Chapter 10 – R & R
With the threat of an Intergalactic War no longer of immediate concern, Sula granted them some time off from their studies. They requested and were granted some time away from The Colony. Although they had not completed their orientation, Sula had seen how distressed they had been when they returned from their last mission, and allowed for special consideration under the circumstances.
Alexur Thoren was not so understanding. When he stormed into Sula’s office, he was cut off before he had a chance to open his mouth.
“I know what you’re going to say Alexur, but I’m not going to change my mind in this matter.”
“But it is unprecedented to let new recruits leave The Colony until they have completed orientation; at least the security part of it. You know you are putting the whole Colony at risk. I forbid it.”
Just then Sula’s communication console beeped for his attention. Glancing at it briefly, he signaled for Alexur to sit down. He pushed a button on his wrist band and a voice only he could hear spoke quietly in his ear.
“Sir, this is Dr. Strom in the medical clinic. I’m sorry to bother you, but I have been unable to reach Gizmo. As you know, we have detected a weakened kidney and have grown another one for him. It is now ready, but I have been unable to reach him. I know he was on a Colony mission for you Sir. Can you tell me if he has returned? The sooner we replace his kidney, the better for him.”
“Understood. I will take care of it.”
With another push of the button on his wrist band, he turned to face his Director of Security. “Well, it seems you have gotten your wish after all Alexur. Gizmo will be reporting to the medical clinic for a kidney transplant. I will restrict him to The Colony for one week following the surgery as a precautionary measure, although that is hardly needed. You will have one week to instruct him on Colony security measures. Will that give you enough time?”
“Barely,” the Director of Security said as he got to his feet and headed for the door.
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Sula pressed the button on his wrist band again and said, “Find Gizmo before he leaves The Colony and have him report to the medical clinic as soon as possible.”
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Gizmo was still feeling lazy but most of all he wanted out of this bed. Not that it wasn’t comfortable; he thought it was probably the most comfortable bed he had ever been in, but he never was one to just lay around when there were dozens of other things he could be doing. But the doctor’s orders had been explicit. No activity until morning.
He was still in the recovery room following the transplant and had been awake for the better part of two hours. He felt great. Even the incision where the kidneys had been replaced seemed to be healing with remarkable speed. Dr. Strom had been at his bedside when he opened his eyes following the surgery and had smiled when Gizmo asked when the surgery was going to take place.
“The surgery was a complete success, as we had anticipated, and you are already well on the way to recovery,” he had said. “However, you must remain in bed until morning when you will be released if everything remains stable. Your activity will be restricted for the first week, and then if there have been no problems; you can resume normal activity after that. During that time you are not to leave The Colony. In a week, I want to see you again so I can give you a medical clearance.”
Gizmo hadn’t been happy at that news, but all things considered, he was feeling remarkably well especially after such an intrusive surgery. He was wondering what he was going to do lying in bed with nothing to do until morning.
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned to see Marco walk through the door. He looked like a Cheshire cat grinning from ear to ear.
“I never thought I’d see the day when you weren’t in motion. You have always been a blur doing ten things at once. But don’t worry; I brought you something to do.”
With that he handed Gizmo’s communication device to him. Marco had been holding it until after his surgery.
“While you recover, Sula has given Alexur Theren one week to get us trained on Colony security. I have a feeling this will be a crash course, so you better get busy. Instruction starts tomorrow.”
Gizmo groaned.
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The following morning Dr. Strom released Gizmo from the medical clinic but again reminded him against any strenuous activity for the next seven days. Gizmo was feeling 100% and thought the seven day restriction had more to do with Alexur Theren than it did with his medical condition, but there was nothing to be done about it now.
Since their instruction was set to start immediately following lunch, they spent the morning reviewing Colony security measures in their private quarters. When their guides deposited them at the classroom, they found Alexur Theren impatiently waiting for them. It appears they had all gotten off on the wrong foot. Gizmo only hoped things would improve over time, but had his doubts they would ever be on good terms with the Director of Security.
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Over the next week, they were instructed, questioned and tested on every aspect of Colony security. Most of it was common sense, but some of it just defied logic. But they were told logic had nothing to do with it. “Just follow established policy,” they were told.
As the week progressed though, Gizmo increasingly became aware of a loop hole in the security system that he was not able to put his finger on. It had started out at the back of his consciousness giving him an uneasy feeling that something was not quite right, and then it had slowly worked its way to the forefront. He still really didn’t understand it and searched the chip in his communication device to see if he could find it addressed in any of the security measures, but so far had been unsuccessful.
Finally the issue had reached a state of clarity in his mind to the point he saw it as a major security breach. He could no longer ignore it. How is it the Director of Security had not seen it and addressed it before?
“Sir?” Gizmo started.
The Director gave him a withering look. “Is there something I have not made perfectly clear to you?”
“Well sir, you have told us to use our cloaking devices both coming and going from The Colony.”
“That is correct. We do not wish to be tracked by anyone. We wish to keep the location of our Colony secret from prying eyes. What is it you don’t understand about that?”
“I understand the use of cloaking devices sir. That will keep anyone from visually seeing us and tracking us by visual means,” Gizmo said.
“Then what is your point?”
“Anyone capable of tracking brain wave patterns will still be able to track us sir. That technology is commonplace these days. I just thought…”
Gizmo stopped when he saw the look on the Director’s face. It had drained of color and his mouth had opened as if to say something but nothing came out. He just stood there looking at Gizmo.
Gizmo was beginning for feel uncomfortable in the lengthening silence when the Director recovered with a start and said. “Class is dismissed for today. We will resume class again in the morning.”
With that he was out the door before another word could be said.
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The following morning Gizmo and Marco were again in their seats in the classroom waiting for class to begin, when the door opened and Alexur Theren, Sula, and General Brand walked in.
“The Director has informed us that you brought up a security issue that we have, until now, been unaware of,” Sula started. “We have suspended all incoming and outgoing traffic until a remedy can be found and implemented. Can you fix it?”
“Well, sir,” Gizmo said. “Yes, I think I can, but I will need a lab and a couple of technicians.”
“You can have anything you need. How long do you think it will take?”
“I’m not sure. With Marco’s help and a couple of technicians it may take a couple of days, then some testing.”
“
If you will come with me, I will show you to your lab and let you get started immediately. Your orientation has been suspended in the time being.”
With that, they all headed to the door.
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Gizmo and Marco were both taken to the Colony transportation shop and given their own transportation platforms. After modifying the platforms to their brain waves, they were given instructions on using them. If you can think it, you can control it. The platforms could only be used by and be controlled by the individual they were linked to. They also had a tracking mechanism in them to track when and where they went. All their movements would be public knowledge from here on out. But weren’t they already? Ever since they arrived at The Colony?
From there, they were given a map of The Colony showing all the different wings and public areas. There were wings that were restricted to authorized personnel only and they were warned not to go there. They were told their transportation platforms would not allow them to go beyond a certain point into a restricted area without the proper authorization code.
From there, they were taken to the lab that had been prepared for their use. Gizmo’s eyes widened when he saw how well it was equipped with all the latest technology. He had created the Leap Frog and Giselle in a garage with just ordinary tools. He could only image what he could do with a lab this well-equipped.
He now had everything he needed except an idea how to solve the problem of blocking brain wave patterns from being tracked. How many people were depending on him to solve this in the most expeditious manner? How many people had he inconvenienced when Sula halted all incoming and outgoing traffic until a fix could be found?
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Gizmo tracked down Cepheus Arcadia, the Captain of the Guard, who had helped him miniaturize his leap frog using synthetic material that could not be scanned. From Cepheus he learned that none of The Colony vehicles were equipped with tracking devices capable of tracking brain waves.
The way Gizmo saw it; he would first have to install brain wave tracking devices in all the vehicles, and then find a way to create a way to block it. How else could he be sure his blocking device was effective? Again, Cepheus came to his rescue. He knew where such technology could be obtained. It was just a matter of getting it into The Colony.
Gizmo got Cepheus to bring up the technology on the computer and then he brought up the schematic for the device. After a quick look, Gizmo was able to determine how the mechanism worked and went back to his lab to see if he could make one of his own. It looked pretty straight forward and it turned out to be just that. He was able to install it on his first attempt.
From there, he installed it in one of The Colony vehicles. Then he installed it in Giselle and in the Captain of the Guards office. Anyone sitting in either of the vehicles could be tracked or ‘seen’ as an object on radar able to pick up brain wave activity. Now that he knew how to track it, it gave him a few clues on how to block it.
He created a device to scramble the brain waves for any radar pointed in that direction, but although the brain waves could not be detected, there were still static like images on the radar that were telltales signs of a presence of some kind. Not good enough. He had to erase any indication of a presence at all.
Over dinner that night, while discussing the problem with Marco, it was Marco who gave him the missing piece he needed. “What if you used the same technology as the bubble force field shield above ground that mirrors back the surrounding terrain?”
Gizmo jumped up, “Marco, you’re a genius. Of course. That’s perfect. If anyone were trying to track brain waves, the mirror device would mirror back just blank space. It would be as if each vehicle had its own force field bubble around it. That, in addition to the cloaking devices on each vehicle would make tracking them virtually impossible. I’m going to start on it immediately.”
“Tonight? Why not wait until morning? I know you Gizmo, you’ll be up all night.”
“I have to work on it now while it’s fresh in my mind. I wouldn’t be able to sleep now anyway. You go to bed, I’ll work up a model and you can help me with it first thing in the morning.”
Marco just shook his head. He knew it was no use arguing with him. He had seen that look come over Gizmo before. Nothing he could say would make any difference now.
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