Alien Mine Ch. 08

"That's true, Rhys acknowledged. I agree Singapore is out because of China. On the other hand, Israel needs friends, has a relatively small economy, and is surrounded by enemies. They would probably welcome new investment in defense and security."

"Do you want me to investigate them?"

"Yes, do it. Come up with a plan for the economy. I want to know everything about politics there."

"You want to know if there is a woman we can put in charge."

"Exactly. If it doesn't work there, we will look for other candidates."

"One other thing," Rhys said. "I want to talk about Miranda, the moon around Uranus I chose for our name."

"Your- anus," Kiania said??

The other girls laughed hard. Sandy raised an eyebrow, "are you trying to tell us something?"

"Ha, Ha, not on your life. But listen, it makes sense to be in the outer solar system. Uranus has five major moons. Miranda, the innermost and smallest of the five major satellites, has a surface, unlike any other moon. It has giant fault canyons as much as 12 times as deep as the Grand Canyon."

"We can hide the base inside one of the canyons, and we would not expect human exploration out that way very often. Also, it's ideal for an early warning base in case more Om scouts show up. We need to build a base strong enough to not only fight them off but to destroy ships coming into the system." Bob put up a projection of the solar system."

"There Rhys said, pointing to Miranda's position; this is the ideal place, I think. We will take the shuttle out and look for a site next week."

"This is very ambitious," said Sandy, "the logistics will be challenging until we have an infrastructure built up."

"I know; Bob and I have discussed this at length, we think we can reproduce the maintenance bots, and hopefully an AI to oversee them. The initial construction will be robotic. We will take robots that will build more robots until we have enough. We will recruit and move in people slowly at first."

"Are they all going to be female," Amancia asked with a smile.

"No," Rhys laughed," I think we first just recruit from the armed services and industry. It would be a military outpost initially, but I think moving research and development of alien technology there is also a good idea."

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves," Kiania said. "I think the world militaries would go crazy if they thought someone was building a base out there."

"I concur, we will have to recruit carefully, but that twitch between my shoulder blades tells me we need it sooner rather than later."

"What is your timeline,'' said Sandy, "Is this a 10-20 year project?"

"No, I want this up and running in a year. Look," Rhys said, "we are completely helpless if the Om send in more ships before we even deal with the ones here. We only have the shuttle, which can't stand up to their larger scouting vessels. Our only chance is to establish bases in the solar system and arm them until we can produce our own ships. "These bases will be defensive at first, but we will build our own ships out there in the outer solar system."

"Who will oversee all this," Sandy asked, "we sort-of have our hands full."

"I know," Rhys replied, "but let's get Ms. CIA onboard. Perhaps we make this a secret military operation run out of the CIA."

"And an engineer and scientist," Kiania added.

"Big plans," said Amancia, "it's scary to think about. Just a few months ago, I was just a banker in a slightly sleazy private bank. Now I am going to be planning logistics, acquiring companies, and trying to set up a base on your-anus," she said with a grin.

"I guess none of you are going to let that go," Rhys said with a laugh. "Ok, I am going to try out the new shower."

"Wait a minute," Sandy said. "How do you know how to do this? No offense Rhys but you were an Army Captain, not a General, or Admiral or something.

Rhys thought for a minute, questioning himself. How did he know what needed to be done? How did he know! It seemed instinctive, intuitive. He ran through his mind the reasons, and then there was a hiccup. "I know the Om faster than light drives require a gravity well to pull them out of hyperspace or whatever it is. They always come into a system outside the orbital plane. It's standard Drans procedure to establish bases in the outer system to defend against Om incursions."

Everyone just stared at him. "How do you know that," Sandy asked again.

Rhys shrugged. "No idea, but I do. I wasn't aware of it until you asked, and I thought about it."

"What else have you got tucked away inside that brain of yours?"

Rhys stood up, walked over to Sandy, and kissed her. "Sex," he finally said to her, "lots of Sex."

"Not so fast," said Amancia and Kiania at the same time.

"Sandy got hers earlier; you owe us ours," Kiania said.

"Ok, but let's try out the new shower.

***

The next few days were busy, everyone involved in planning, looking over personnel files, and figuring out how to get a corporate structure up and running. Sandy seemed to have a flair for it, so Rhys left it in her hands.

"I don't see how you do it," Rhys said as he watched the plans come together.

"A girl has to know her finances or have a submissive who does," she said with a wink. "I actually went to college, you know, Psych major. It was a useful degree in my previous career. Now I am studying business and finance part-time, but we have Amancia for that. Political Science is what I am going to focus on next. Remember, you are making us smarter, as well as strong and beautiful. "

"You were plenty beautiful before I met you," Rhys said, swatting her on the behind as she walked by. "What is Amancia up to?"

"Amancia is busy making sure we have plenty of funds. I do not think the financial world is ready for her. Take a banker, make her three times as smart, a brain that works at high speed, then Bob gives her access to the world's financial system. If you want to crash some country's economy, just let her know."

"Thanks," Rhys said, "I will keep that in mind."

"What have you and Kiania been up to?" She asked. You two have been working hard for the last few days."

Weapons, or more precisely, micro drones. We still do not understand how the base or shuttle is powered, but we figured out how to store an incredible amount of power in something the size of a pinhead. Kiania is working with Bob to develop a version to take out enemies on the battlefield or individually. Just think if we could have flooded the terrorist camp with individual killer drones the size of a dragonfly.

Sandy looked appalled for a minute, then nodded. "We need to be able to deploy them from the shuttle or from a standoff delivery system."

"Exactly, those kinds of ideas is why we need our weapons engineer on board."

***

Rhys worried about their weapons. They had been taken by surprise, and while he had survived the insect bot, Amancia almost hadn't. Kiania would not have had a chance if they had gotten within reach of her. He needed to do a better job of not putting them at risk. But not knowing what he faced made it challenging to plan. He didn't want a gun that would take out another killer bot like those; he wanted a weapon that would take out the next surprise the Om might throw at them. It seemed they were always behind.

It would have to wait, however, until he got some more help. Rhys Bob and Kiania had built new armor. It wasn't pretty, but it was more effective. However, it was impossible to disguise, so they would have to be cautious when used. His thoughts were interrupted by Sandy.

"Rhys, you need to see this," Sandy said urgently. She had been monitoring the surveillance gear in Leslie's and Thea's homes.

He left the range where he had been testing the armor. Sandy, Amancia, and Kiania were gathered together watching surveillance tapes of Thea's house.

"What's up," he asked, expecting to see more of Thea's body.

"Watch," Sandy said.

It was dark out, but the hologram showed a man approaching Thea's Townhome. There was something odd about him, and Rhys focused on his features. Asian, but the look on his face was weird, not zombie-like, just odd. He approached the door, which he opened easily, almost as quickly as Sandy had broken in. They watched him go from room to room, placing something on the walls.

"Some kind of video surveillance, I think Sandy said with concern in her voice."

Rhys watched him leave, and then Sandy suddenly stopped and expanded the image.

"Shit!" Rhys said. Lurking in the background near a wooded area was an insect bot, just like the ones in the desert. "Where is she now?" Rhys asked.

Sandy checked, "The locator on her phone says she is at a restaurant."

"What about Leslie, any movement toward her?"

"Nothing, I already checked."

"They are tracking us somehow, but first, we need to deal with this. Everyone into the new armor. Kiania- are any of the small drones ready?"

"Yes, I'll get them; this will be a good test."

"Sandy, get the shuttle ready. I want to be out of here in ten minutes."

"Are you sure about this? We don't know what we are facing," Sandy replied.

"We will recon from the shuttle; now that we know what we are looking for, those bots will show up like strobe lights on the sensors."

***

Leslie's phone rang, no number, it must be Rhys. Her heart did a leap for joy that she couldn't restrain. "Rhys, are you in town," she exclaimed?

"No, actually off Norway. Are you still in your office?"

"Yes, what are you doing there?"

"Listen, I need you to stay in your office until you hear from me. We have detected those insect bots near an engineer we are trying to hire in Norway. I am concerned they know about you as well."

"The Om?"

"Yes, just stay put but give me a call if you suspect anything suspicious. Don't leave the office until you hear from us."

"Ok," she replied nervously, but Rhys had already hung up. She felt a chill run down her spine, and she opened her drawer and took out her pistol. Human enemies were terrible enough, but the thought of aliens scared her. She locked her door and sat there with her gun in her lap, waiting to hear from Rhys.

***

Thea was still at dinner thirty minutes later. It was almost 11:00 pm, and she was getting ready to leave. Saying goodbye to friends was hard, especially her boyfriend. She was not sure if they had a future, but he had been good to her. She was leaving in a week for the US, and there was still so much to do.

She kissed her boyfriend goodnight and went to her car. It was a clear night, cold, but the stars were bright in the sky. She noticed a strange-looking man as she went into the parking garage. Strange because he had no coat on a cold night like this. But something else was off, the way he stood, and how his eyes seemed to follow her. Thea paid no more attention except to note another man, but this one overdressed. It wasn't that cold. He must be a tourist.

Getting in her car, she drove through Oslo's streets, quiet now, without all the daytime traffic. Her home was a small townhouse in the suburbs, quiet with lots of trees. It was her escape from the city. The design was modern, but they had done a fantastic job keeping the trees and grounds natural. It was like living in a secluded park. It was expensive, but Thea enjoyed living there and thought it was worth the price.

As she drove, she noticed a car had followed her into the neighborhood, which she did not recognize. Oh well, probably a visitor, she thought. She turned right down a short road. Her home was the fourth building and the last on the row, and She parked in the small parking lot next to the other cars. Most of the windows were dark, it was late, and she was looking forward to some sleep. Pulling open the car door, she took a deep breath, enjoying the cold night air and the smell of the trees. She would miss this, but Tennessee was supposed to be beautiful. Turning toward the back of the townhome, she walked toward her door.

Thea heard a vehicle door open behind her and turned to look. It was the strange-looking man she had seen at the restaurant, and an uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. She didn't know why but something about him bothered her, and what was he doing here. Thea hurried to get inside but heard footsteps behind her. The feeling of fear became stronger, but she forced it down, not letting it become panic. Surely he had some reason to be here that did not involve her.

The footsteps that followed and were louder, closer, and faster. Scared now, Thea began to run. It was only about ten meters to her door, but the footsteps behind her were getting closer, and she realized she wouldn't make the door. Her scream shattered the quietness of the night as a hand grabbed her by the arm. The stranger was surprisingly strong, and he pulled her to him. Thea looked into his eyes and saw...nothing; they were dead. Panic welled up, and she screamed even louder, trying to jerk away, but he was too strong, pulling her back against him.

Then gunshots rang out, and the man's head exploded right in front of her, covering her with blood and brains. Screaming, she wrenched out of his grasp as more gunshots filled the quiet night. Thea fell to the ground cowering, and the headless body jerked with impacts as the body was blown into pieces by the gunfire. Then the world around her seemed to explode. Looking up from the ground, she could see something that was not human, a nightmare insect thing coming toward her. It appeared to be firing a weapon, then exploding in pieces. Some part of her engineering brain registered that it must be a machine.

More firing and another explosion, the ground shook around her. A woman grabbed her arm-"quick, come with me before they come back!" Thea screamed and fought but was dragged and then carried. A gun was firing, a machine gun it fired so fast she guessed. Then an explosion was all she remembered before darkness claimed her.

***

Thea woke up in a strange bed. Raising her head, she looked around, not recognizing anything. Memories from last night came flooding back, and panic again threatened to overwhelm her. Thea forced herself to calm down. It was an effort, but she breathed deeply until the fear and panic receded. Laying there, the events replayed themselves in her mind. She remembered nothing after the explosion, but she did not seem to have any injuries. Feeling for aches and pains, Thea was surprised how good she felt, rested and full of energy.

Am I in a hospital, she wondered? Sitting up, she gathered the sheet around her, realizing she was naked. What happened, she asked herself, was it a dream. She shuddered, thinking about the man who had attacked her. Her stomach felt queasy as she pictured the events in her mind, the man's head exploding, some terrifying insect creature coming toward her.

Making herself look around, she saw a small and tastefully decorated room, but there were no windows. She was lying in a soft bed, pillows, and a grey comforter, soft sheets. The walls were smooth, no dresser, end table, and no door! Thea threw off the covers, starting to get up when an opening suddenly appeared in the room's wall, and a woman walked in carrying a tray. Nothing could have surprised her more; one minute, there was a wall, the next part of it was just gone, but then closing behind the woman.

"Hello," she heard. "My name is Amancia." I have brought you some of your favorite tea prepared just how you like it."

Thea looked at the woman and took the tea in a daze. "Thank you," she said automatically while trying to regain her bearings. Accepting the offered cup and sipping the taste was familiar, and it relaxed her some. Taking a breath, she looked closer at the woman. Beautiful Thea thought, dressed in a midnight blue one-piece with a small emblem on her left breast. Long black hair hung down to her tiny waist that emphasized her impressive bust. The clothes she wore seemed to be designed to show off her figure. The woman was gorgeous, and the high heels made her appear taller than she was.

"Who are you?" she blurted out.

"My name is Amancia," she replied softly, her voice smooth and soothing.

I am sorry, but where am I? What happened last night?" she said a little fearfully.

The woman smiled gently and sat on the edge of the bed. "We rescued you last night and brought you somewhere safe."

"Who are you? I mean, who are we, and why did I need rescuing," Thea said with a confused look on her face.

"We are Rhys Smith, CEO of Miranda Group. I am Amancia, his economist or financial officer. The others are Sandy, his deputy, and Kiania, head of security. As for why you needed rescuing, well, do you remember what happened?"

Thea nodded, "that man grabbed me, then someone shot him," she said, remembering the blood and other stuff that had splattered over her.

"That would be me," the woman replied calmly.

"Why did you kill him," Thea asked, her mind whirling, trying to grasp what was happening.

"They were trying to kidnap you, and they would have killed you. We came as soon as we realized."

"Why?" she said. "What would anyone want with me?"

"It's a long story, but the short version is that they knew we were recruiting you."

"Recruiting me, I have never heard of Miranda. I was taking a job to work for an arms company in the USA, and it's just a job. Why would anyone care enough to try and kidnap me?"

"I will let Rhys explain everything to you," Amancia said. "Do you feel like eating?"

Thea thought for a second. "Yes, I'm actually hungry."

"Good, let me get you something to wear."

Thea watched as the woman touched something on the wall, and a drawer slid out. She reached in and pulled out an outfit similar to what she was wearing.

Come on then," Amancia said, handing her the clothes and some sandals. "There are a bathroom and shower through here," she said, pointing to another part of the room. "You will find everything you need; just come and join us when you are ready."

"Wait, what were those other things? I saw something that looked like a giant insect. Was that real?"

Amancia nodded, a serious look on her face. "A Trangrod; yes, it was real and very dangerous. But don't worry, you are safe here," Amancia said in response to the look of alarm in Thea's eyes. "Rhys will explain everything," she added, turning to leave.

"Wait, how do I get out?"

"Oh, just walk to the opening here. See this symbol; the passage will open for you."

Thea waited until Amancia left, the wall sealing itself behind her. Getting out of bed, she walked into the bathroom, pausing in front of a full-length mirror, checking herself over for bruises or scrapes. There were none; even that mole on her shoulder was gone. Ok, can this get any stranger? She wasn't ready to panic again, but her fear was definitely returning. Shower first, she told herself, and then meet this CEO guy. He had better have a good story though she had no idea what she would do if he didn't.

***

"How is she doing," Rhys asked?

"Physically just fine, these med bays are amazing. Mentally she has had a shock. She is scared and wondering what's going to happen. Her nice and secure world just blew up around her," Amancia said.

"Encountering the Om will do that to you. I think we should all have breakfast together. Don't say anything about being in Space; let her discover where we are. By the way, good shooting last night. Those Bugs didn't last long."

Thea lived in a one-level townhouse near the university along a secluded narrow street bordered by forest to the north and east. It was the last row of four townhouses, and she had the end unit to the east and a private parking space for one car. There was a storage unit near the first home, some mailboxes, and a footpath leading off to the north. A stone bench sat about halfway down in a patch of grass. The ground rose steeply to the east, and the trees afforded privacy on two sides and places to hide.