[Val Verde]

[January 8, 2022]

—

The world shifted as the sounds of the girls giggling reappeared at my side.

I yawned, and cracked an eye open.

The afternoon sun was lower then I remembered, but it was still bright and warm.

The girls were back, drinks in hand.

Kori, Kara, Candice, and Sue.

Girls in bikinis were always good to look at.

They were all toned, and slender. A lifestyle of proper food, and exercises had sculpted them all.

Especially Candice, as a influx of proper meals had filled her out. I could leer at her again.

I turned my eye from the gaggle of girls, and over to the small table to my left. Glass, check. Ice, negative. Sweet liquids, negative. Lukewarm water, check.

I sighed. How depressing. My solace in this cruel, cruel world was gone.

I could have asked for another.

I could have gotten up.

No. Depression was the only answer left.

I smiled as the dark humor swept through me.

I owned a nation, and was currently surrounded by beauty. White beaches, fair weather, and trustworthy friends.

My gaze turned upwards.

The thick sheet that sat on the pergola blocked enough of the sun so that it wouldn’t burn. Yet it was transparent enough to see hints of the skies beyond.

Today a especially fat cloud hovered overhead.

I stared at it, and lamented my own situation of woe.

Then Kori was there.

Her body hovered over mine, and I found myself in a dilemma. Keep staring into those nice green eyes… or peek down to see her soft bikini clad breasts…

My problem required no action on my part. Kori solved it as she straddled top of me. Her warm, and soft body settled down as she snuggled in.

I placed a hand over her waist. A tender, trim thing that demanded I pay attention.

I saw Kara’s smirk, and I sighed.

Kori then wrapped her arms around my neck, and she lifted me up.

Her smile was bright as she drifted us out from under the cool shade. Out into the heartless sunlight.

I made a hissing sound as I moved my head from side to side.

The girls laughed.

“Now, friend Johnny, the contest is on!” Kori chirped as she set me down near the shore.

I blinked as Kara appeared with a small plastic bucket and shovel. They were for children, and their bright colors attracted me eyes.

They were bright and cheerful. Unlike their much better metal tools.

“Its boys vs girls, and the winners get a small favor from the loser!” Candice announced as the tide washed across her feet.

I blinked.

Kori. Kara. Candice. Sue.

I looked to my left.

I looked to my right.

Johnny.

I gave Candice a look, and she winked at me.

I glowered, and settled down into a squat.

Cruel world, why!? I hollered at the heavens!

Yet my pride stilled my thoughts. There was only one thing I could do.

My castle was simple.

Like when I used to play with Carmen, and then Cheryl, I began to dig a well. A small hole that would provide unto me, the key to my victory.

Wet sand was good. I dug until water pooled where I was.

Then I began to harvest sand from the well and began my mound. I built a little ways inland from my well.

The water would drain back into the well, leaving moist sand. Once it dried, it would be tough.

I smiled as I began to fashion a tall mound. From here, my castle would take shape.

I felt a cold breeze, and looked up.

Are. You. Fucking. Shitting. Me.

Kara had frozen parts of their castle, and Kori was using laser eyes to etch out a shape.

Candice and Sue were leading the two.

Breath in.

Breathe out.

Okay.

I turned around, and began to use my toy shovel.

I didn’t know what the time limit was, but I would make something presentable!

—

“Ah, its falling!” a faint voice of memory echoed.

I blinked.

A smile grew as I saw her. If only for a moment.

Little Carmen, with her wide brimmed hat pointing to a corner of the castle. It had crumbled as I was still bad at castle building.

I stared at the solid turret. I used to be so bad at those. I didn’t pack it enough and it would bring my entire structure down.

Carmen loved making turrets.

My distant smile drew the attention of Kori.

She floated over, both to check on my castle, and to see why I hadn’t moved in a few minutes.

Her sudden hug shook me out of my memories.

“You are feeling well, friend Johnny?” she asked as she settled down onto me.

I leaned my head onto her shoulder. It was warm and comfortable.

“I am fine, Kori.” I smiled as Carmen’s memory smiled back at me. Today was a great day.

Kori wrapped both arms around me.

I turned to look at her.

Her green eyes bore into mine. Looking through my mind and soul.

She found an answer that required her to tighten the hug. I grunted as super strength meant that emotional hugs hurt.

I fell into her rock solid embrace, and got a view of their sand castle.

The meter tall monstrosity was a testament to their lack of morals.

I met Candice’s eyes and she frowned.

Her eyes widened. Today was January 8th. Today Carmen would have turned 29.

She immediately started to walk up to me. Kara and Sue followed.

It took only a few seconds before three girls were hugging me.

Hugging me with emotional comfort. Did a rib or three pop as in releasing gas, or pop as in fractures?

I looked towards Sue, the only level headed girl here. I needed help.

Sue smiled as she walked towards me.

Then past me.

I glared at her retreating back.

Traitor!

Kori nuzzled me and I gave up struggling.

It was a nice hug though.

—

[HUMMMMM]

I adjusted the earmuffs. The brief gap allowed the deep, burrowing sound to attack my right ear.

The fact that I could feel the hum in my bones was rather scary.

“Factory Two. Up and running. Ahead of schedule.” Sue Akagi smiled as she pressed into the throat speaker, and used her other hand to gesture to the rows, and rows of geometrical boxes.

It looked like something a high tech company would design.

High strength steel, shaped to make airtight boxes. In each box was a special ceramic 3D printer. Each printer was making something.

Something that involved precision application of liquid titanium.

“Factory One is now working on Factory Three.” Sue explained as we made our way to the far side of the factory. Deeper into the mountain.

“What are we making right now?” I asked as we passed by a steel box.

“Prototypes for the projects you requested. Project MU. Project BP.” Sue answered as she patted the box as we passed.

She was especially proud of this setup. Unlike her first generation metal printer, these were cutting edge. Titanium printing machines. Two hundred machines that was the future of the country.

If her memory was correct, this box was creating ultra thin titanium plates. A base to create a hybrid plate armor for their military.

“Whats our status with those two projects?” I asked as we made out way to much taller boxes. They towered over the first set of printers.

“They are also ahead of schedule. Once we comb through the data from testing, we will begin revisions to improve the software.” Sue answered as she flipped through the data on her tablet.

Each box held an airtight room, filled with nothing. A vacuum space that allowed for efficient titanium forging. Unlike other metals, titanium started off as a powder.

Things like air would lead to critical to failure. Making vacuum stable boxes was time consuming. Yet they had prevailed.

Now her former AIM team could start to shine. They were a military division, specializing in energy weapons, robotics, and material engineering.

“What about project Lua?” I asked as Sue made a turn towards shorter, but wider boxes.

“That is pretty much ready for stage 1.” Sue sighed as she waved her hands over to the back of the far wall. It was where we had entered from.

“The tools, and equipment is ready. We need a way to maintain the gates.” Sue rubbed her temple as she had no easy answer.

“I am sure you will figure out something. It is not time sensitive.” I smiled as stared at one of the object I had only seen as a computer model.

It was a five section to make half circle ring.

A much larger version of Doom’s teleportation gates. They would enable us to send lots of people, or more large objects.

If it wasn’t for that annoying zetashield. While it did protect Earth from surprise zetatube teleportation, it also interfered. Val Verde couldn't create a reliable connection from their moon gate and the test gate on the island.

Current tests had involved boulders which succeeded. Problem, they lost a third of their mass.

Where did it go? No idea.

It was enough that we didn’t try any live experiments.

Kori was saddened. It had taken her and Kara all afternoon to set the gate on the moon, and connect the power supply.

“What of the Arc reactors?” I blinked as I remembered we had started production of those as well. Test units made from Stark Tech.

They required rare metals that were extra rare on Val Verde.

Sue turned us around again. Towards the entrance.

“We are making one at a time, and the first ten works well so far.” Sue tapped at her tablet. One of the reactors was on the moon, powering the gate.

The other nine powered this facility.

“We are now able to make the third generation reactors. Small enough for the first production run of project MU and BP.”

I smiled. “Excellent work Sue.”

I stopped to stare at the gate. It still needed all the electronics installed, but the frame was here.

Sue stood beside me, also admiring her handiwork.

“You and your team have been a blessing on our island. With you we are leaping forward.” I held out my hand, and Sue gave me a firm shake.

It was a symbiotic relationship.

We provided their base needs for life and research. They output technological designs.

I let go of her hand, but she didn’t back away.

It seemed that she had now grown comfortable enough beside me.

Together we made out way out.

The sun was bright.

I smiled as my eyes adjusted.

Our future was brighter.

————

Chapter 24: Bright Days