The Monkey and Squirrel fight for freedom. (20 page)

It started in the top ten thousand books, but in three months it was in the top ten. The critics and people with good taste hated it, but the general public loved it, even those who felt sorry for the monkey.

Major Johnson couldn't believe it; he of course didn't read it as his notes told him more than enough, so he knew he wouldn't want to. Anyway time to meet his daughter Daisy for lunch. As he was approaching the meeting place, he saw Daisy talking to someone, when he realised who it was his blood ran cold, it was Charlotte Thatcher.

He was moving before he knew it, pushing in between them grabbing Daisy and marching her into the restaurant.

“What did you do that for dad, it was so rude?” Daisy demanded.

“Do you know who that is; it's the perverted and manipulative Charlotte Thatcher!” Carl said.

“So she wrote a racy book, that’s got you worked up?” asked Daisy.

“I know the truth about her, I shouldn't tell you this but after her interrogation, I had to have a mind wash, the memory was that unbearable. I know she had to tone down the details for her book to avoid criminal prosecution. The possibility that she could be snaring you in her web, to use in her games just made my blood run cold, look at me I'm still trembling.” answered Carl.

“Oh don't be silly Dad, we were just passing the time of day and I'm under age for that sort of thing.” retorted Daisy.

“When she started her life of perversion she was thirteen and entrapping her school friends in her sickening games before she was fourteen. The highest number of operatives ever applied for mind wash after dealing with her.” explained Carl.

“That does sound bad, but you can be a bit over protective, any of my boyfriends you don't like, discover they're being followed by grey men, until they dump me.” said Daisy.

“I have to find something for our trainees to do; we can't expose them in a real operation, until we know they are up to it. But whatever I feared you might get up to with those boys. It never caused me to fear for you on the scale of the terror I felt when I saw her talking to you; I know what she is truly capable of!” exclaimed Carl.

“Are you all right you've gone white?” Daisy asked suddenly concerned. 

“She has just walked in here.” said Carl.

Charlotte walked up to their table with a predatory smile, saying

“You're John's boss, so this must be Daisy.”

“Why do you think you know who I am?” Carl interrupted.

“Having the contacts, it was easy for me to research John, you just turned up in the results, please send him to me again it would be fun to play with him again. It's always nice to have a new playmate, it refreshes my appetite, as you do look ill another time perhaps.” sneered Charlotte.

“Leave my Dad alone you old slapper, he's told me all about you!” screamed Daisy.

“Sweetie I seriously doubt he's told you everything, he hasn't had enough time for one thing, there is so much to tell he wouldn't want his sweet innocent daughter to know. We'll play another time.” Charlotte replied in a superior tone, as she strutted off, looking half her real age.

“Sorry Dad, I didn't really believe you, until just when she was pure evil.” apologised Daisy.

“There is nothing pure about that woman; I'm assigning you an armed guard with orders to shoot to kill if she approaches you.” snarled Carl all protective father.

“That's so over the top, you couldn't and they wouldn't, would they?” asked Daisy suddenly unsure.

“John Smith would without a qualm, his mind wash didn't get it all out, he doesn't want to get close to her again.” retorted Carl.

“I'm gob smacked; you can order your men to do that?” asked a wide eyed Daisy.

“If the situation requires it, I can fill in a form and get retrospective permission no questions asked.” said Carl seriously.

“I don't feel like eating now, I'm feeling sick can we go home?” replied Daisy.

“Certainly.” Carl replied, and home they went.

When Tman found out about Charlotte's book's success, he thought I don't understand it, humans just mystify me. To his biographer when asked if it was an accurate account. “There is no way this side of hell I'll read that, she couldn't write about all the things she did, without incriminating herself anyway.”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t of asked.” replied Ernest.

“Don't talk about that to me again, or you could find yourself having some similar experiences.” signed Tman aggressively.

An apprehensive Ernest, who had read the book hurried to be elsewhere.

As the FTB search probes entered the Jupiter interception zone, they detected two craft on intercept courses, one for each FTB probe. As the FTB probes transmitted this to base, their cameras and analytical devices focused on the vessels, bringing all their instruments up to full power, switching to live streaming mode as they did.

Ground control would be recording and watching as they closed, but the single shot that destroyed each of them, did so before a detailed image could be transmitted. This caused a bit of excitement back on Earth, now we know where they are, was the jubilant cry. Jupiter plan kicked in, the carrier would leave immediately upon completion, the fighters and bombers were nearly all loaded. The crews would follow shortly with their simulators their only chance to practice attacks on the habitats. Departure would be early December 2110, the greatest journey man had ever undertaken a mission of genocide.

The departure was noted by Earth watch and posted. Chamber decided to refuel and service the Jupiter fighters before the carrier arrived. Also deliver observation probes to report on events from a safe distance, two modified stealth scout drones, each with a nuclear power pack and ion-engine instead of the usual set up. An up graded weapon was included so it had the capacity to defend itself, its mission observe and report when feasible.

When the human force entered the Jupiter satellite system, then the drones were to take targets of opportunity but otherwise continue the mission. An automated refuelling station
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was hidden on a rock drifting in the outer system, and they would refuel until that was exhausted. 

The Saturn resource mapping survey finished in July 2111. Almost at the same time Tman was given the all clear and would receive the longevity treatment six months later if his tests were still clear. He was very glad to get back to work, and was pleased but also a little disappointed that they had managed perfectly well without him. As his team welcomed him back, his personal project needed his input to progress, he had been allowed only design and theoretical work during treatment. The physical progress had been slow other than on the basic construction. The engine need to be finish and he needed to start the test bed program to achieve the best balance between endurance and thrust. Create a self tuning and self repair system, that had to work for a lifetime.

This took a while, the elections happened, Chatty danced for joy she was free. A surprised Ernest was getting over the shock of being elected to Chamber, he hadn't known he was a candidate. The build of Tman's test vehicle one, was finished, soon after the elections, testing started. Several months later Chatty and Tman met up as usual this time at the Italian canteen.

“Happy days.” they said to each other it had become their greeting, starting when Chatty had finished her time on chamber duty and sort of just carried on thereafter.

“I know why I'm happy, my test vehicle free flight tests are under way, interstellar experiment one will soon be ready for departure. I want to see this baby fly at optimum acceleration, I salivate just thinking about it.” signed Tman.

“I'll be happy to get my team back and focused properly on their proper job once it's under way. How you got all my team so wrapped up in programming your pet project, is a mystery.” signed Chatty.

“It was the challenge no one has attempted anything like this before, that's what hooked you all.” replied Tman.                            

“The flexibility and reliability required was a tough combination, for the next it'll just be a case of fine tuning. Unless the semi AI crashes, then it's major forensic analysis of the program.” observed Chatty.

“With the all the work your team put in, I think you deserve to be confident that it will last at least as long as the mechanical engineering does.” reassured Tman.

“When is it scheduled to depart, are you going to give it a name?” asked Chatty.

“First week in June, I'm naming it Centauri one, not very original but appropriate. The human carrier should spot it passing in system, after Centauri one's turn round Jupiter. I expect it'll give them a bit of a shock when they’re not expecting one, until they work it out.” answered Tman.

“Do you think they'll try to shoot it?” asked Chatty.

“It's going nowhere near them or Earth, but for a little while they'll be guessing.” signed Tman.

“For a time they'll be wondering what its for, but you'll probably tell your old crew before it gets to the boil down there.” observed Chatty.

“Maybe after our fighters have engaged the carrier and it's fighters, something positive after the bad. Don't kid yourself we are going to kill some humans if they don't back down, our fighter's weapons have twice the range of theirs! How long our fighters will last once within the humans fighter's range, I have no idea.” speculated Tman.

“It might not be that bad, their program is to cripple the opposition not total destruction.” signed Chatty.

“That will be difficult when you're using high power X-ray lasers and very high velocity rail guns. The secondary emissions from the lasers will fry them and the rail gun projectiles will shred them. Some of the human crew will possibly survive if their suits hold up and they get rescued before they run out of life support. We're expecting to disable five of their's before we get into their weapons range, they have a crew of three, not expecting fifteen deaths up to that point is unrealistic.” explained Tman.

“It still feels wrong.” protested Chatty.

“Just remember the plans they have for us, that nerve gas takes twenty to sixty minutes to painfully kill you, and there is no antidote. It was developed by terrorists you know, the victims contorted twisted bodies leave no doubt about the victims suffering. If the time comes we will have to seal off the outer three levels, re-pressurising them with a low pressure carbon monoxide, oxygen. Add a catalyst mix that will cause spontaneous combustion of the nerve gas, also generating heat to neutralise any unburnt, it's a good job we only store metals and metal parts there.” Tman signed forcefully.

“I know your right. It doesn't bare thinking about what that gas could do to us, time to move on to happier subjects. Our new processors and programs are working well in our children, the adaptation and replacement program for adults has started. The procedure for monkeys takes longer, and needs our best medical team, Monkeys also need longer recovery times than squirrels but we'll get there eventually.” signed Chatty.

“I for one am prepared to wait, I've had more time than enough in hospital of late and we don't want to exhaust the staff. They have to train the young who want to take it up professionally, it's good that so many of the young ones are interested in the skill areas where we're weak.” declared Tman.

“They see those areas as their best chance to distinguish themselves, competing with living legends is an intimidating prospect. They all benefit from having had time to play, learn, making use of their freedom to chose and freedom of thought.” explained Chatty.

“I know you removed the imposed limitations, what other developments did you give the kids?” asked Tman.

“Just the best enhancement processors we could make, starting IQ is around a hundred and eighty to two hundred. We have made it easier to read/write to the artificial memory, and integrated the information packs to make them directly accessible. Finally synchronized and integrated all the components fully, that's all.” replied Chatty.

“That's all she says, what do you expect their IQ to be when they have finished growing up and developing?” asked Tman.

“We don't know but the expectations are an IQ of over two hundred and fifty for all.” answered Chatty.

“They all appear stable. As they are completely free, I have concerns about where they will take our fledgeling society.” admitted Tman.

“I don't think we have much to fear there, they grow up cared for and nurtured, with strong bonds to their mothers. Of course they will start out noisy and brash, and are a bit of a shock to us old ones when we first encounter them. I think all should be well without our mental scars to warp them.” signed Chatty.

“OK I'll try not to be an old grouse! I'm not sure what I'll do with my leisure time, until it's time to start the next interstellar probe. I can't even think of changing anything until I have enough telemetry data.” signed Tman.

“One of the things that were discussed in chamber was finding a way to give our fighters a interstellar probe type engine. We can see possibilities with more powerful long range fighter, the greater the distance we can keep between us and them the better.” proposed Chatty.

“You’re suggesting, I develop a new long range engine for our fighters?” asked Tman.