, and her eyes looking into infinity beyond Michael. He recognized that thousand-yard stare, the same look he had seen countless times, in the eyes of soldiers returning from battle.

Elizabeth hugged her gently, as if she was afraid her sister would break. She looked at Michael and slowly shook her head, letting him know she had omitted telling Anna all the gruesome details.

“I told her everything about you, what happened, and what you are planning to do,” Elizabeth said.

Michael had an inkling that would happen, and even if he had not planned it so soon, he needed to know where the girl stood.

“Anna, I don't want to pressure you, but do you want to be a part of what we are trying to build here? I cannot promise that there won’t be some serious obstacles on the way, but you can have a future with us.”

She looked him in the eyes. “I don't want to return to college, I don't think I will ever feel safe there, never again. For all that, I do not want to live in fear of all the bad things that can happen. I know it is not the place that is dangerous, it’s people; those who rejected decency, and basic rules of civilization. So yes, I will join you, if you can promise me that what happened to me won't happen in this new society you are trying to build.”

Rarely in his life has Michael been under the scrutiny of such penetrating gaze, it felt as she was trying to see into his very soul.

“I can’t promise there won't be such people out there, I don't want to tell you a lie. By any means, we will do our best to weed them out, to deny them access to space. And if we find them in our midst, we will show no mercy.”

Anna continued to stare into his soul for a few more moments and then nodded in acceptance.

Michael exhaled. “Well, that’s settled then. Which reminds me, I need to take a trip tomorrow and will be gone most of the day. Let’s go to the cabin, make a meal, and settle you in. You can relax tomorrow, and enjoy the scenery; I bought enough groceries to last for a while.”

***

That night Michael could not fall asleep so he took a bottle of beer and set on his porch chair, looking at the wavy image of the moon, reflecting from the surface of the lake. He was thinking how, not so long ago, he came here to be alone, and now there were two women sleeping in his cabin, and he felt responsible for them.

He hoped that tomorrow everything would go as he intended since his old team was essential for his plans. That was one of the main reasons he could not fall asleep, plans were constantly going through his head, and choices that could make the whole thing succeed or fail.

A slight noise made him turn around; Elizabeth was standing in the doorway dressed in his old shirt.

“I hope you don’t mind; I didn’t really have anything to wear.”

“I think it looks better on you than on me,” he said with a smile.

She sat beside him, lifted the beer bottle he had placed on the deck, and took a sip from it.

“Thank God she doesn’t remember anything, well at least seriously bad parts… I hope she never remembers. When I close my eyes, I can still see how she looked when I found her, and I feel rage, enough rage to fill the whole world.”

“What happened to her could have happened to anyone, it’s so random. You have seen it in your line of work, there are wolves in the world, wolves in a human form, and no matter what, you can never change their mindsets. There is only one way to deal with a rabid wolf,” Michael replied, looking at her silhouette.

They talked for a while until Elizabeth fell asleep in an old Adirondack chair. She was with Anna the entire time, never taking any rest; it was a wonder she stayed awake for so long. He gently picked her up in his arms and carried her to her room. She looked so beautiful and vulnerable; the slight worry frown between her eyes was absent and made her look as peaceful as Michael has ever seen her. He laid her on her bed, and quietly exited the room and went into his own.

It was late, and he had a lot to do tomorrow.