CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The parents at the Oaxaca settlement notice the rapid progress of their offspring. Almost six months had passed since their arrival and the babies did not act as normal babies would at that stage. Even those born to families were they started walking at eighteen months were noticing that the little ones did not obey normal human regulations.
"Lewis is already walking," said Susan as she kept track of the toddler. Well he was not yet a toddler, being now five months old. She hardly missed England and Sweden. Already she had shown her children pictures and words and found that unlike ordinary babies, these showed a comprehension way beyond their years.
"Moda, come see animal," he said.
"And complete sentences at his age. I wonder if it's the same for the other children?" asked Tomas. He had been on the same ship, but kept mostly in the cabin with his wife. In fact, no one knew he existed until that incident in Panama City.
He had been studying for a civic exam in Seville when he volunteered, which accounted for his reticence. Anyway, that proved a benefit for the parents of the New Species as he was able to bring a sense of order into the settlement.
"Gregor very intelligent too," said a woman with green eyes. She whispered to her husband who spoke in Russian.
"Remember we have to speak English from now on," said Tomas, "I've already started with Paul." His son was a small boy compared to some of the others, with blue eyes and the light hair that would turn dark as years went on. However, Tomas himself was not that tall.
They had already started a settlement down in the quarry, using a cave above for storage and building their houses down below. A generator produced their electricity and with the cables that they obtained from the nearest city, as well as what they had from their ships, they were able to produce electricity. They had an extensive garden and already were harvesting peppers as well as other semi tropical food.
Even the children helped, working along side with their parents, acting not like babies, but as regular two year olds, doing simple tasks even before their parents could ask. It was as if they knew what was going on.
Carmichael was beginning to get worried, especially when his own son looked at him with disdain. He shook his head. It was just his imagination. He left the quarry, climbing up the only safe path, and went to the place where he hid his radio.
Not long after they arrived, Alfred had taken the radio from the supplies and climbed the quarry at night. He found a suitable place, a hut abandoned by the locals. After fortifying it, he hid the radio by digging a hole, covering it up with tarpaulin, then with with a small brush he planted into a hollowed log that he placed over the hole. Every week, he checked to see if it worked, and if it did not, he would bring it to the village and recharge it. There was also a stream nearby and already he was looking into how to make a battery since he could not walk into the nearest city and ask the store manager since officially they did not exist.
He moved the brush, lifted up the log, wiped off the dirt from the radio, and checked to see if it was still working. Yes, no one had disturbed the cable that led to it. He had attached that as a temporary measure until he was able to bring up an additional power supply unnoticed. That required going into the nearest city and getting one and making sure the clerk did not record the purchase. He hoped that would be unnecessary because, for some reason, he imagined Lewis and the other toddlers using their little teeth to cut into it, but Alfred felt it was just the isolation and being away from home. However as of yet the only power to start the battery was hand power so he cranked the radio and spoke into the microphone. eH
"This is Carmichael signing in. Sorry to take so long. We had several births. I'm checking to see if we're all here."
"Why there were eight ships, twelve couples on each. Didn't you see the envelope with 8-2/16 on the right hand corner?" came the voice from the other end. It was Southam, himself.
"Why no, sir." Carmichael fumbled through his right hip pocket, bringing out a crumbled envelope. "Oh I had it with me all along. So twelve couples, that means there would be 96 couples instead of the seventy two here, counting me,sir."
"That means two ships are missing. I've got to put this on record. Two ships, that means twenty-four passengers plus four officers drowned. Now I want the names of the six ships. You do remember them, don't you?"
"No sir. You ordered us to scuttle them."
"Very well. As far as you're concerned, only six ships arrived in Mexico. The other two did not exist. We'll hold a memorial service for the victims, not mentioning their names. They'll go on record as unknowns caught in a storm. The other officers have been debriefed and told not to reveal this incident on pain of death unless I give the code word."
"Code word?"
"Only for the officers."
"And what if they're dead? What if it happens perhaps thirty years from now?"
"Then it will be up to you. Now listen carefully."
Carmichael bent his ear to the speaker, for Southam turned his voice down low. He was not to record any of this nor put it down in writing. If any of the Western Powers needed help, he was to call MI-5 with the code word 8- 2/16 plus their location if they moved. . As soon as the operative heard this, they would send for Southam or his successor. At that, they would send an agent to their location along with the military trainers necessary to get them in shape.
"And I hope this never happens," said Southam.
"Roger and out." He put the radio back in the bag, buried it in its hiding place, and left the hut. So far, no one had missed him.
The parents at the Oaxaca settlement notice the rapid progress of their offspring. Almost six months had passed since their arrival and the babies did not act as normal babies would at that stage. Even those born to families were they started walking at eighteen months were noticing that the little ones did not obey normal human regulations.
"Lewis is already walking," said Susan as she kept track of the toddler. Well he was not yet a toddler, being now five months old. She hardly missed England and Sweden. Already she had shown her children pictures and words and found that unlike ordinary babies, these showed a comprehension way beyond their years.
"Moda, come see animal," he said.
"And complete sentences at his age. I wonder if it's the same for the other children?" asked Tomas. He had been on the same ship, but kept mostly in the cabin with his wife. In fact, no one knew he existed until that incident in Panama City.
He had been studying for a civic exam in Seville when he volunteered, which accounted for his reticence. Anyway, that proved a benefit for the parents of the New Species as he was able to bring a sense of order into the settlement.
"Gregor very intelligent too," said a woman with green eyes. She whispered to her husband who spoke in Russian.
"Remember we have to speak English from now on," said Tomas, "I've already started with Paul." His son was a small boy compared to some of the others, with blue eyes and the light hair that would turn dark as years went on. However, Tomas himself was not that tall.
They had already started a settlement down in the quarry, using a cave above for storage and building their houses down below. A generator produced their electricity and with the cables that they obtained from the nearest city, as well as what they had from their ships, they were able to produce electricity. They had an extensive garden and already were harvesting peppers as well as other semi tropical food.
Even the children helped, working along side with their parents, acting not like babies, but as regular two year olds, doing simple tasks even before their parents could ask. It was as if they knew what was going on.
Carmichael was beginning to get worried, especially when his own son looked at him with disdain. He shook his head. It was just his imagination. He left the quarry, climbing up the only safe path, and went to the place where he hid his radio.
Not long after they arrived, Alfred had taken the radio from the supplies and climbed the quarry at night. He found a suitable place, a hut abandoned by the locals. After fortifying it, he hid the radio by digging a hole, covering it up with tarpaulin, then with with a small brush he planted into a hollowed log that he placed over the hole. Every week, he checked to see if it worked, and if it did not, he would bring it to the village and recharge it. There was also a stream nearby and already he was looking into how to make a battery since he could not walk into the nearest city and ask the store manager since officially they did not exist.
He moved the brush, lifted up the log, wiped off the dirt from the radio, and checked to see if it was still working. Yes, no one had disturbed the cable that led to it. He had attached that as a temporary measure until he was able to bring up an additional power supply unnoticed. That required going into the nearest city and getting one and making sure the clerk did not record the purchase. He hoped that would be unnecessary because, for some reason, he imagined Lewis and the other toddlers using their little teeth to cut into it, but Alfred felt it was just the isolation and being away from home. However as of yet the only power to start the battery was hand power so he cranked the radio and spoke into the microphone. eH
"This is Carmichael signing in. Sorry to take so long. We had several births. I'm checking to see if we're all here."
"Why there were eight ships, twelve couples on each. Didn't you see the envelope with 8-2/16 on the right hand corner?" came the voice from the other end. It was Southam, himself.
"Why no, sir." Carmichael fumbled through his right hip pocket, bringing out a crumbled envelope. "Oh I had it with me all along. So twelve couples, that means there would be 96 couples instead of the seventy two here, counting me,sir."
"That means two ships are missing. I've got to put this on record. Two ships, that means twenty-four passengers plus four officers drowned. Now I want the names of the six ships. You do remember them, don't you?"
"No sir. You ordered us to scuttle them."
"Very well. As far as you're concerned, only six ships arrived in Mexico. The other two did not exist. We'll hold a memorial service for the victims, not mentioning their names. They'll go on record as unknowns caught in a storm. The other officers have been debriefed and told not to reveal this incident on pain of death unless I give the code word."
"Code word?"
"Only for the officers."
"And what if they're dead? What if it happens perhaps thirty years from now?"
"Then it will be up to you. Now listen carefully."
Carmichael bent his ear to the speaker, for Southam turned his voice down low. He was not to record any of this nor put it down in writing. If any of the Western Powers needed help, he was to call MI-5 with the code word 8- 2/16 plus their location if they moved. . As soon as the operative heard this, they would send for Southam or his successor. At that, they would send an agent to their location along with the military trainers necessary to get them in shape.
"And I hope this never happens," said Southam.
"Roger and out." He put the radio back in the bag, buried it in its hiding place, and left the hut. So far, no one had missed him.