Jack and Jill IV
Chapter 17
Storm and Jayne were done with all the cameras. Storm had a laptop that showed everything and confirmed that Jack could access it all and activate the gas canisters if needed. After that they had both retreated to their rooms to shower and change clothes.
"Sometime tomorrow Melanie is going to send a list of exercise equipment Dad can use. It all probably won't get here till the day after. It's all going into Dad's sitting room after you two move some furniture around."
"Good, the sooner Richard is out of that chair, the better." Storm saw the chair as a liability.
"Melanie also informed us that the fighter you shot down has closed four downtown blocks for who knows how long," Alexis added.
"They're likely inspecting that road as well and interviewing witnesses," Kate noted.
"We're down to twenty-four full days so we can expect company soon. A single general and a commander aren't going to be enough for a lot of people," Storm mentioned.
"One of our drones has crashed so that leaves us with just the one," Jayne reminded him.
"I'll apologize for the loss later." Storm was unconcerned. He looked around and saw Alexis had her little gun on her. Rick had his in his lap and Kate had her HK MP5-SD lying on the floor next to her. Jayne had his and he had his so at least everyone was ready.
oOo
Alexis answered her phone. "Yes?"
"I have a delivery for a Jack Ryker. It has your address." He knew of no one up that with that name.
"One moment." Alexis pressed the phone to her chest. "There is a delivery for a Jack Ryker with our address." She looked at Storm since it sounded like him.
"That's me. You didn't think I would use this name, did you? I'll go down and get it." Storm got up and left them.
Alexis went back to her phone. "Someone will be down to get it. Thank you." She ended the call. "Jack Ryker?" She looked at Jayne.
"Storm uses more than one name all the time. I heard something about a Bowflex." Jayne was interested.
"The day after tomorrow," Alexis said. "So what has Storm ordered this time?" If this place got any tighter a fly couldn't get in.
"Metal detector. He wants to know if someone is trying to sneak in a weapon. That's all it does. I swear." Jayne lifted a hand and looked at Alexis. He was saved when her phone rang again.
"Yes?" She assumed it was the security guard downstairs again. "No, General, you haven't caught me at a bad time. Actually we're all resting in the living room while Storm is doing something," Alexis told him and listened. "We'll be ready, thank you for the warning." She ended the call.
"That was General Johnson. He, one of his aides, Commander Richardson, and one of his aides, as well as a Lieutenant General Dickinson of Space Command and a Sergeant Towberman will be over for dinner tomorrow. Oh, and they're bringing the Secretary of State." Alexis was impressed now.
"Bringing out the big guns. That will mean there will be Secret Service and they'll have weapons," Jayne pointed out. The Secretary of State didn't go anywhere alone.
"I need to warn the Cook and find another table. Ours isn't big enough for this." Alexis got up to go talk to the Cook since she was going to need help.
Jill appeared even though Jack had just told her what a Secretary of State was. "Twenty-four days. However we have a question. What if the enemy has decided to send a second fleet? The ones that were here no doubt told them how many were on this planet." She looked at each of them. This planet was overpopulated so far as they were concerned.
"We work harder is all. If we can be ready for the first one, we can be ready for the second one." Jayne didn't see a problem. Jill vanished so she and Jack could talk.
"This is just the start, isn't it?" Kate asked as she thought about it.
"Either other countries send someone here or you two and by extension maybe all of us, go there. Brussels perhaps or maybe Geneva. It's a cinch the Russians and the Chinese are going to demand an audience. But do they come to you or demand that you go to them?
"As for other countries like Australia, Israel, or even Turkey? Not my job and glad of it. And get them all onboard in twenty-four days?" Jayne shook his head.
"We aren't going to make it, are we? Places like the Congo, Egypt, Jordan, Croatia, let alone North Korea. It's a lot of countries." Kate didn't see it happening. She saw Rick and Jayne shake their heads.
"We're in so much trouble. Say a pair of Amplitur land in North Korea and effectively take over. They have nukes. The Chinese aren't yet convinced so when the North Koreans attack us, do they do so because the North is an ally?" Kate hated where she was going with this.
"We blow ourselves up and we don't need to worry about being Suggested." Rick could actually shake his head easier now so he did. "Except, Jack? You said you could access any computer and they would never know it."
Jack popped in. "Correct."
"The President uses what we call a football. Suppose the Russians and the Chinese have something similar. Jack simply blocks its use," Rick said.
"The Russians actually have three of these so called 'footballs' and they are called Cheget. The other two Cheget briefcases are actually held by the defense minister and the chief of the general staff. I have already accessed all three and also the one for this country.
"The Chinese do not have a football and neither does France, the United Kingdom, India, Pakistan, Israel, or North Korea. The system North Korea uses would require that communications to deploy their nuclear weapons would need to be blocked. The same for India and Pakistan. I can and have accessed the computers used by France and the United Kingdom. Similarly I could simply block all communications any of these countries send out involving the use of nuclear weapons." Basically Jack knew he could stop those countries. "However, the lone weapon presently in Iran is too simplistic for me to stop. It is not presently easily deployable,"
"What a mess. …I need a drink." Jayne got up to go find something, anything.
"I think I'll join you. You want something, babe?" Kate asked Rick and placed her hand on his shoulder.
"A double would be nice, thank you." Rick kissed her back when she kissed him and he watched her leave. Jack was still there. "You weren't expecting this, were you?"
"No, we were not." Jack and Jill had already reached the conclusion that this planet was a mess.
oOo
It was late. Storm had set up his metal detector inside the elevator along with the cameras and the tear gas for the elevator and cameras in the stairwell. He was mostly happy.
The projectors on the windows were still operational and while only half of the film was in place they could finish that quickly in the morning. A quick check of his computer showed that all was quiet so he got ready for bed. A pistol with a suppressor went under his pillow and his HK was close by; he knew he needed some sleep.
Storm yawned then ran over what he needed to do first thing in the morning. He would go out and get two more stingers tomorrow and if he could find it, ammunition for his Samsung weapon since it had used up all of it on that fighter. So not too much to do. He rolled over and drifted off.
Jayne was nice and relaxed when he heard a knock. "It's not locked, Storm." Except it wasn't Storm. It was Alexis. That had him sitting up and moving to the edge of his bed as he watched her lock his door.
"Alexis." He needed to stop this. However she put her fingers over his lips.
"Shhh, you'll ruin it. Here, this is for later." She placed a small package in his hand and lifted her top over her head, showing she wasn't wearing a bra.
Jayne knew what was in his hand. It was a condom. "Alexis, we really shouldn't—" She put her fingers over his lips again, silencing him.
"Hush, less talking." Alexis pulled her pants down showing she was naked. She got on his bed and spread her legs wide. "If you must move your mouth put it to good use and eat me." Alexis ran a finger between her already swollen lips. She had been touching herself before she even came here.
Alexis smiled as he did as he was told and moaned at his first lick.
oOo
Kate was cuddled up nice and close to Rick. "You called me babe," Rick said.
"No, I didn't. …Did I?" She didn't remember calling him that. "When did I do that?"
Rick remembered that moment clearly. "When you joined Jayne to go get the wine."
"I'm sorry, I don't remember. If I did you can adapt. You're a big boy." Kate ran her hand down his body to take hold of him. Maybe she could convince Junior to come out and play and prove just how big a boy he really was.
oOo
The next day Kate had Rick back downstairs to use the exercise room for a short time and were soon back upstairs. Then Kate moved him from his chair to his bed to take a nap.
Most of the day was a do-nothing day. They were slowly running out of time but it was mostly out of their hands.
Kate gave Rick a shower, a swirly, brushed his teeth, and got him dressed in a suit and into his chair before she got herself dressed. She didn't really have all that much to wear so she put on the best she had and left it at that.
Rick and Kate found everyone in the living room and there was a new table next to the existing one. Kate had never seen Alexis look like this before. She was lovely and she was showing cleavage. Even Storm and Jayne didn't look all that bad.
Alexis answered her phone. "Yes."
"I have a Lanie Parish down here asking to come up."
"Send her up, please." Alexis ended the call. "Do you want to go downstairs and bring your friend Lanie up?" she asked, looking at Kate.
"Lanie's here?" Kate didn't even know she was invited.
"She was the ME who did the autopsies. I assumed she should be here for this," Alexis told her and Kate happily went downstairs to bring her old friend that wasn't a friend yet up to the dinner.
"Hey, Lanie. Well don't you clean up nice." She was dressed to impress.
"Best dress I own," Lanie admitted and went up the elevator to the living room and dining room. She saw everyone else was dressed much nicer and found a glass of wine waiting for her. "I have to admit you have some of the best wine I've ever had." Lanie sipped it and saw Kate motioning for her to follow.
So back past the elevator she went then turned right and stopped dead in her tracks.
"I don't know what they're worth but this is where it all comes from," Kate told her.
They were walking back when they saw a heavily armed Storm and Jayne enter the elevator.
"Our guests have arrived," Alexis explained. Kate nervously drank some wine. It was about to get more serious.
Storm and Jayne leveled their weapons on the occupants. Jack had already told them that two of them were armed. When the doors opened those two produced weapons and leveled them at these two.
"Stand down," the Secretary ordered.
"Ma'am?" Weapons were being pointed at them and protecting him was their job.
"That's an order. Stand down. If they wanted us dead, we'd be dead. Now put those things away." She stepped out of the elevator. "I was told you were involved, Storm. You have a reputation." She did not offer to shake his hand.
"It's good to see you, Madam Secretary." Storm greeted her and didn't offer his hand either. "Bring the others," he told Jayne who nodded.
The two Secret Service agents followed these two. Storm introduced her to everyone else. "Madam Secretary, Richard Castle our host. His daughter, Alexis. Katherine Beckett and the ME that did the autopsies, Lanie Parish."
"Mr. Castle. I'm told you are no longer a quadriplegic thanks to this Jack. An alien AI, I hear." She offered her hand and Rick did in fact take it.
"Still very weak, but yes. Please have a seat." Rick offered one of the four chairs since everyone was standing.
A moment later and everyone else arrived. The aides join the Secret Service agents at one of the two tables and sat down.
"Kate, give me a hand, please." Alexis went to the wine storage room and in moments everyone, including Rick, had a glass of wine. The Secret Service agents declined, however.
"I've read the report these two submitted. I have to admit it was a shock," the Secretary said.
"Even more so for most of us. From having an alien show up in front of the car to having their fighter come up behind us and try and kill all of us," Kate pointed out.
Alexis gave her grandfather credit. "They would have succeeded, too, if not for Storm."
"This morning I was shown the crystals and the dead bodies that were recovered. I'm told you did the autopsies, Doctor." She looked at Lanie.
"Yes, ma'am. Someone is playing God with those two. They have made some adjustments to them and botched it badly. Like they didn't care what they were doing to them." Lanie had nothing but distaste for who did all that work.
"I've not yet had the opportunity to read that report, but I will, so I'll have to take your word for it," the Secretary stated. "A seven foot tall rat and something else. Real aliens. I'm having trouble understanding why ground combat only."
"Jack, Jill, you two are up," Kate said since it was better if it came from those two.
Storm and Jayne raised their weapons when both Secret Service agents reacted and reached for their weapons. "If you two are going to remain stupid you can go downstairs and wait," the Secretary told them.
"Sorry, ma'am." Both put them away. It was instinctive. It was part of their jobs and not someone else's.
"Madam Secretary. Our names don't translate into English so she is Jill and I am Jack. Your job is as follows.
1. Serves as the President's principal adviser on U.S. foreign policy;
2. Conducts negotiations relating to U.S. foreign affairs;
3. Grants and issues passports to American citizens and exequaturs to foreign consuls in the United States;
4. Advises the President on the appointment of U.S. ambassadors, ministers, consuls, and other diplomatic representatives;
5. Advises the President regarding the acceptance, recall, and dismissal of the representatives of foreign governments;
6. Personally participates in or directs U.S. representatives to international conferences, organizations, and agencies;
7. Negotiates, interprets, and terminates treaties and agreements;
8. Ensures the protection of the U.S. Government to American citizens, property, and interests in foreign countries;
9. Supervises the administration of U.S. immigration laws abroad;
10. Provides information to American citizens regarding the political, economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian conditions in foreign countries;
11. Informs the Congress and American citizens on the conduct of U.S. foreign relations;
12. Promotes beneficial economic intercourse between the United States and other countries;
13. Administers the Department of State;
14. Supervises the Foreign Service of the United States.
"You are well informed." For an alien this one at least knew a lot.
"It is my job to gather information to better serve the Weave," Jack replied.
"Yes, you and this Amplitur, if I have that right," the Secretary stated.
"Correct, ma'am. The Amplitur will arrive and Suggest and you will join the Purpose. It will sound perfectly natural to you and you will not want or believe in anything else. You won't even know it has been Suggested. Changing you back has proven to be a challenge.
"When we first encountered them several millennia ago our own ship's captain and his ship were released. They used him to track where he went so they knew what section of space we controlled in that sector of the galaxy. He didn't understand why we didn't want to be friends. Why we resisted. They hadn't asked anything of him. He was free to go. We should simply do the same.
"The Amplitur, when they arrive, will Suggest and you won't know any different. The Weave will offer. We have learned you have a word for this. Slavery. Only it will not be forced on you. You will do so willingly. To date no one is immune to their mind control. Your word is inaccurate in that slavery suggests that you can resist. You will not resist.
"Almost all combat is ground combat. Each side wants to add the race that is local to each planet. Genocide is self-defeating. However, both sides have a very limited number of races that are capable of combat. The vast majority of us have evolved beyond the need for combat," Jill told her and the others yet again.
"I read the report. So what exactly is it that you offer?" the Secretary of State inquired.
"In twenty-four days the enemy fleet will arrive. We believe that five Amplitur will be part of this fleet. Our fleet is presently now thirty-nine days out. A second enemy fleet may possibly be behind this first one.
"The interstellar war that presently encompasses almost all of this galaxy is coming to you. You do not have a choice. The only choice you have is do you want to be Suggested and become a part of their Purpose, or join the Weave and resist being made a slave?
"Most of our races are incapable of combat. Most of our systems provide food and logistical support. Build ships and design and construct new weapons. One such race designed and created us. Our capabilities are far beyond the science of your planet.
"Using your history, you are in the Civil War era with a few exceptions while the Weave, and the Amplitur to a lesser extent, are in the 21st Century. Your weapons are either an equal or inferior. Your computer science is far behind and you have no capacity to make a spaceship that can travel within your own system, let alone travel interstellar. You have no FTL," Jack informed him.
"If I remember correctly you are losing," the Secretary stated.
"Correct. At first we caught them by surprise and we won in most cases. Then we began breaking even. Over the last few generations we have been losing," Jack admitted.
"Madam Secretary." Jill got his attention and changed her form. "This is the galaxy that you call the Milky Way. The blinking light at the bottom is the location of your system. You are pretty accurate in your knowledge of where you are in the galaxy.
"When we first encountered the enemy the Weave had control over this space shown in blue. Over the years we started to learn that the Amplitur had control over the amount of space in the galaxy as now shown in red." Jill started to slowly change it to what it was today as best the Weave knew.
"You will note that your system and some other areas do not fall under the control of either of us. That will begin to change in twenty-three days, one way or another." Jill left it that way so everyone could look.
"Keep in mind that all combat takes place on a planetary surface. We are trying to save planets, not destroy them and the race that lives on them. As a result we have been fighting against the Amplitur for several millennia and yes, we are presently losing.
"Now what happens once the Amplitur have total and complete control and every intelligent life form is part of the Purpose? We have no idea. It may simply be that it will never end. The Amplitur may find a way to travel to the next galaxy and begin the process of adding that galaxy to the Purpose," Jack told all of them.
"So what are our chances again this Amplitur?" the Secretary queried since she had just been told they were behind the times in technology.
"EXCELLENT!" Storm informed her. "For all their numbers they are terrible fighters. These five sat in front of a light source with no guards, no security system, and no skill. We just have to kill the Amplitur and the rest will all die easily.
"What we don't know yet, is does an Amplitur have to touch you or just be close? We're going to need a lot of snipers if they exit their ships or simply blow them up after they land since all combat is ground combat.
"Now does that mean the Amplitur will sit in orbit and watch first? I guess we'll have to wait and see," Storm said.
Jayne sat there and nodded then added his voice, "They're stupid, ma'am."
"And modified from their original life form," Lanie reminded them.
"This planet is big. The question is where do they land? If an Amplitur reaches a president do we end up fighting our own people?" Rick asked.
"Suggested to fight us." The Secretary was keeping up with no trouble and watched a number of heads nodding including the military that had come with him.
"Dinner?" Alexis proposed and got up to see if Cook and her staff were ready.