CH30
Alexis and Amanda were all packed and Kate and Rick helped them move, plus it gave both of them a location to open a transmit wall for when they wanted to come visit.
"Looks like you two need to go grocery shopping." Rick was searching the kitchen. "Though it looks like you have the basics to do all the cooking already."
"You two remember, you are out here on your own but you are never alone. You need something ask any of us or ask Lucile, and do not get lazy out here. You still have jobs in different cities to take care of.
And remember that we love both of you." Kate tries to hug both of them at the same time.
"Thanks mom." They both respond at the same time.
"Natalie is right, our family is growing all the time. Remember to let Lucile help you in your wedding plans and don't forget to go shopping for rings. Diamonds are a girl's best friend." Kate kisses the head of both of them.
"Come on Rick, I feel like eating Chinese today, the baby and I are hungry." Kate opens a transmat wall for both of them.
"Don't forget us out here you two." Rick reminds them and follows Kate back to their home.
"So what's first?" Alexis asks.
"Grocery shopping unless we want to starve." Amanda answers.
"Grab your car keys and let's go looking." Alexis suggests.
Since they didn't know where they were going exactly they chose the closest large town, Speighstown.
The corner of Queen's St and Alms Gap, they found Jordan's Supermarket that gave them a lot of what they were looking for. A little further up Queen's St. they found a fish market that had the freshest fish they had ever seen.
"We are so coming back here again." Alexis points out, getting Amanda to agree.
A little further up Queen's St. they found a park that might have something fun to do. On the way back home they saw a KFC of all things, a Home Center, a café, a bank, and a jewelry studio. "Maybe after work tomorrow, what do you say?" Amanda asks.
"Shopping in Barbados? Count me in." Alexis was smiling.
They had their purchases all put away and were letting their fresh fish marinate in the refrigerator.
"I saw a couple of beaches on our trip." Amanda points out.
"Is this you trying to get me into a bikini?" Alexis smiles.
"I'd rather get you naked if I had a choice." Amanda counters. Alexis simply smiled while she shed clothes on the way to their bedroom, with Amanda and her clothes right behind her.
Kate and Rick pick up the boys from Jenn and go home after dropping off Alexis and Amanda. "Think this will work?" Rick asks Kate as they watch the boys and the dogs run downstairs.
"Alexis isn't a child anymore and Amanda is good for her. I haven't seen her this happy since before she married Ray." Kate points out.
"It's interesting how Alexis met Amanda on a trip we sent her on, who just happens to be one of the few humans who know about us and has been on Evergreen." Rick remarks.
"Are you suggesting a set-up?" Kate asks stopping on her way to the kitchen to get their take-out food ready.
"No, just noting the coincidences in all of this. We need Alexis to find someone and she just happens to turn out to be someone who went on the same trip; who also just happens to be her roommate; who just happens to be into women and brings out the same thing in Alexis; who also just happens to have a bracer, nanites, and likely has cells on the Evergreen to grow organs when she needs them." Rick lists off everything.
"Well when you put it that way." Kate has to admit he had a point. "So any guesses on who is behind all this?" Kate is dying to hear his idea.
"Just one actually. …The same people who wouldn't let me help Lanie, Javi and Ryan. Something I'm never going to forgive them over by the way." Rick says.
"The Silence." Kate speaks their name, feeling it burn in her mouth. She will never forgive them for what they had done to her friends. "Just how? Where do they get their information? How would they know?" Kate didn't see how, unless...
"Lucile?" Kate calls out which gets Lucile to show herself.
"I have a diagnostic that is continually running. If they were accessing my memories I would know." Lucile is sure of it.
"How many of you are there? What if they built another series with more power and capabilities?" Kate asks, having forgotten about her hunger.
"It has been over 60 years since I was built. I know for a fact that another of my series was built for a set of triplets in China. They are doing there basically what we are doing here. My knowledge of the computer system that controls the Evergreen is two series behind me. It is possible that they have designed and built a new system capable of greater things." Lucile is forced to admit.
It made sense to Kate. Even Earth computers had advanced a lot over the years, regardless of the fact that they were still nowhere near being Lucile. "Say that they have, how do they know what they know? How could they send Amanda on the same trip and why did they send Amanda?" Kate was full of questions. "Amanda isn't a plant for the Silence is she? … My god this could destroy Alexis if that was the case." Kate is suddenly very frightened.
"To verify I would need access to the system on Evergreen." Lucile points out a problem.
"If this computer is more powerful and faster than you how are you going to accomplish that?" Kate knew Lucile was good, but was she still good enough?
"I don't need access to that system, just the old one on the Evergreen." Lucile points out.
"That still won't be easy; there are a limited number of ways onto the Evergreen and all of them are screened." Rick points out, reminding Lucile and Kate of the room they entered when Kate went in for testing.
"Correct, those areas are heavily monitored, however there is a way that isn't as heavily monitored." Lucile points out. She now had Rick's and Kate's undivided attention.
Before dealing with any of that, they need Natalie and Jim since their early plan requires the fabrication of an item. They have the contacts to have it built to Lucile's specifications.
Jim is still at the base while Natalie is sitting at the kitchen with Kate. Rick is downstairs with the boys, keeping all of Kate's children busy.
"You really think the Silence is behind Alexis and Amanda?" Natalie is curious to hear Kate's thoughts. Even if they were, these two were made for each other. So what was the harm?
"I honestly don't know, however there are just too many coincidences to ignore. I just don't want Alexis or Amanda hurt." Kate feels the need to protect the girls.
"When will your designs be done Lucile?" Natalie calls out to empty space, something all of them had long since gotten used to doing in this house.
Lucile shows herself. "I estimate 2 days to complete the initial design, with another 24 hours to run a number of computer simulations with no more than 6 hours to make changes and run more simulations."
"So three or four days." Is what Natalie thinks she heard. "Just send it to my computer at work and I'll send it in for construction. …Better throw in some safeguards in case the CIA or someone else gets their hands on this design. I don't like the thought that they could gain access to the system on the Evergreen." Natalie doesn't think that Earth is ready yet to find out that there are aliens on their planet and that they are hiding a huge ship in their system.
"Already taken into account." Lucile assures both of them. "How are you two feeling?" Lucile changes the subject.
"I'm find Lucile. Actually this is the time of being pregnant that I honestly like. Morning sickness is long since over, my hormones are running the show, and I'm constantly horny. I need to enjoy it while I can since I'll soon be bigger than my own house. My back will start to hurt, my feet will be swollen and I'm already one bra size larger. Plus I get to drive Jim crazy with my cravings. The only downside of being pregnant is that I can't kick Jim's butt and I tire easily." Natalie always knew that their relationship together had been based on being physical with each other.
"You sure you still want a body?" Natalie asks looking at Lucile.
"There was a movie years ago on this planet called Casper. In it Casper the ghost got to be alive as a boy until midnight so he could spend time with the girl that he was in love with, so that he could touch her, feel her, kiss her. … Does that answer your question?" Lucile asks. All Natalie wanted to do was hug Lucile for the thought.
"I know of an old TV series that didn't last very long, Star Gate or something like that. In it these two women had died and found themselves in the ships computer. They were in a position much like you are. One wanted so badly to have her body back that she did something stupid.
The other woman found that just being close to the man she loved was enough for her. However the other woman did something stupid that got both of them trapped in a section of the computer where they couldn't ever interact with the ship's crew ever again. They both lost access to the men they loved." Natalie points out.
Lucile ponders it for a few nano-seconds. "Point taken." Lucile saw the lesson.
"Having said that, there was another short-lived TV series called Andromeda." Natalie remarks.
"Scanning...interesting. A robot that shared her conscious self in real time. Remarkable concept. Perhaps someday." Lucile thought about it. "It's one of the things I love about this planet, you have such an amazing ability for imagination." TV shows and movies are where Lucile gets a lot of her ideas.
"Try looking up an old sci-fi show called Battlestar Galactica." Kate offers.
"Scanning. …Cylons! Part human part machine." Lucile sees it.
"Now combine that with the Asgard from StarGate SG1." Kate says.
"Scanning...very interesting. Download your mind into a Cylon body." Lucile considers the prospect.
"It is all moot since all of these options require a level of technology that this planet lacks." Lucile remarks.
"How long will you live?" Natalie asks.
That got Lucile to look at Natalie. "Point taken." Lucile smiles.
"Be right back." Lucile disappears in an instant.
"You think she's alright?" Natalie asks Kate since Kate has been around her longer.
"Lucile is alive; she just wishes to be more alive and not trapped in this house. Even if she does have the internet to travel in, she's still trapped here. Actually for someone who is a computer and housed under the house, she's doing better than I would." Kate points out.
"Except she was born this way and you weren't." Natalie says.
"Lucile will be fine. Wishes are a good thing, it means she has them. What did you wish to be when you were a little girl?" Kate asks.
That makes Natalie smile. "Promise not to laugh?" Natalie challenges Kate, who simply nods her head. "I was just a little girl and we watched flames shoot up out of the house across the street. I watched the police, firemen, and ambulances show up." Natalie begins.
"And you wanted to be the doctor that showed up to save them." Kate offers.
Natalie however shakes her head. "I wanted to be the fireman. Crash through the front door, brave the fire, and carry everyone out." Natalie corrects her.
"And became a Marine instead." Kate comments not really seeing much similarity between the two, except maybe both were physical.
"The following year I watched this boy being bullied in school. I stuck up for him and got punched in the nose for it. I came home crying and talked my parents into taking me to karate lessons.
Next thing I knew I had a black belt in simple karate and then started taking other types of combat fighting. Later I ran across a recruiter who tried to get me to join the Air Force. I told him to take a hike, it was too girly for me. I was still heavy into my tomboy years.
Next thing I knew there was a Marine recruiter at my door who insulted me about being a girl. Only boy Marines knew how to fight." Natalie informs Kate.
"Oh god!" Kate just knows what was coming next since she thinks she understands Natalie.
Natalie starts laughing. "Yup I kicked his ass and found two colonels at my door the next day with an offer that I couldn't refuse. I was the company champion for years till I transferred to the JAG office in Seattle and you know the rest." Natalie ends sharing her dreams from when she was a kid.
"So you're still a tomboy." Kate is smiling since she is teasing.
It has Natalie laughing. "Pretty much yeah, and Jim seems to like me like this." Natalie knows she loves him and her boys.
"Jim really is perfect for you like Rick is perfect for me. Jim is your equal in combat and loves that part of you and apparently doesn't miss out on the girly girl that you could transform yourself into if you want for a short time." Kate points out.
"Rick gets you out of your far too serious mind and puts fun back into your life. You love him Kate, you really do, and I'd bet good money that your friend Lanie fought to get you to see that." Natalie points out.
"She wasn't the only one who fought to get me to see that, and it wasn't easy. I'm just glad that Lanie and the others got to see me happy before they were gone. They all put in a lot of effort, so it's nice to know that they got to see the results." Kate owes them even today. Kate knows that if she hadn't listened she would have missed out on this life.
"And to think you've got at least around another 100 years to go yet." Natalie says, knowing that she and Jim would be around for even longer since they are both younger than Kate and Rick.
"Providing that we still have access to the Evergreen." Kate points out the only drawback.
"Bite your tongue girlfriend." Natalie chastises her negative talk, getting Kate to smile back.
Lucile popped back in-between Kate and Natalie. "Sorry I had to be a referee for a moment during a basketball game." Lucile explains. The boys are downstairs doing their best to shoot hoops.
"In this household that is code for breaking up a fight." Kate remarks.
"You don't have to explain to me, I have two grown boys who still fight." Natalie says.
"Speaking of your boys, what are they doing now?" Kate asks.
"They spend their days with the contractor helping with any questions during the build of the prototypes. Meaning that they pass on the questions to Lucile." Natalie knows who is really helping. "However they are learning about their future rides while they are being built. They should know every little piece by the time they get in the cockpit." Natalie is happy about that.
"How are your girls handling it all?" Natalie only hears most of what her sons tell her.
"They knew they married into the Marines and they don't have a problem with that. However what happened to Tom did scare them pretty good." Kate knows that much.
"Them and me both." No one wants to lose a child and Natalie is no exception.
"However they now know and feel better about these knew ships that Lucile designed. They've grown up trusting Lucile, so having her design in all the safety issues into them makes them happy." Kate points out.
"I protect my family, even if they don't live here anymore." Lucile states.
"I can't begin to thank you, Lucile, for all you do. If they had showed up while we were flying those earlier ships, we would be toast. We may still be toast, but this way we're going down after we put up a fight." Natalie points out.
"Any clues on when we can expect them Lucile?" Kate asks, fearing the answer.
"There are a lot of variables. To my knowledge they didn't get a signal off, so that leaves how they would handle the silence. Likely they have encountered this problem before, leaving two main options.
First, send another scout group, maybe a little bigger one this time. Second, assume that they were lost in combat and show up with a fleet. There would be at least 2 or 3 main line combat ships along with support units in addition to a scout group. Maybe even larger depending on how many ships they have available in this area." Lucile offers.
It has Kate shivering while Natalie is thinking "Bring them on," so long as it's after they have at least one whole wing of fighters and bombers waiting for them. If they could only wait long enough have an entire wing of boarding craft. Natalie really liked the idea of taking one of their capital ships and reverse engineering it.
"Time, we need time." Natalie points out. "A year and a half at the very least, more if we can get it." Natalie knows the more time they had the more they can build. "Any chances that we get it?" Natalie asks looking at Lucile.
"If Rick's planet is still in the fight, we might get that year and a half and then some. If not we'll be lucky to get 6 months before a second larger scout group shows up to follow up the first one." Lucile is forced to tell them.
"I vote we have some fun while we still can." Natalie offers. "Suggestions?" Natalie looks at the two of them.
"We own property all over the place," Kate says, "Houses, hotels, restaurants, even a bed and breakfast. Including all that empty land that Thornton is after that Rick and I plan on leaving for the girls."
"Montana or the Caribbean?" Natalie is actually conflicted since she has seen the house in Montana, and it was just her kind of house. "Alexis and Amanda are in Barbados. Where is your house in the Caribbean again?"
"St. Martin, easily one and half hours by plane." Lucile answers for Kate since she can already see it.
"Tell me it has a pool." Natalie prays.
"Four bedrooms with a separate maids' quarters that have two bedrooms. It's not on a beach, but it has amazing views and yes it has a pool. We're going to both need new swim suits." Kate warns as she places a hand on her enlarged tummy.
"Your kids are out of school as are you. Your girls are working so we need to go on a weekend. This weekend maybe? It'll give me an excuse to go shopping." Natalie is happy about that.
"I'll talk to the girls if you take the guys." Kate offers.
"Deal!" Natalie was smiling while rubbing her hands. "Next time it's our house in Victoria." Natalie adds.