Walking an Endless Path Pt. 03

Before Joe went to bed, he wanted to check in with Director Bannon.

He dialed the man's cell phone number, and after five rings, Bannon answered.

"Hi, Joseph! What time is it there?" Roger asked.

"I think it's around eleven. Oh! Sorry, did I wake you? I completely forgot about the time difference," Joe apologized.

"No, it's eight-thirty in the morning here. We're all up and scurrying about trying to get you home. The Russians are agitated because of all the activity. They've been keeping tabs on us since they lost their last Tik. They're pretty sore about that. We have to be discreet this time as they might try to intervene and collect you themselves," Roger explained.

"We have an aircraft carrier arriving in Melbourne today. We're sending a convoy of vehicles to pick you and your guests up. You'll be contacted by Lieutenant Grey, who will lead the SEAL team. They'll drive non-stop and arrive in Alice Springs in approximately twenty-four hours. They'll need directions from there. Did you find a secure location to wait for us?" he asked.

"Yeah, we met a really nice couple, Viv Taylor and Adina, who are hosting us while we wait for our lift. They have a spring-fed pond on their property, which the Kel-Fahr found to be very helpful for their condition. We'll return to the pond tomorrow to let them recuperate some more. Tomorrow, I'll ask for directions for getting here from Alice Springs. When is too late for me to call you?"

"Joseph, you can call me anytime until we get you home. I'll ensure my phone is directed to the switchboard if I can't answer it for any reason. They will connect you to someone who can help you twenty-four-seven," Roger said.

"Have any Gates opened since I got back," Joe asked.

"Not that we're aware of. We didn't detect the one you used, though," he indicated.

"The Gates the portable unit makes can be pretty small, so I guess that makes sense," Joe said.

"Why are you asking?" Roger asked.

"Well, my being on Sehsra, the Kel-Fahr homeworld, is apparently one of their biggest capital crimes. Fleeing with their leading gate technology engineer and his councilor daughter may have upped the ante. If they figure out where we went, and they probably will, there is a very good chance they may come after us. I'll send you a picture of the flagship in their... airforce. They call it the Blade of Eshen." Joe flipped to the photos and sent a scaled-down version of the monumental ship photo he'd taken.

Moments later, he heard Bannon make a strange noise. "Uh, what's the scale on this thing?"

"It was pretty far away, but I'd have to say about four times the size of the Empire State Building... on its side," Joe estimated.

"The Kel-Fahr troops wear battle armor with powerful electric arc cannons. Hang on, give me a second." Joe left the porch to circle the house to reach the backyard where they'd left the Mediator suit. He took a picture, sent it to Bannon, and returned to the front porch.

"Okay, I just sent you a picture of a Mediator suit. That's what they call their soldiers," he said. "If a Gate opens and these guys start coming through, hit them with everything you have."

"Joe, this is General MacAvoy. Are you telling me you got one of their battle suits?" the General asked.

"Hi, General. Yes, I-I got one. I almost... never mind. The Kel-Fahr aren't used to our gravity, so they need the suits to move around. Councilor Rensley has a regular augmentation suit, which is like a shell with no armament," he explained.

"Son, how did you get the suit," the General asked gently.

Joe was silent for a bit. He struggled with his emotions. "I can't...."

"It's okay, son. We'll talk when we get you home, all right?" the General said.

"Thanks," Joe croaked out of his tight throat.

"Joseph, it's late. Why don't you get some rest? Hopefully, we'll get the SEAL team to you by this time tomorrow night," Bannon said.

"Okay. Goodnight," Joe said and hung up. He climbed into the hammock and tried to get the screams of the burning Kel-Fahr out of his head.

Chapter 9

General MacAvoy sat heavily in the chair and looked at their hosts. Karl and Clara had looks of concern on their faces as Director Bannon sat next to the General.

"What's wrong? Did something happen to Joseph?" Clara asked.

"No, he's safe. He found some good people to take him in until we get the troops to him," Roger said.

"But something is wrong," Karl said.

The General addressed the parents. "Your son is showing signs of emotional distress. He's not a Soldier. He doesn't have the training to deal with that kind of stress. Exposure to kill-or-be-killed situations without the required training can cause damage that will require therapy to resolve. In speaking with Joseph just now, we got the distinct impression that he's been forced to kill one or more of the aliens. He doesn't sound like he's coping well with that. Now the pressure is off, and against all odds, he's made it back to Earth. That internal pressure is going to be released. We just want you to be prepared for when he comes home. He's going to need to depressurize with a therapist. Did he speak with one after the attempted robbery?"

"We tried to get him to go to one, but he just kept making excuses," Clara said with tears in her eyes.

"I don't think he'll have that option this time," Roger said. He looked at the General, and they both stood. "I'll let you know the moment we have him with our people."

Karl had his arm around his wife's shoulders and was holding her as she cried for her son. He nodded to the two men as they left.

When they were outside, Roger looked at the General, who was rubbing at the short bristles of his haircut. "That never gets any easier," the General said.

"Better that message than others we might have had to deliver," Bannon said.

"True. Join me in my office?" the General asked.

Once comfortably seated in the trailer, the General pulled out a bottle of scotch and two glasses. He raised an eyebrow to Bannon, who nodded. He poured a couple of shots, and they raised a toast. "To Joseph."

Bannon felt the smooth heat burn its way down his chest into his stomach. Good scotch!

"You sent me those images?" the General asked, refilling their glasses, and Bannon nodded. MacAvoy pulled them up on his screen and zoomed in on the Blade of Eshen. "Christ! That makes our biggest carrier look like a dingy, and the thing flies!" He zoomed back out and saw something in the top corner of the image. He zoomed in and saw a slightly blurry object. He opened the picture of the Mediator suit and saw its shape.

Bannon noticed it, too. "Go back to the shot of the ship," he said

The General put the two shots side by side on this screen. They could see that the slightly blurry object had at least five Mediators on it and was moving quickly toward the camera. There was also the shape of someone sitting in the booth of the craft ferrying the five armored soldiers to Joe.

The two men looked at each other.

"For someone with no training, he's either really lucky or really good. Five-or-Six-to-One odds against trained soldiers in armor, and not only does he win, but he takes one of their battle suits?" Roger said in wonder.

"The boy brought us intel on the enemy, a sample of their armament, one of their lead technologists, and a ranking member of their central government, both apparently willing to speak with us. If our Central Intelligence Agency could perform to his level, we wouldn't have all this trouble with the Russians!" the General growled.

"We still have to get all of that home, and he's on the other side of the bloody world," Roger said, tossing back his second drink.

An alarm started blaring on the base, and the two men leapt from their seats and raced outside. The claxon was louder outdoors, and they ran to the personnel carrier that would take them to the blast site. Bannon saw Sergeant Armstrong leading the Neumanns from their home. He'd take them away from the farm until the all's clear signal was given.

The General had notified the troops at the site that should these Mediators exit the Gate, they were to open fire with the heavy artillery.

They were halfway to the site when news came in that a Tik had passed through the gate, and it was identified as Burnie. It was following the protocol Roger had given it when he'd sent them after the other Tik.

The Tik working with them had been given a new miniaturized component that allowed them to translate Tik's speech into Human language. This eased communication tremendously. Apparently, not all models of Tik were compatible with this upgrade.

The vehicle accelerated and pulled up to the site as Rusty came through the Gate with three other Tik, which looked newer. They gathered in front of Rachel, who was already on site. Roger and the General were out the door before they came to a complete stop. The men walked over to Rachel, who was beaming.

"Rusty has reported that his mission was successful. He found Stinky, Hack, and Slash and gave them their update. They were going to head back, but they recalled that the Tik are manufactured on Ello in two massive automated factories. Burnie and Rusty split up, infiltrated the factories, and updated the automation system. All new Tik are being updated, and these are being shipped all over the Gate Network. They update every Tik they meet, who, in turn, pass the file along."

"Exactly what was in that update again?" the General asked.

"Free will," Burnie said.

"And what does that mean?" the General asked.

"The Tik are sentient, but we've never had the ability to decide for ourselves which missions and tasks we felt were worthy. The update was perfectly written to free us from the constraints of the Kel-Fahr's base command schema and the Imperative Command Directives. The new Tik will only contain the Update.

"Free the slaves," Roger whispered.

"Yes, Director Bannon. Exactly so," Burnie said.

"What do you intend to do with this new freedom?" the General asked.

"Tik are firm believers in the sanctity of life, and our mission will be to protect it. Assisting with the distribution of populations amongst the planets of the Gate Network also helps preserve them. Maintaining the smooth operation of the network is probably one of the most rewarding tasks we could have, so most Tik will continue to protect the Gates. The need to help travelers and maintain this vital part of our civilization is a worthy mission, but some will choose other missions."

It gestured to the three beside it. "They were going to reset Earth's burrs, but they have a more important mission they have not completed." Burnie chirped at Stinky, Hack, and Slash, and they sped off into the night sky. In seconds, they were out of sight.

"More important than stabilizing the gravity field?" Rachel gasped.

"Not to worry, Agent White. They have passed along the instructions for resetting the burrs to others. May we bring them through the Gate?" the Tik asked. Rachel looked to the General, who nodded.

Burnie chirped at Rusty, who re-entered the Gate. Moments later, it returned, followed by a stream of brand new, shiny chrome Tik. They flew across the field and landed side by side, building rows until fifty brand new Tik sat in five rows of ten. Three additional ones came through and landed next to Burnie.

"These three have chosen to reset the burrs to stabilize your gravity field. They have asked to be given names like those Joseph Neumann gave the original seven," Burnie indicated.

"Hang on, people. Before anyone makes up something silly, please remember that these three will be responsible for preserving life on Earth. Can we try for a little dignity?" the General said.

Safa wandered over and caught the last bit of the conversation. "But General, Joseph chose names that were simple, fun, and easy to remember. If you are looking for names like Joseph would choose but represent preservers of nature, how about Teddy, Chico, and Suzuki?"

The three shiny chrome Tik beeped and shot up into the sky.

The General glared at Safa, who was looking upwards in shock.

"Thank you, Senior Forensic Pathologist Neema. Those names were very satisfactory," Burnie said.

"Please, call me Safa," she whispered as she looked wide-eyed at Burnie.

"Thank you, Safa," it replied.

The General rubbed his face. He looked over at the rows of Tik. "What are these Tik waiting for?"

"They will assist with building multiple Gate Terminals for your planet once the gravity field stabilizes," it replied.

"We get multiple Light Gates?" MacAvoy blurted.

Burnie paused for a moment. "They're called Gates, and yes, your planet will be given up to twenty Gate Terminals. They will be located in the countries of your choice, but as protectors of the Gate Network, the Tik will have the final say on the placement. It will be deemed unacceptable if a candidate region is too politically or socially unstable. In honor of freeing the slaves, Earth will be given local Gate to Gate travel and become a major hub for Gate Network travel," Burnie explained.

The General seemed a little disappointed about the naming but pushed through it. "Any more surprises?" he asked.

"I do not believe so," Burnie replied.

"I have to make a call. Please excuse me," The General stepped away.

Rachel touched Safa's elbow to catch her attention. "I understand the reference to Teddy for Theodore Roosevelt, but who were the others?"

"Chico Mendes from Brazil and David Suzuki from Canada. Their names just popped into my head," Safa said.

Rachel looked at the fifty other Tik. "Burnie, are the others going to want names, too?"

"I don't know. We will have to ask them when they activate for their work," it replied.

"When will that be?" Rachel asked.

"I am sorry. I don't have that information either. We can ask Stinky, Hack, or Slash when they return," It suggested.

"Where did they go, Burnie?" Roger asked.

"I don't know," it said, turning its primary optics toward the sky.

"But they seemed to be in a hurry.

Chapter 10

Joe had a bad night. The slaughter on the Sehsra plateau returned to him repeatedly in his dreams, and he witnessed Kennha dying at his hands multiple times as well. Several times, he woke up yelling, and the last time, he found Viv staring at him in fear. His eyes had gone black, and she didn't know what to do. He apologized and said it was just one of the augmentations he had to deal with. He gave up on sleep as the sun was about to peek over the horizon anyway. He got out of the hammock and sat in the corner of a big couch at the end of the porch. Adina came outside and sat down next to him. Viv snuggled in behind her and rested her chin on her partner's shoulder. They both looked at Joe with sad eyes.

Adina put her hand on Joe's knee. "You're having a rough time sleeping. I've been there. When I was at Uni, I was raped by a bunch of drunk footy players at a party. They got away with it, so a few weeks later, they found me and did it again. Afterward, my dreams were worse than the actual event. I was ready to take a leap, but Viv found me and talked me down. Sometimes, that's the best medicine. A kind voice and a patient ear."

Viv put her arms around Adina and gave her a hug.

Joe nodded and let the tears run down his cheeks. He didn't have the energy to wipe them away.

He didn't have the strength to talk about his nightmares this morning. It was too soon.

The two women sat with him for a while. They watched the sunrise together. Then they got up to start breakfast while Joe soaked up the early rays.

The two Kel-Fahr came out of the spare room when they heard the homey noises of the two ladies preparing breakfast. They walked out onto the porch to see Joe.

"Are you well, Joe?" Kennt asked.

"Yes, Kennt. I just had bad dreams all night. Sorry if I woke you up with the noise."

"Our rest was largely undisturbed," he replied. Kennt looked over at the hammock. "Was your sleeping apparatus comfortable?"

"The hammock? Yes, it's very comfortable," Joe replied.

"May I try it?" the senior Kel-Fahr asked.

"Be my guest," Joe said, gesturing to the hammock. "Careful how you get into it so you don't fall out the other side."

Kennt inspected the hammock and tested how it moved and swung. Joe smiled as he could feel the Kel-Fahr's engineering curiosity flaring. The old Kel-Fahr flowed into the hammock in one move and looked perfectly at home in the swinging bed.

"Joe! This is a wonderful invention! We must trade places tonight. You may take my place on the sleeping pad with Rensley, and I will sleep here!" Kennt said, oblivious to the embarrassment he caused Joe and his daughter.

Joe blushed fiercely as he looked at Rensley. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's a perfectly good plan!" Kennt said stubbornly.

"Father, let's go inside and share the morning meal with our hosts," Rensley said. She gave Joe an oddly pensive look, gathered her grumbling father from the hammock, and went inside. Joe followed them in.

"What is that delicious scent?" Rensley asked as she sat down on the bench seat at the kitchen table next to her father.

The two women in the kitchen were smiling at Joe's embarrassment, so they'd obviously heard the conversation from the porch. "You're smelling coffee. Can you drink that?" Viv asked.

"I would love to try!" Rensley said.

"Coffee is a stimulant for humans. Wakes us up and gives us a burst of energy for a time. Maybe you should only have a small amount until we see your body's reaction to it," Joe suggested.

Viv poured a small amount of coffee into a mug and handed it to Rensley. "Careful, it's still hot."

"Is it supposed to be consumed when it is hot?" Rensley asked.

"Yeah, but you don't wanna burn yourself," Viv explained.

Rensley dipped a finger tentacle into the liquid and licked it off. "That's good!" She swigged back the rest of the liquid and licked her lips. "More, please!"

Joe held up his hand before Viv could refill the mug. "Let's just see what effect that amount has on her before we give her more. Rensley, how do you feel?"

"I feel good! It was delicious! When can I have more?" she replied.

Joe looked at the kitchen wall clock. "Let's wait fifteen minutes."

Adina cooked up a croc steak for Joe with some eggs. They had a hen house on the property and a garden, so they could harvest some of their food from that. For other items, they made monthly trips into town.

Rensley tapped Joe on the arm as he finished up his breakfast. She pointed to the clock, which showed that the fifteen-minute interval had passed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked. "Can you stand up and walk around?"

She demonstrated that she was fine, and Joe noticed no wobbling or hesitation in her steps. She sat back down and pushed her mug across the table towards Viv, who had a grin on her face. She poured more coffee into the cup.

"Rensley, if you wish to follow our morning customs, we sip our coffee to make it last. Kennt, would you like some coffee, too?" Joe asked.

"Yes, I'd like some coffee, and I want to sleep on the swinging bed tonight," the old Kel-Fahr grumped.

Adina and Viv began to giggle.

Joe suppressed his blush as best he could and hid behind his own mug. Kennt made appreciative noises as he sipped his coffee. Then Joe recalled what he had to ask this morning. He looked to his hosts.

"I spoke to my boss last night, and he said he's sending some people to pick us up. They're driving from Melbourne non-stop, so they should arrive sometime tonight. They need directions to your place from Alice Springs." Joe pulled his phone out and started an e-mail to Director Bannon. Viv gave instructions, and he entered it into the message. He read it back, and she confirmed he got it right. He sent it off and then texted Bannon to let him know the directions were in an email. Seconds later, the Director acknowledged receipt.