The tension was as thick as thieves.
Kate and Pilcher were in the middle of a heated debriefing with three representatives from the S.U.E.P. Her report was in front of them and they must have read it a dozen times.
The first question Pilcher drilled Kate was, “How the hell would they get here? Ahmadeus is two hundred and fifty million light years away, and they can’t send a huge battalion through the BSP.”
“I believe they have been hunting and replenishing certain minerals and crystals and combined with their technology, they can match the BSP’s hyperspace allowing their fleets to move vast distances just as we can walk through the BSP when the laser is shone on it.”
He was astonished. “How do you know all this?”
She had earlier debated whether or not to tell Pilcher about her telepathic transfer of information with the Trimadian leader. As much as Talokta was reading her mind, he was allowing her to read scraps of information in his, probably deliberately. Why though? To invoke fear, make them realize they could not fight such an advanced race.
It had occurred to Kate that the stone may have something to do with the recent enemy events. Why had the enemies appeared and seemed to know so much? Was the stone a transmitter planted and used by the Trimadians that wanted to overwhelm Earth? Was she the instigator without knowing?
If she told Pilcher her thoughts, he would see her as a risk, might even lock her up. Or, on the other hand, he would use her to infiltrate the Trimadians further. There were her own reasons, her quest to find her own answers, and just as equally, she did not want to go back, as she was deep down plain scared. But her colleagues were counting on her; their lives were at stake. Would Talokta keep his word? And did she always want to suffer disjointed and sometimes violent visions for the rest of her life, voices chanting in her mind. No, she had to go back, she had no choice. If Talokta has the telepathic gift, he may give her answers to why she has been blessed, or cursed.
Now she had to convince the powers that be.
A little peeved with Pilcher’s brusque attitude she stated, “I don’t know how. Maybe my genetic code allows me to sense this, maybe they put that information in my mind, or maybe I’ve always known. Your guess is as good as mine. I really don’t know, Paul.” She slumped back in her chair with a scowl.
“Well, I’ve spoken with the representatives for the S.U.E.P. here and they have concluded they will not negotiate with terrorists.”
“With all due respect, Paul, they are not your usual run of the mill terrorists. They make Al Qaeda look like the local amateur ballet club. They are not open for negotiation the way we understand. I don’t even think they know the meaning of the word. Listen, with all your collection of alien technology over the years you surely have some weapons you can use. What about the F-35 skyscraper ship?”
Pilcher’s jaw dropped. How the hell did Willard know?
The F-35 was partly reverse engineering technology from the Septens who were a small, discreet, orange tinged, wide eyed, intelligent species. They first made contact with Earth fifty odd years earlier, and set up an outpost underground on the dark side of Earth’s Moon. That is where they had settled to stay until another planet became suitable. They had a fascinating ability to adapt to varying atmospheres. Their home world was also two hundred and fifty million light years away, but tucked in the Omicron Galaxy. Their once beautiful planet, Sanah, was made uninhabitable, even for them, by invading Trimadian warlords. The majority of lives were lost, as they did not stand a chance. The captured Septens were taken to the Trimadian mines on Heliostronus. Only two hundred escaped Sanah and made it to the Milky Way. Like the Cantals, they were peaceful and curious explorers themselves and had been discretely studying the large water bodies called humans, a relatively new race originating from Earth.
The F-35 ship was being held in a secret location in the middle of Australia. Pilcher knew a ship was in the pipeline, but even he did not have details to hand from S.U.E.P. yet.
Kate noticed the pained look on Pilcher’s face and added in a condescending tone, “I think they call it the Mizzen Taurus.”
Pilcher frowned at her and looked with raised eyebrows at the three members of the S.U.E.P. who in turn looked uneasily at each other.
Boy, have I hit a nerve, she thought.
Denver Calham, the senior of the three, spoke. He had a monotone voice, tinged with a deep Southern accent.
“That subject, young lady, is classified. How did you know about the F-35?” He asked the question to Kate but was looking at Pilcher, who looked decidedly uncomfortable.
She did not have a clue how the hell she did know, well, maybe she had visualized it. For what she had been through, it would not surprise her. But if she told them that, they might view her as padded room material, or worse, an enemy spy, and she would never be able to rescue her teammates, nor perhaps find some real answers to insurmountable questions. Maybe it was too late.
She despised his arrogant attitude, but refused to show her anger. She just looked at Calham and shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. I just do. That is not the point. We haven’t got much time. You just need to trust me.” She looked at all four faces. Compared to what Talokta put her through, she was at the point where she would rather go through that again than be under this scrutiny. She could hear whispers going on, but their mouths did not move. The whispers were jumbled together, she could not understand, and they were getting louder.
Kate’s head felt as if it was going to explode, and she almost jumped up to shout at them to shut up, when Pilcher intervened. “I’m sorry we got you involved in this mess from the start.” Paul looked at Kate sadly. “I should never have let you leave this planet.”
Kate felt desperate. “I went willingly, and sooner or later you would have let me. But now, what choice have I got, Paul? I knew the risks of traveling. I am not afraid. In fact, maybe we are looking at this pending threat from the wrong perspective.”
“What do you mean?” He looked inquisitively at her.
Kate’s mind raced. “If I go back, I’ll play for time regarding Earth’s surrender. Shit, he must understand that something like this is going to take time. I’m sure I can convince him. Meantime I will try and learn more about the Trimadians. Plus, we have a distinct advantage—the Locum threat.”
“How the hell is that an advantage?”
“The Trimadians are proud and will never freely admit that the Locum is a huge threat to their existence. That is why they want to take Earth over, to greatly outweigh the Locum by sheer numbers, and have another world to fall back on. They want Ahmadeus too for its raw materials and the Cantal hosts to mine it. They are desperate for resources. The Cathexistomes will never let themselves be wiped out. You never know, they may simply be too busy battling each other to bother with Earth.”
Pilcher stared at her in silence, measuring her words, it sounded like she was bluffing. What the hell was she up to?
“It sounds purely speculation on your behalf, can you prove your hypothesis?” Calham asked looking coldly at her.
“Look at the reports that have come in from Sataal. It was heating up, and I doubt it has cooled any. They are desperate and certainly will execute the team and the Cantals, if I don’t do something. Let me go back and talk to their leader. What have we got to lose?”
“I’m sorry, Kate. That is impossible. You yourself are a valuable asset to Divisions. We can’t afford to lose you, too. You are damn lucky you are back here in one piece.”
Kate saw she was going nowhere fast and decided to spill the beans. “Okay, okay, when I was interrogated, I managed to get a glimpse into Talokta’s mind, and we had a conversation telepathically. Whether or not he deliberately let me ‘read’ his thoughts while he was interrogating me, I’m not sure, but…”
“You never mentioned this in your report. Were you actually going to tell me about this?” Pilcher thundered back at her, looking thoroughly pissed.
&n
bsp; “Well, I thought you might think I was crazy or something. Bottom line is there is little time, and I have got to go back, alone, he made that perfectly clear. He gave me three days; now I’ve only got less than two. Then he starts executing. Say goodbye to your other valuable assets.”
Calham’s eyes blazed with anger. “You do realize that he has probably set you up for their own advantage, especially now they can open the BSP at will with this ring device you reported. All our security measures that we set up will be breached, now the Trimadians know where you have come. They will all have to be changed at once.”
“They have,” Pilcher said. “Standard protocol.” He jumped when Calham looked as though he was going to thump him.
Jesus, wait a minute, thought Kate. If history is correct, according to what she had learned from Pete, the Trimadians know full well where Earth is. They left it alone for six thousand years. Why choose an invasion now? Why have they waited? It was not adding up.
Calham stared at her wishing he could read her mind.
“Let me at least buy some time, and you can get your forces and your nonexistent technology together before the worst comes down,” Kate pleaded with an undertone of frustrated disdain.
Kate had tried to read Calham at that moment, but she could hear nothing, if she was telepathic, why could she not do so now?
He looked skeptically at her.
“You are only one person.”
“Well, Moses parted the Red Sea, and no, I am not religious, but my point is I may just be the one person to make a difference. I do want to take both stones with me. I think they will help me. They help me channel my thinking.”
Pilcher, struggling with his thoughts, feeling his blood pressure rise and desperate to save face in front of his peers said, “That is out of the question. Why would they listen to you? Forgive me, but the Trimadians do not hold the female in high regard. Regardless of the Cantal’s reports, I think the threat of the Locum is a bluff. They are only using you to get to us, surely—”
“Look, Paul, have you ever had a feeling that you couldn’t describe? You knew you were the person that had to do something because you knew you had to do it?” Kate pulled a face at the screwy sound of it.
“I gather you can’t elaborate.”
She lifted her eyebrows at him in acknowledgement.
“What I do know is the Trimadians have a connection with those stones and my visions. I’m not sure if they know there are two, but I think I’d better take both to be on the safe side.”
Before there was any more protest she added, “I know those stones are a big part of something, and I am a part of them, too. I’m sure you are all aware of that.” She stared at Calham, willing him to see her point of view.
Pilcher felt angry and cheated. Pete Reynold’s reports never elaborated on her developing telepathy, or any in depth details about her connection with the stones. Now she brings this all up in front of Calham, of all people. Made me look like an inept idiot! Reynolds was probably protecting her. I should have seen it, the way he acted around Kate. The fool has fallen in love with her.
Kate jumped as she heard his thoughts but concentrated on what she had to say.
“Their fleet leader, Talokta, treated me quite cordially. Totally different to how he treated the Cantals, well, from what I witnessed. I think he is under orders to do his duty and start recruiting his numbers in order to fight the Locum, and that includes humans.” Kate felt like she was grasping at straws.
With a sigh, Paul continued as if he had ignored her pleas. “I am also worried about your random visions. Do any of them make any sense to you?”
“I’m fine. They seem to have faded away for now. However, while I was on Ahmadeus I had a vision, as you would have read in my report, of a device to detect spies in the Trimadian ranks. Which means the Cantals need help fast.”
“And that vision caused you to fall into a coma,” Paul reminded her.
“I know, but you did your standard brain scan and check-up and I passed with flying colors.”
Calham interjected, “You are certainly a unique individual, Ms. Willard.” Kate winced at his use of her surname. “I am sure you are hiding something. Maybe you have methods to override our scans and computers. For all we know, you could be a spy from the Trimadians implanted with a virus or bomb, maybe even mind control. You did see day to day events happening on the base here.”
“Oh, get real, you buffoon!” Kate shouted. “Talokta’s forces could have invaded Earth, if he wanted, ages ago, you know that, Pete Reynolds has shown you proof of their first invasion. You guys scanned me when I came though! USE ME AS A BOMB!” She paused, taking a breath. “He’s after numbers, and I will try to get you time, gather some information. Plus, how would you like it if I brought home one of those rings to open up any BSP, at any time.”
Calham locked eyes with her and felt a shiver ride up his spine. He broke the lock and looked down at his hands. “Your call, Paul,” was all he said.
Paul felt his face reddening. Damn them, if she is not successful they will blame it on me.
He knew Calham wanted her to go back, the last comment was the one that would clinch it.
Kate spoke, “Look, Paul, let me go. Let me take the stones. They belong to me. You know that. I think I derive power from them. They may help me. We don’t have much to lose at this point. Talokta’s forces will attack, if I do not comply. And, well, if it wasn’t for me contacting you, you wouldn’t know anything about the stones and their power. Hey, this is the closest anyone has got to the Trimadians.”
Pilcher sighed and looked her up and down. “So you really don’t know what you are going to do?”
She grinned. “Nope, guess I’m gonna wing it.”
Kate was sent back to her room while the big wigs, as she termed them, finalized their decisions. No matter what, she had to carry out Pete’s request. After seeing how much cover up his bosses would do to hide the truth, she decided she would do this come hell or high water. No one was guarding her; there was no need. So slipping into Pete’s study was easy, he had given her his code and she would be long gone before they did any checking. She headed to his huge desk. Sure enough, in the bottom draw, was a false bottom. She pulled out the book, glanced at the title. She opened it and flipped through it. Yes, she had to send this, at least someone out there would know the truth. She slipped it into a bubble wrap envelope and wrote the name and address he had made her memorize. He said he was a trusted friend and colleague in London “If anything happens to me, he’ll know what to do.” She wondered how much he had written about her. But there was no time.
She looked at her watch. Pete told her they were always on time.
Kate headed to the administration area. She hid around the corner away from the camera view. Anytime now.
“Back in five,” she heard the cheerful voice of Darline, the kind, elderly office woman who was also Pilcher’s secretary. As she exited out of the office and rounded the corner Kate made her move, colliding with her, sending a stout, four foot eight tall Darline and her load crashing to the vinyl floor.
“Oh my, I am so sorry. Please allow me.”
Kate helped the woman up and began picking up the letters, packets, and parcels that just happened to be what the startled woman was carrying in a large basket.
“Kate, goodness, I thought you were—”
“I was, and, I may not see you for a while Darline,” she said handing the woman back her mail.
Darline stared at her. She liked Kate and had managed to share a few cups of tea with her in the dining area. “I must get this lot out, the new driver is a bad tempered so and so. Have you time for a cuppa before—”
“I don’t know, Darline. You better go.”
“Yes, I, well, I hope I see you soon,” Darline smiled, clutched her full basket and waddled down the corridor to the mail dispatch room.
“Phew, mission accomplished.” Leah sighed as she packed a b
ackpack of belongings and survival supplies, then settled down for some much needed sleep.
Pilcher and the representatives of the S.U.E.P. had discussed, yelled, and thrown alternative ideas around the table over the next thirty hours. All knew it; she had to go. They needed to call an emergency meeting of the full S.U.E.P. members and a few out of town colleagues for help. They needed time. Yes, they needed Kate Willard.
Calham, the overseer of Divisions, was the leader and co-founder of the S.U.E.P. He was behind the decision to make her part of the Odyssey Bourne Force project.
Since the very beginning, Denver Calham wanted to know if she was a fraud before he had met her. Was she a reincarnation of Queen Leah, or was that just a fairytale? Calham was a hard-nosed businessman and a man of science and a strong believer in extraterrestrial life. If he had not been, he certainly would not be where he is today. He held firm the doctrine of logical positivism close to his heart, which also made him an agnostic. Anything tangible can be explained by science, everything else was mumbo jumbo bullshit. Up until now, he only held onto these tangible beliefs. Now, with the discovery of the BSP and even more, meeting this Kate Willard, he did not know what to think. It made him burn with curiosity. He already knew about the reputation of this infamous warlord Talokta through his own contacts. But apart from what he had learnt through covert means and the Cantals of Ahmadeus, in truth, very little was known about the Trimadians, a very guarded, fear provoking hybrid species. He understood they had unsurpassed technologies; Sataal was proof enough of that. Now the pot was getting closer to the boil. They could be on his doorstep tomorrow. He needed any advantage he could lay his hands on, and through any means.
With all the reports and meeting her in the flesh, he knew Kate was not a fraud, but at the same time, she was not telling the whole truth about everything and suspected she was being used as a pawn. He envied her mind reading skills.
He had to put his hard edged beliefs on the line and rely on this woman. He was also governed by other considerations, especially regarding his OBF team. Time was crucial, he had little choice, and good, loyal men were hard and expensive to find. She was right, he knew full well if Kate did not go, true to Talokta’s word, they would be killed, and Earth would be under attack. What would he have gained? Could this one woman make a difference? Was he willing to sacrifice her if need be? Fuck knows! It was damn frustrating they knew so little about the BSP and its origins, even with his contacts’ help. He remembered he laughed when his top scientists wrote a report “The science behind the Door.” It should have been renamed “We know diddly squat,” a view that would have been shared by Tremaine. Here an opportunity, though downright dangerous was before him. If she could get her hands on one of those rings that open the doorway. That was indeed the clincher for him.
Chapter 12—Locum vs. Trimadians