CH36
It is now one month later: (late November)
Lucile used all of Earth's satellites to help her locate her sister or brother AI unit located somewhere in China. It wasn't the easiest thing to do. China had and still was involved in a large building project. The latest one dealt with a much needed upgrade of downtown Hong Kong. However that project was recent and the AI unit would have happened some years ago, around the time that Lucile herself had been built. That's where the hard part came in, or perhaps easier depending on your point of view.
A number of years back, China went through a huge building boom. They were presently removing a lot of that construction having found it had actually made things worse. All those power stations burning dirty coal made a mess of the air. Cities got too big too fast and fresh water became another major problem.
Still that also helped her rule out locations to do her search in. Plus she knew the construction schedule of when she was built, so she kept going over old satellite images of every construction project in the country.
One of the reasons Rick had been selected was his ability to make money that could be siphoned off. The same was likely true for the unit in China, which meant that whoever it was would be rich as well.
The Crystal clan may be worth billions, however their hard cash was only in the hundreds of thousands. Their readily available currency would be millions of dollars except the money was sent to a company that the Silence worked through here on Earth. All of these projects were out in the open and known to almost everyone on the Evergreen. Earth needed to change if they were going to survive the arrival of the Honji Sinhindrea.
Kate was right for that moment in time, their funds on hand were at that time rather low for when they bought that Bed and Breakfast it had taken their cash on hand down to only $12,789.45. That amount, however, changed just a month later.
Lucile was working hard on this project. Since her redesign of Scout in their attempt to gain transmat wall jammers was complete and under construction, Lucile didn't have any other pressing projects.
Kate is just putting Abby down in her crib after feeding her, holding her, and rocking her for a while. "Lucile?" Kate calls out, getting Lucile to show herself. "Yes Kate."
"These jammers that we are after. If we place them on this house how are we going to get in and out of our own home?" Jammers would keep the Silence out, however it would keep them out too, wouldn't it?
"They will work the same way they do on the Evergreen. In this case the front door that everyone uses will be the only open location." Lucile explains, having already thought of that.
"Should we be thinking of a way to secure the front door in case the Silence figures it out, just like that transmat location on the Evergreen?" Kate doesn't want to turn her home into a fortress, at least not any more than it already is.
"Unfortunately we lack the ability to enclose the foyer like the Evergeen has done. The best I can do is open the front doors, activate the stunners that are located out in the yard, and have them fire in through the open doors." Lucile has thought about that also.
Kate thinks about it. "Can we have one of those stunners installed inside the house facing the front door that you have control over?" Kate wonders.
"The stunners like the EMP units were all manufactured on the Evergreen and installed during construction of the house." Lucile points out.
"It's been what, 60 plus years since they were installed? What happens when one of them finally fails?" Kate asks.
Lucile instantly starts smiling. "One of the stunners and one of the EMP emitters have just gone off line. A request for parts for replacement has been submitted to the Evergreen. Instructions of how to replace them will be provided by me allowing you and Richard to do the replacement yourselves." Lucile is reminded why she loves Kate so much.
"Keep up the good work Lucile." Kate smiles and heads for the bathroom to use it and do some cleaning while she is there.
Kate steps out of the bathroom when Lucile suddenly shows up in front of her. "I think I found them." Lucile smiles.
"That's great, where's Rick?" Kate knows she needs to include him, and maybe Jim and Natalie too.
"He's playing pool with the boys." Lucile tells Kate.
"Have him come up to the living room and call Jim and Natalie and see if they have the time to come here." Kate heads up the stairs for the living room.
Rick makes his way to the living room and is followed closely by Natalie with Crystal in her arms. "Has something happened?" Natalie asks as she reaches them.
"I think I've found the triplets in China." Lucile shows up and tells the three of them.
"Show us what you have Lucile." Rick asks of her, and Lucile replaces her body with a 3D diagram of her target area.
"Note the buildings located here." Lucile calls out. "Now watch what happens a few months later." Lucile replaces that picture with a new one that shows one of the buildings has been razed. It was like looking at a set of three row houses that had lost one.
"Now heres an image approximately one year later." Lucile offers, telling them what to expect and changes the image.
The empty space has been enclosed but it has no roof. Instead you can just make out some new trees.
"That's an interesting change." Rick points out. "Agreed, but how does this help us?" Kate doesn't see anything yet that would get Lucile's attention.
"I've found records of countless dump trucks taking yards and yards of dirt away only to bring most of it right back a year later. Plus I have found who owns the two units on either side." Lucile provides.
"Let me guess, …. triplets." Rick offers.
"Correct. … Mengmeng, Shuaishuai, and Kuku. Cute, Handsome and Cool are the English meanings. They are some of the leaders when it comes to business dealings in China. Combined they are worth millions bordering on billions and are not to be underestimated.
They have connections in almost every portion of China's economy and government. Roughly 60 years ago they were involved in what at the time was considered a contract hit. They were attacked while they were coming home and the attackers were easily subdued and that lead them to a single person that didn't want to share power with them or allow them to surpass him in the thoughts of others." Lucile points out.
"Stunners and EMP blasts." Natalie is guessing.
"That is my conclusion, however I have found that each of them, soon after the attack,became involved with at least two of the combat techniques you yourself are a master of Natalie." Lucile points out.
"That's where I've heard those names." Natalie suddenly calls out upsetting Crystal who objects to the sudden noise. "Shhh, I'm sorry baby. Mommy isn't mad at you." Natalie bounces Crystal while kissing her head.
"The three of them have skill and are not to be underestimated. Before Crystal I would bet good money that Jim and I could take on all three and win. I'm a little out of shape now and we would likely lose. Give me another few months and we could probably take them." Natalie is slowly working her way back into shape with Jim's help. They are even having a little fun in the bedroom again, just not taking it too far yet.
"So where is this unit?" Rick asks. "Out in that garden or should I say under it?"
"I believe so, plus there is this." Lucile changes the picture and shows one of the front corners of the house on the right.
"That looks just like the front corner of our house." Kate points out.
"Plus here's a recent satellite image of a small roof deck area." Lucile adds, displaying the view that shows a large telescope that looks like an exact copy of the one they have on their roof.
"EMP and stunner locations." Rick points out.
"Have you noticed that the exterior walls do not match the early image before the middle unit was removed?" Lucile asks; stats are blinking between the two images.
"The walls have been replaced." Kate sees it. "Likely the glass has been too. Meaning their house is as hard to get into as ours is."
"So we found them, …. now what?" Natalie questions.
"Transmat over and knock on their front door?" Rick offers.
"Simple as that?" Kate was dubious.
"Why not? … If we try to get sneaky they aren't going to trust us, and if this planet is going to survive an attack from the Honji Sinhindrea we are going to need their help." Rick points out.
"And tell them what?" Kate wonders.
"We can take a card that their AI can read and learn everything we have on the Honji Sinhindrea. Ask if their AI can design a fighter and maybe a bomber and construct it." Rick says.
"I'm not sure I'm comfortable giving them our designs. I understand the goal and the need for help, but how do I explain having the Chinese suddenly show up with a fighter and a bomber that is a duplicate of ours?" Natalie queries. The higher ups would have her head.
"Maybe we don't. … If their AI is a match for Lucile, he or she could come up with its own design.
We are also going to need to offer up information on the bomb that is likely sitting under their AI just like Lucile is along with our plan to obtain the jammers necessary to secure their home and their AI unit. It's an offer that should represent trust on our part." Rick remarks.
"So who goes?" Natalie asks.
"Just Kate and I, I would think." Rick offers.
"Neither of you have combat experience, at least take Jim with you." Natalie asks volunteering her husband.
"We have bracers." Rick points out.
"And they do to most likely; all the more reason to take Jim with you." Natalie argues again.
"One global stun later and Jim is just as unconscious, besides if they don't know about you two it gives us an edge." Kate is thinking using her time as a homicide detective into play.
Natalie has to admit Kate has a point. Why give anyone everything when you don't have to. Plus they are in Seattle instead of New York. "Fine, but you two be careful. You have a new born baby to think about." Natalie cautions.
Rick and Kate arrange their little visit to coincide with Alexis' and Amanda's days off of work so that they could baby sit. Turns out this would be a first for Amanda and old news to Alexis since she had helped Kate with Jenn and Emily.
I have found a location for you to open a transmat wall that is close by. You will need to walk about 2 blocks after that. Just monitor your bracers and you should know where everyone is located." Lucile advises them.
Rick and Kate turn on their bracers and see nothing but blue dots for the moment. "Got everything babe?" Kate knows they are going bearing gifts.
Lucile has given both of them everything she could find on the triplets. They both spent a few days reading and re-reading it all. Kate watches Rick holds up the data card for the AI unit.
"Hold down the fort Lucile, I don't actually know when we'll be back." Rick asks as he and Kate head for the front door.
"Just be careful you two; I have the Douglas clan on standby, likely armed to the teeth." Lucile informs them. What none of them know is that Natalie actually is armed to the teeth. She is dressed in her combat leathers and armed with every little gizmo she has while Jim is not that far away twirling his combat stick in both hands. Someone was going to learn a lesson if they weren't nice to their friends/family.
Rick and Kate step out and look around while taking glances at their bracers. Wordlessly they both go right and start walking.
The architecture in this area was definitely old China. In fact old Shanghai is surrounded by a wall that is well over a thousand years old. It was meant to keep out the Japanese; now it is a part of the city that is a tourist draw and is practically impossible to purchase a home in. The triplets obviously have connections and money.
They both know from the pictures Lucile gave them that the actual front door leads into the garden in the center. A quick peek at their bracers tells them that only one of the triplets is home at the moment. That is likely going to change fast.
The two remaining buildings have an old China look to them. A little flashy for their taste but they both knew this was a different culture. Still the house looked nice.
"Time to get the show started." Rick presses the button and they both listen to the sound a chimes being struck. "We are so changing your seagulls babe." Kate informs Rick who gives Kate an evil glare.
Kate looks at her bracer and watches as the lone triplet approaches the front door. Just as she did, Kate took a hold of Rick's arm and gave it a light squeeze.
When the door opens it reveals a young-to-middle-aged woman who, by Asian standards is very tall, though she's an inch or two shorter than Kate is. Even more so since Kate has dressed like she used to when she was a homicide detective. If on the off chance there is going to be combat, she feels most comfortable being Kate Beckett, bracer or no.
Slightly yellowish in skin tone, she wears an informal full length gown that wraps around her body. She's likely wearing flats for shoes or even flip flops of some type. Her long black hair is tied into a single braided pony tail down her back that reaches her butt.
She is lovely, strikingly so even. "May I help you?" Her voice is soft and melodic sounding.
"My name is Richard Crystal and this is my wife Katherine, we would like a moment of your time." Rick responds.
A moment of shock flits across her face before she schools her features. "Please, I am Mengmeng. My sisters, Shuaishuai and Kuku are out at the moment, however I'm sure they will be here shortly." Mengmeng backs away allowing Rick and Kate to enter.
The garden area is lovely. It is half covered in a pond that has a short walkway leading out to a Chinese style gazebo with four posts, a gracefully curved roof. A a crystal chandelier that is just barely peeking out hans in the center of the gazebo. The entire thing is painted in bright colors with red being the primary color.
There are water plants floating in the pond. The gazebo is surrounded by plants and flowers. Just inside the door to either side is a small rock garden that is meticulously raked to produce wave-like lines.
"Please follow me." Mengmeng leads them into the house on the left walking through the garden.
Kate head swivels as she takes everything in. It doesn't take much imagination to know that there are likely cameras everywhere as well as stunners that would pop up out of the ground. They see the EMP emitters on the edge of the house up close and know what they were. Kate is also sure that they have been scanned and Mengmeng's sisters will be here in seconds.
The inside is unmistakably Chinese, however it also has a number of more modern western items. Kate kinda likes it. It's tasteful without being gaudy and too steeped into tradition. "Your home is lovely. Makes me wish our house had a garden. I think we need to remodel the roof deck babe." Kate adds softly turning to look at her husband.
"Thank you. You should have seen the place when we found it. It took us close to three years to transform it into what you see. May I get you something? …Tea perhaps?" Mengmeng offers, trying to give her sisters time to get home.
"Coffee would be better if you have some." Kate replies. "Something local. Perhaps it will become my new favorite flavor."
"Tea would be fine for me, thank you." Rick remarks. They watch as Mengmeng walks into the partially open to the rest of the house kitchen.
The inside isn't a completely open concept like their house, still they can see most of the kitchen, which looked modern western. The living area, dining room, and the stairs that go up to the second floor are also visible.
Mengmeng is bringing the coffee and tea into the room. She has tea service for four when her two sisters walked calmly into the living room.
After introductions every sat down and stared at each other. "How can my sisters and I help you?" Kuku breaks the silence.
"You might want to have a look at this first. It will tell you all a lot and then we can discuss what is on it along with other items." Rick offers Mengmeng the data disk. She takes it and walks to a panel that looked not surprisingly a lot like the ones Rick and Kate had at home and slides it in.
The triplets are silent as likely the AI is informing them of what is on it, when suddenly a new person pops up out of thin air. It was another she, and this time she looks a little older than any of them. She is dressed in very formal Chinese evening wear, suitable for an evening out on the town.
"THERE IS A BOMB UNDER ME!?" She looks directly at Rick and Kate as they both watch the shock on the triplets' faces. Not just about the bomb, but about the AI suddenly showing herself to them. The triplets are obviously not expecting this.
"Scanning. …You hacked the Evergreen." Then the image turns to face the triplets. "Why didn't we think of that?" Then she turns back to look at Rick and Kate. "Oh no. … The Honji Sinhindrea are coming. In fact you have already encountered them in combat. So that's what that was all about.
The reports only ever refer to the enemy combatants as 'They.' We could only speculate as to who they were. ….Oops." She places a hand over her mouth, since she has just given away that she has hacked into where that data is stored outside of Lucile.
"KUAN!?" Kuku criticizes the AI for talking too much.
"Forgive us, your being here has come as a shock. We knew that there was a second AI unit somewhere in the Americas, we just didn't know exactly where. Neither did we anticipate you suddenly showing up at our front door." Mengmeng offers her apology.
"No apologies are necessary, I'm sure if you had showed up at our front door we would be just as shocked." Kate offers.
"This is Bi-Kuan-tou, our 4th generation AI unit that has been with us for the last 60 plus years." Mengmeng offers, knowing that it was too late now.
"You have created a plan on how to deal with this bomb that is under me. It is interesting; you plan to steal the plans on how to create the transmat jammers and install them on the house. … What is to prevent the Silence from just sending a bomb to the house next door?" Kuan questions.
"Nothing actually, except for the morality of purposely killing innocents instead of having them be collateral damage from the blast." Rick tells them.
Kuan nods her head. "It is a trait that humans do not share." Kuan knew humans are killing machines. Collateral deaths matter little to many of them, though there are exceptions, just not enough of them.
"They may yet learn." Rick says, since he still holds a belief that they could learn. His wife has changed, why couldn't everyone else?
"You are not human?" Mengmeng offers.
Rick shakes his head. "My husband and our oldest daughter traveled here on the Evergreen." Kate remarks.
"It is an honor to meet you." Kuan bows slowly as do the triplets. "I would be honored if you would take the time to tell me, … us, your story of how you came here." Kuan requests.
"Perhaps over dinner?" Kate says hopefully.
"We can prepare a traditional Chinese meal for our guests so far from home. We would be honored. … I may need to go shopping." Kuku heads for the kitchen to see what they have and what she needs.
"My sister is an excellent cook, you will likely leave with take-out tonight if I know my sister." Mengmeng grins.