Everyone was expecting Tim to be where his voice was coming from.
“Over here fellows.”
Both the President and Samuel jumped, and then turned around to see Tim standing across the room, next to the far window.
“Ah, of course, I should have suspected as much. You have a lot more tricks than I could ever imagine, yes?” The President said with a chuckle.
“Did you really think I would trust Sam?” Tim asked.
“Oh no, he is definitely not to be trusted. I can appreciate that,” the President answered.
“I was just doing my job,” Sam whined.
“I know ‘that’ to be a bunch of crap,” Tim said, as Major Sorrell returned to the office.
The Marine Major stopped on top of the blown down door and looked at Tim.
“Major, this is Tim, the cause of all your concern,” the President said.
“Nice to meet you, Sir,” Major Sorrell responded, reaching for his weapon at his side. “I must ask you about your intentions, and I must know if you are armed?” he continued, drawing the pistol from its holster.
“Nice to meet you, also,” Tim answered, “and yes, I am armed, and I intend to stay that way. But, I can assure you, I will not harm anyone.”
“I’m sorry, Sir, but I cannot allow that! You must surrender your weapons!” the Major ordered forcefully, pointing his pistol at Tim.
“Major, Major!” the President shouted. “That is not necessary. That is an order! Now Major,” the President spoke calmly. “I must insist that you retire to the end of the hall and allow us to commence with our business.”
“Sir, I cannot! You must understand?” The Major was obviously going to stand his ground.
“Major, I gave you a direct order, now follow it! Major, I’m talking to you,” the President demanded, but the Marine was not going to back down. “Major! I’m speaking to you. Get the hell out of here!”
The Major just stood there not moving a muscle.
The President rose to his feet and was on his way toward Major Sorrell.
“Sir, Mr. President.” Tim moved toward the President and the Major. “Sir, I’ve taken care of the problem. Don’t be mad at the Major, Sir, because I used one of my tricks. The Major won’t know a thing.”
“How did you do that?” Samuel asked.
“Would you like to find out?” Tim turned to look at Samuel who immediately cowered. “I don’t think you would understand,” Tim added, “and we don’t have the time to go into it.”
Tim turned back to the President. “Please excuse me for being so abrupt, but there are some things we must take care of. This is really important.”
“Yes, I can see that. You have my undivided attention young man,” the President said.
“Can I interject here?” Samuel asked.
“What’s on your mind?” the President asked.
“Look, Harold, Tim, understand, I’m a manipulative, conniving, selfish, self-centered, old, son-of-a-bitch which makes me smart enough to know when my talents are challenged. Are you going to try to con an old con, or are you on the up and up?” Samuel spoke the last part directly to Tim.
“Mr. Steiner,” Tim returned, obviously annoyed. “I don’t have to con anyone here. If you’re the expert you claim, you should know that. I had a problem, and you could have been the solution, but no. You didn’t exactly cause the problem, but you sure stirred it up, and now it is time that you just listened.”
“And if I don’t play along?” Samuel asked.
“Kiss your self-centered, old, son-of-a-Bitch ass goodbye!” Tim spoke menacingly.
There was silence in the room. Samuel stared intently at Tim for a moment, then shifted his gaze to the President, then back to Tim.
“You’re not bullshitting are you? I mean about being pissed,” Samuel said.
“No, I’m not!” Tim confirmed.
“And how serious could the wrong outcome have been?” the President asked.
“Ha, ha, ha,” Tim laughed, “let’s just say; you’re damn lucky I ended up winning.”
“I ah, I still can’t go with that because we were offered some pretty impressive things, and as I see it, you spoiled it for all of us,” Samuel pontificated.
“Those promises may have been bogus,” Tim commented.
“Can you prove that?” Samuel shouted.
“I don’t have to,” Tim growled, glaring at Samuel. “Do you have any doubts about my abilities?”
“You kidding?” Samuel said as he gestured toward the Major who was still at attention, and definitely under Tim’s control.
“Then ‘what is’ your problem?” Tim asked Samuel.
“I just want to guarantee the best deal for my country,” Samuel spouted.
“Is this guy for real?” Tim looked at Ed, shaking his head.
“Hard to believe, huh?” Ed laughed.
“Gentlemen, what you have seen so far is nothing. I’m here to—”
“You haven’t answered my question,” Samuel interrupted.
“Mr. Steiner,” Tim looked at him, shaking his head, “maybe you don’t understand the moment.”
“I don’t understand?” Samuel snorted.
“Explain it to him.” Tim turned to Ed.
“Sam,” Ed hesitated, thinking, “what Tim is trying to get through that thick skull of yours, ‘is’, he is not here to negotiate with you or anybody else. He is here to tell us ‘what is what’, understand.”
“Mr. President!” Samuel shrieked. “Are you going to allow this! In this, the most exalted office in the world.”
“It was, until he came along.” The President pointed at Tim.
“Mr. President!” Samuel shouted.
“Oh, climb down, you’re making a fool of yourself,” the President scolded. “Ed explained it to you, just listen for a change.”
Samuel was shaking his head. “But, he still doesn’t have any proof that he’s in charge!”
“I’m here, the other guy isn’t, period,” Tim said, trying not to sound exasperated at the stubbornness.
“The other guy, your brother,” the President said.
“Close. It used to be my brother, and the thing that used to be my brother came damn close to getting what ‘it’ wanted.”
“Can you prove it would have turned out bad?” Ed asked.
“I can’t tell you what would have happened, for sure,” Tim answered, “like Sam here seems to know, but, I don’t think it would have had a happy ending if it had gotten his way.”
“I still can’t believe that.” Samuel broke in. “I think he was just an excuse of yours.”
“You think I made him up?” Tim laughed. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“No, I want the truth! We know you snatched him from the VA hospital, and that he was a quadriplegic—” Samuel stopped.
“And?” Tim said after a moment, when Samuel didn’t continue.
“And you tell me, you’re the big shot,” Samuel spouted.
“I don’t see what you’re getting at?” Tim questioned.
“Your brother was very sick, and you took him out of that hospital,” Samuel said in an accusatory tone.
“He was dying, I had no other choice.”
“What I want to know, is he still alive?” Samuel asked, reinvigorated by his new direction.
“He is!” Tim said seriously.
“I would like to talk to him, to confirm that,” Samuel said quickly.
“I can arrange that,” Tim said.
“When?” Samuel asked.
“Right now, if you want?”
“In person?” Samuel questioned.
“That’s possible,” Tim said and snapped his fingers. A large twelve foot square hologram popped into existence in the middle of the office. It showed nothing but a white, empty cube.
“I’m not going for any of your trickery, I’m sorry,” Samuel said with a smile, looking at the empty scene.
“Arty is somewhere where he will stay, f
or now. You don’t want to be in there with him, or do you?” Tim said with a smile. “He is ‘really, really pissed’ and looking for someone to blame, I would think.”
“I think you are full of shit!” Samuel shouted. “I think you killed your brother, and this whole thing has been one big cover up.”
“For what purpose?” Tim asked.
“I can only speculate, you’re the one with everything,” Samuel said.
“That is so dear to you!” Tim shot back immediately.
“I’m no different than anyone else, I just have the honesty to admit it,” Samuel said as he puffed out his chest.
“I think you really believe that, but I don’t have enough experience to really argue the point. I’m only fifteen, but I can guarantee you one thing, though,” Tim paused.
“And what is that young man?” Samuel snorted.
“Your attitude, combined with your ignorance, would have gotten your ass in a world of shit this time around,” Tim said, laughing as he gestured with his head toward the hologram.
“You can’t prove that!” Samuel shouted, definitely insulted.
“Take a look.” Tim said to Samuel who had not been watching the cube.
Samuel turned to look at the hologram, then gasped. There in the cube was the Man-machine, floating, and Clank didn’t have a happy look on his face perched there on the metal cylinder.
“He’s been cooped up in there for quite a while, want to join him?” Tim asked Samuel.
“I, ah, I um, I don’t see what that would accomplish?” Samuel stammered.
“What, you two could put your heads together and figure out something,” Tim laughed. “I can have you there really quick, a matter of seconds, actually.”
Tim could see the President, and Ed laughing.
Tim pointed his right hand at the Secretary of State.
Samuel Steiner dropped down to the floor and scurried behind the coffee table that was closest to him.
“Nothing else to say?” Ed asked as he looked down around the table to the Secretary.
“Hell no, do you think I’m completely nuts?” Samuel whispered at Ed.
“Is that it from him?” The President asked Ed.
“I imagine, for now anyway,” Ed answered.
“Good, we need to get on with this,” the President said as he turned to Tim. “Can we start at the beginning?”
“I was born in Wisconsin and—”
The President held up his hand. “Look, Son, I appreciate your lightness about all this, and I also have a sense of humor, but let’s be real serious. We need to know.”
“Yes, Sir, I’m sorry.”
*
Tim started with a brief explanation of how he and Ann first explored the mountains. The President sat back and listened. Samuel Steiner crawled over to a couch and sat with his back against it, and he too listened.
Tim explained the earthquake, and the subsequent things that led up to the discovery of Timtown. He was explaining Mr. V.
“Can we meet him?” Samuel asked from around the table.
“No!” Tim stated.
“Why?” Samuel returned, annoyed.
“Because he is gone! That was one of the things Arty accomplished. He completely took over. He became Mr. V,” Tim sounded sad. “Besides, would you have him turn over all his power to someone like you?”
“He gave it to you!” Samuel said.
“I’m not like you, and that’s why I’m here now. If I was like you, I would be—” Tim hesitated, not knowing how to continue.
“You’d be dangerous beyond imagination,” the President jumped in.
“I’m not that bad, honest,” Samuel tried to defend himself. “It’s just all my life I have fought and fought for power and now I’m looking at real power. Power that I can only imagine, and you tell me that I can never even hope to attain it, let alone understand it. Give me a break!” Samuel wailed.
“You sure consider yourself special.” Tim said.
“We all do Son!” Samuel spouted.
“No, no, you’re different. You’re kind of like what my brother became. There’s something there, something I can feel,” Tim said. “And I don’t like it!” he added threateningly at Sam.
“Boy, has he got you pegged,” the President said to Sam.
“I still say we’re all alike!” Samuel argued vigorously.
“Mr. V told me once, ‘People that think they are above others do so because they can’t conceive of anyone not thinking like they do.’”
“That’s Bullshit!” Sam announced.
“You just proved his point,” Ed laughed.
“What are you getting at?” Samuel scoffed at him.
“You don’t trust anyone because deep down inside; you know you can’t be trusted,” Tim offered.
“He got you,” the President announced. “Can we continue with the story?” he asked Tim.
“Mr. V knew about Arty,” Tim continued, “and he knew Arty was dying so he wanted to know if I wanted to help him. I had no other choice, he was my brother. It just went bad from there. If I had known what was going to happen to Arty,” Tim pointed to the hologram, “believe me, I would have never, ever done it.”
“What happened to Arty, how did he end up like that?” the President asked, also pointing to the hologram.
*
Tim went back to his entering Timtown. He explained the experience of dying and the euphoria he experienced.
“Mr. V repaired Arty, but instead of rejuvenating Arty’s old body, ah, I don’t know how to explain this. I don’t know if Arty told Mr. V, or Mr. V suggested this. I don’t know how it happened, but Arty is now just his head with a mechanical body, and he went out of control.”
“I would like to hear ‘that’ from Arty. That’s the only way I’ll go for this song and dance,” Samuel stated.
“I am trying to explain to you,” Tim said to Samuel who was still partially behind the table, “I have confined Arty, and unless you want to be put in with him, a rather pissed off Man-machine, I’d cut the crap,”
“That’s a story, I know it is. You’re not fooling me. Not one bit!” Samuel shouted.
“Will you shut up!” the President also shouted, finally fed up with the continual politicking. “We’re trying to get to the bottom of all this, and you keep interfering. If you don’t quit, I’ll have you removed.”
“You can’t do that, and you know it!” Samuel stood up quickly from behind the table and glared at the President. Clank suddenly appeared behind Samuel. The President and Ed gasped at the sight of the Man-machine floating there in the office. Samuel realized there was something behind him because everyone was looking there. He turned and let out a shriek, stumbling to get away.
“Holy Mother of God!” the President stated.
“This is what we would have had to deal with?” Ed asked, almost whispering.
“This is just another trick, this ca—Harold!” Sam cried as he began to shake. “Harold, don’t let him, don’t let—” Sam’s voice began to fade, “Don’t let—you’ll be sorry.” Sam said in a whisper as he sank to the floor.
“Is he going to be okay?” The President asked Tim.
“Yeah, but you’d better get yourself a new Secretary of State, this one’s not going to remember a thing.”
“Let’s continue,” the President said, watching to see if the vision of Clank was going to do something, or just remain where it was.
*
Tim continued with his experiences inside Whuc Seaacki. When he had gotten to the point of finally confining Clank, he stopped. That’s when the apparition of Clank disappeared.
“Ed has filled you in?” Tim asked.
“Pretty much. I’m not clear on what you want to do with the civilians? There was some questions there,” the President said.
“I wasn’t sure, but since I’ve gotten the Man-machine stored away, I’ve had a little time to think, and I will take care of them myself.”
“I’ve noti
ced the pain in your voice when you said Man-machine. It must be hard to see your brother, hard to see what he’s become.”
“Yeah, it sure didn’t turn out the way I had hoped.”
“What are you going to do with him?” the President asked.
“I ah, I can’t really tell you.”
“That’s what Ed said, and I won’t push you on it. Can you guarantee he will cause no more problems?” the President asked.
“Yes.”
“And you are comfortable with your plans for the civilians?”
“Yes.”
“Then all there is to do is to inform you that your claim of sovereignty has been reviewed, and has been granted. It wasn’t easy, but no one in this present government wanted to be troubled with it anymore, except the power monger there.” The President pointed at Samuel. “I mean, the whole place is beach front, or worse, now. That headache scheme was brilliant. It’s still in effect?”
“Yeah, it’s been extended out to one hundred and fifty miles, and by the way, it was Ed’s idea.”
“He is an old fox. That’s why, when he talks, I listen,” the President said.
“Sir, I really must go,” Tim said.
“I understand.” The President stood up, as Tim began to shimmer. “One other thing, Son,” he said before Tim completely disappeared. “I hope we can meet again, under calmer times.”
*
“What do you know about his plans?” The President asked Ed, after Tim had left.
“Not too much.”
“Hey, look, old fox, I don’t expect much out of you now, but I will persist because you know a lot.”
“Why do you think that?”
“You and the kid talked, out there.”
“He didn’t tell me much,”
“Is he going to?” the President asked.
“How, he’s leaving?”
“How long before you see him again?”
“He didn’t say,” Ed said sadly, “but I get the distinct feeling it might be never. He’s just a kid, but I think of him as a very mature person, someone that had the right makeup for the circumstances, and thank god for us.”
“I forgot to ask Tim why Arty didn’t make personal appearances?” the President asked. “That would have scared the shit out of everybody.”
“Because he was afraid to leave Timtown,” Ed answered.
“What, with everything he had?”
“When Arty removed his body, he was in a hurry and hooked up with Mr. V too fast, and limited himself, same as the computer. You see, Mr. V was responsible for the inside of the base only. Tim already had the Number One position so it negated any chance for Arty to get control until Tim was removed.”