Walking an Endless Path Pt. 03

"Do—do you think I could speak with him?" Wendy said quietly.

Karl looked into the hopeful eyes of the young woman. He was nervous she might bring him pain, but as much as he wished he could, he couldn't shelter his son. He nodded. As she moved away, a Soldier stepped out of the darkness and walked over to speak with Karl.

Wendy carefully picked her way up the pile of rocks until she could see what Joe was looking at. The lights of the army base were a warm glow a short distance away. There was one very brightly lit area and lots of activity around what looked like a large rectangular mirror. Shiny metal cylinders floated back and forth and flew right into the mirror. Instead of the mirror breaking, though, the cylinders just... disappeared. Wendy reached the top of the rock pile and braced herself on Joe's shoulder.

"What?" she gasped.

"Just more wonders to behold," Joe said softly. He felt her shiver in the cool night air and opened his jacket to take it off. Before he could, she sat on his lap, leaned back against him, and wrapped the coat around herself. She was instantly warmer.

Joe shivered, but not from the cold. He desperately needed this closeness, but he knew she would pull away if she understood the extent of his crime.

"Can you tell me what I'm seeing right now?" she asked.

"Sure. Uh, the big mirror thing is a gateway to another planet. I don't know where this one leads. The destination of the Gate is controlled by those flying cylinders. They're called the Tik. They're intelligent and probably the noblest beings you'll ever meet." Joe felt a pain in his heart as he remembered the three friends he lost.

"They're mechanical lifeforms?" she breathed.

"Yes. Wonderful, brave, and honorable mechanical lifeforms," he sighed. "Once Earth's Gates are open, the Tik will manage and maintain them."

"Did you come here to watch them?" Wendy asked softly.

"No. I came here to see the place where I became what I am."

She turned her face and looked at him carefully. "And what are you?"

Joe's eyes flickered to black as he struggled to control his emotions. Wendy took hold of his arms and wrapped them around her. "Speak to me, Joe."

"I'm a mass murderer. A genocidal murderer," he gasped as tears slid down his cheeks. He loosened his grip on her, expecting her to push away. Instead, she pulled his arm around her tighter.

"Safa told me that all life on Earth would have been extinguished by the Kel-... people. Is that true?" she asked.

Joe nodded but didn't look at her.

"Was there another way to stop them? Was there time to come up with another way?"

Joe squeezed his eyes shut. After a moment, he shook his head once more.

"Then, on behalf of every living creature on this planet, thank you."

"You don't understand. I was trying to just target the military who were attacking our world. But as I connected to more and more minds, I couldn't separate out the civilians. The innocents. They were all bound to me. All of them... and I didn't stop. I burned out their minds. I killed millions of them and drove the rest mad."

Wendy paused as she processed what sounded like fiction but could see from his conviction was the truth.

She still didn't pull away.

"You seem like you're suffering now for that decision you had to make. A bad man wouldn't suffer like this. It's not fair that a good man was forced to make such a terrible choice, but... I'm personally glad you did. We're alive!" Wendy turned in his arms, took his face between her hands, and stared deeply into his troubled eyes. "Thank you!"

She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his gently. Joe was holding his breath. Then he kissed her back, and it became deeper, her tongue sliding into his mouth. Ecstasy exploded behind her eyes as Joe forgot to rein in the surge. He suppressed it immediately, and Wendy swooned on his lap.

"Oh my... God, Joe... what was that?" she sighed when she could engage her brain once more. She rested her forehead against his as her body hummed with tingles. She smacked her lips together and grinned happily at him.

Joe blushed. "Sorry. That's another of my alien differences."

"Well, it's a good one!"

Joe spotted the outline of two Tik approaching. "We have company." He noticed one had a distinct crinkle on both sides of its metallic outer surface.

"Joseph? Why are you sitting up on this pile of stones with this young lady?"

"Mac! I think we are interrupting a mating ritual!" Tosh blurted to its partner.

"Oh my! I am terribly sorry, Joseph! How rude of us to intrude! We will leave you to your mating!" the Tik apologized as they turned to leave.

"Mac, Tosh, I'd like to introduce you to Wendy Whitlock. Wendy, this is Mac and Tosh. Two of the Tik who rescued me from the Kel-Fahr in the battle. Mac triggered the explosion that destroyed the Kel-Fahr's ship, and Tosh saved my children. They're my good friends."

The two Tik reached out tentacles, and Wendy glanced at Joe, then gently gripped them. The Two Tik were silent for once.

"We are greatly honored to be considered your friend, Joseph. We hold you in the highest esteem," Mac finally managed to say.

Joe held out his hand, and the two Tik wrapped their tentacles around it momentarily. He recalled doing this with Stinky, Hack, and Slash and the intimacy the gesture took on.

Wendy shivered again, and Joe noticed. "I'd better take Wendy back to the house. It's a bit too cool out here. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, Joseph, Wendy. Happy mating! Sleep well!"

"Mac, I don't think we should discuss mating as it is a private topic."

"Then why were they doing it in public?" Mac complained as the two Tik headed back to the base. It glanced back. "Tosh, see! They are at it again!"

Wendy pulled back from hugging Joe. "Maybe we can go back to the house?" she asked. Joe nodded, stood with her in his arms, and walked down the rock pile. He set her back on her feet.

Karl was no longer there. He'd returned to the house when he saw things were going well with Wendy and Joe.

As they walked to the house, Wendy leaned against his body for warmth and intimate contact.

Joe recalled something Wendy had said to him when they'd first met. "Didn't you tell me you were only attracted to women?" he said cautiously.

Wendy blushed as she recalled the meeting as well. "Yeah, well... I hadn't exactly had the best experience with men, and I was with Pam. Then this big man was threatening to take her from me. I went on the offensive. Tried to scare him off."

"How'd that work out for you?" Joe said quietly.

Wendy looked up at him and saw the pain in his eyes. She also saw hope. Suddenly, for the first time since she lost Pam, Wendy felt like there may be a future. She turned and wrapped her arms around him and tilted her face up for a kiss.

Joe's lips were on hers again, and this time, as the passion built, he eased her into the bliss. She clung to him and kissed him back as she moaned. When the kiss ended, she rested her cheek on his, feeling him tremble with need. She felt the same way.

"Would-would you like to come to my place?" she asked, thinking they'd have a little more privacy there. She felt Joe's smile and how his arms tightened just a little.

"I'd like that very much."

"The neighborhood isn't very good, so it's not so safe to park there," she winced.

"My truck has a rather aggressive security system," he assured her.

They continued walking.

Wendy broke the comfortable silence. "The Gates. Where will they go?"

"The Tik tell me they will go everywhere."

"Who will be allowed to use them?" she asked.

"Everyone. They're free."

Wendy was quiet as she processed this, then looked up at him. "If-if I wanted to go for a walk, a long one, would you go with me?"

Joe smiled down at her and nodded. He could think of nothing he wanted more.

Chapter 32

It took five years for the governments of Earth to finalize the locations of Earth's Gates, get agreement from the Tik on those locations, and build the required infrastructure to support them. It was reported that the opening of the Gates for public use was imminent.

During those years, the Gate in Glennville was the main conduit for diplomats from Earth to visit the Assembly Headquarters on Maghadahn to prepare the Assembly for their newest member. The Kel-Fahr were no longer determining who got to join, and Earth wanted a seat at the table. The latest Humans through the Gate were there to make official introductions.

Considering it was the Humans who exposed the Kel-Fahr's horrific genocidal acts and it was the Humans who eliminated the most powerful race in the Assembly in one swift move (which had yet to be explained), the Assembly wasn't resistant to the idea of letting them join, at least not to their faces.

Groups of human Soldiers were seen on many Assembly planets in the company of Tik. These humans had been tasked with hunting down the remaining rabid Kel-Fahr. They were very good at the task and always left the planet with the Mediator suits immediately after dispatching the Kel-Fahr inside them. The fear of invasion was quickly quelled.

Planets that had been red-flagged were visited by Tik to determine if it was possible to reverse the effect of the burrs. For those planets where this was impossible and life still existed, the Assembly set up rescue missions to save as many refugees as possible.

Amid all this activity, the Tik race addressed the Assembly on Maghadahn and informed the gathered delegates of their new autonomy. The Tik were free and would no longer take direction from any other race. They would continue to maintain the Gate Network, which would not be used for military purposes. There would be no invasions through any Gate terminal, ever. Passengers and cargo only, and Tik would man the shipment Gates personally.

Then tragedy struck.

The flow of new Tik from the factories on Ello suddenly stopped. The Gates to Ello closed, and the Tik could not open the original Gates to the planet. When they managed to open one of the new Gates, the first Tik through was destroyed instantly as it was bathed in fierce radiation. Working with the Tik, Human scientists at Think Tank Two built a shielded probe and sent it through.

They discovered Ello had become a scorched and hellish landscape. The planet's sun had mysteriously and suspiciously gone supernova. The lush jungles and vast oceans were gone, burned away in the blast. Fire and ash were all that remained.

Evidence of the Ello's demise was found at the bottom of what was once a deep water research facility. The remains of the scientists were sealed in the reinforced structure, cooked by the radiation flashing out from Ello's sun.

The Ello, whose disdain for all other races kept them restricted to the seas of their home planet, were no more.

More disturbing, the two Tik factories on the planet were destroyed. There would be no more Tik coming from Ello. By Kel-Fahr order, the Tik had always been Instantiated from one world. The mechanism of their creation, which gave them their sentience, was a carefully protected secret and only existed within the factories themselves.

Until Rusty and Burnie infiltrated the factories to upload their new code. Both Tik contained the redundant Instantiation modules they stole from the facilities during their mission.

The Tik would build again.

A Tik delegation spoke with the Chuuruthians, and a massive factory would be built on their home world. The Chuuruthians were one of the original members of the Assembly and had a stable and peaceful society. Rusty and Burnie were to run the factory.

Closer to home and much to Joe's profound relief and joy, Wendy gave up her apartment and moved in with him. She was there to comfort him when he woke screaming in the night. She was there to hold his hand or embrace him when the weight of his memories became too much, and sadness threatened to overwhelm him. They were there for each other.

Wendy attended the wedding of Sergeant Craig Armstrong and Taylor Simmons with Joe. The ceremony was performed on the grounds of the Neumann's property, and the reception was held in a large white tent next to the house. They danced the night away under the stars.

They visited Amy in LA and went to the premiere of her movie. Joe was so incredibly proud of his little sister. She was ridiculously busy, so he didn't get to spend too much time with her. He was relieved to see no sign of Agent Wannabe and surprised to see Ven working for Amy as her personal security. He talked with the man and was comfortable that Amy was professionally and competently protected.

Amy dated occasionally but wasn't serious about anyone as she was too busy to dedicate real time to a relationship. She was having too much fun.

Joe visited Willis and Ramone's precinct and spent an afternoon hanging out with the people, enjoying the party they'd promised him.

Wendy spent that day with Amy, and the two women became good friends as Amy saw how much the woman loved Joe. She gave Wendy her blessing, and the woman also saw the strength of Amy's love for Joe.

Joe's children had grown significantly, and almost half of them moved away to take up careers in whatever field their ravenous intellect drew them to. Six remained to work the farm with Karl and Clara. Five worked in Think Tank Two, each specializing in different scientific areas, but they continued to live at home. Scientists from around the globe continued to flock to the Think Tank to work with them.

To house their huge family, Joe and Karl designed and built an extension with enough bedrooms for their expanded family. The team that constructed Think Tank Two assisted, so the construction was done in record time. Clara enjoyed furnishing it and designed the grounds around the extension. An indoor pool was added as the children truly enjoyed swimming, though they could never get their Dad to join them.

While Karl had Dunc, Layla, Hany, and Kerk to help with the expansive fields they now managed, Clara passed along her cooking skills to Ash and Ray. They took to the culinary arts as joyfully as their four siblings took to agriculture.

Summer vacations were spent at their cottage on Mille Lacs Lake. Their neighbors, Philip and Grace Lancaster, were delighted and amazed to see Karl and Clara's new grandkids. They even hosted the overflow in their extra bedrooms. The kids loved playing in the lake.

On their second visit, Karl got a deal on the mansion up the road from the cottage, which had remained empty for years. Clara and Joe spent hours renovating and refurbishing the property. The extra space was required with the size of their new family and the security detail that continued to watch over Joe and his extended family. Karl and Clara continued to live in the cottage as they preferred the smaller property and the nearby company of the Lancasters.

-=-

It was the spring of the seventh year after the One Hour War. Joe stood next to his Dad on the veranda of the family home. The late afternoon sun was setting behind the trees, sending dappled light over the front lawn. The air was still cool, so they wore sweaters under their jackets.

Beyond the grove of trees before them was the highway, and just on the other side were the vast fields that Karl was eager to begin working. His workers were also excited to start. The grove was budding nicely and soon would have full canopies of leaves to rustle in the wind. There was still enough coverage from the sheer number of trees to hide them from the world beyond. The lane led away from the home to wind its way through the trees to the gatehouse and the highway beyond, but both were invisible to them.

All they could see and hear was nature. Both men were enjoying the quiet and calm of the scene before them.

Behind them, they could hear the giggling laughter of the kids as they played one of the board games they loved so much. Clara was no doubt cleaning their clock as she was the reigning master of the household.

Joe picked up the sound of Wendy's laughter and felt his heart lighten.

"How long will you be gone?"

Joe looked at his Dad and, for the first time, noticed how much he'd aged in the last few years. Joe was sure he was responsible for some, if not all, of his father's grey hairs and wrinkles.

"I don't know. The Gate Network is pretty big. There's a lot to see."

"Maybe you'll find some indestructible clothes," Karl said quietly, and Joe smiled at the memory. He nodded.

"May I assume the guys will be going with you?" Karl asked, referring to the SEAL team that continued to be Joe's shadow. These days, it was more of an honor guard position as the threats to Joe's existence were long past.

"No. I spoke with the General and asked that they remain here. He's officially decommissioning his warhead. I'm no longer one of his weapons of mass destruction," Joe said with just the slightest hitch to his voice. Karl heard it, though.

"You won't be going alone, right?" Karl asked, concern plain on his face and in his voice.

Joe smiled. "No. Wendy's coming with me, and I'll have the company of Mac and Tosh, you know, in case I need a direct route back home for any reason."

He saw his father relax a little, comforted in the knowledge that Wendy would look after him and that the Tik were also going.

The air was turning chilly now that the sun was getting low, and Karl shivered.

"You coming inside?"

"In a bit."

Karl patted his son's shoulder and went inside. Joe looked up at the stars and thought about how he'd be walking amongst them soon.

His phone buzzed, and he recognized the tone as the gatehouse. "Hello?"

"Mr. Neumann? This is Corporal Taggart at the gatehouse. You have a couple of visitors. They're on your list, but considering the hour... and who they are, I thought it might be best to call."

"Who are they?"

"Iosif Nikolov and Renata Gorokhov."

Joe blinked in surprise. He hadn't heard these names in years. They'd virtually disappeared. "Send them up. Thanks!"

As he put his phone back in his pocket, Wendy stepped out on the veranda in her thick coat and walked over to give him a hug. "Send who up?" she asked.

"Renata and Iosif," Joe said as he tried to recall the last time they'd met. It was an underground dance club. He glanced at Wendy and saw she was still looking for an explanation. "Uh, they used to be in the Russian mob, but the last I'd heard, they were... freelancing. I met them at the Lake years ago and helped her get her legs working again. Nerve damage."

Wendy had an ah look on her face as she cuddled in against his chest.

The crunch of gravel announced the approach of a car, and they turned to watch a brown sedan come to a stop next to the house. The doors opened, a blonde stepped out of the passenger side, and a tough-looking man stepped out the driver's side, his eyes tracking all movement and assessing the danger. Joe walked down the steps holding Wendy's hand and moved closer to his visitors. The blond smiled broadly at Joe and rushed forward to hug him. Wendy stepped back a little in surprise.

"JOSEPH!" the woman squealed happily as she leapt into his arms. She kissed him, and he gave in to her demanding tongue to give her a little buzz. Embarrassed, he set her back on her feet as she glowed happily. "Renata." He turned and shook Iosif's hand. The man was smiling at Joe's discomfort.

"This is my girlfriend, Wendy," Joe said, guiding her forward.

Iosif shook her hand, but Renata gave her a hug. "You are so fortunate to have captured the big man's heart!" she gushed, and Wendy's apprehensive look gave way to a smile.

"Come inside and get warm," Joe said, guiding them inside. He took their coats and hung them up.

Iosif and Renata froze as Dunc walked past the entrance carrying a bowl of popcorn. The young male paused and looked back at them curiously.