Chapter 12

It had been a long and tiring trip back to Earth. The seasons were changing on our layover planets, so we had rain, snow, and temperature extremes to contend with on the different planets. We all agreed that we didn’t care for sitting on a planet in a hundred and two degree heat, and then hopping to our next layover and arriving in the middle of a blizzard and minus twelve-degree cold; the wind chill factor made it worse. I really needed to get a travel shelter.

Harry had told me the prototype shelter had been in the testing stage for over a month, so hopefully production would start in the near future. I told him if I used the prototype we could call it extended field-testing under typical travel conditions, so the stockholders wouldn’t complain. If the test shelter hasn’t been damaged beyond use during testing, Harry said I could use the shelter once testing was done. Personally, I doubt the other stockholders will ever hear about me using the shelter for personal use.

We had arrived at the ranch in the middle of the afternoon, and everyone headed to their mobile homes to unpack, cleanup, eat, and get some sleep, but not necessarily in that order. Rita and Carol came out to meet us, when they saw Betty, Cindy, and me walking up the road. While the three of us headed for the shower, Rita started unpacking our things in the laundry area. Carol started to fix us a hot meal and Betty insisted on helping her, since the kitchen was Betty’s domain.

While I waited for a bite to eat, I called Matt.

“Matt, we’re back. I want to have a meeting at nine tomorrow morning so we can catch each other up on what has happened during the past weeks.”

“I was expecting it, Doug, I just didn’t know when. Nothing critical has happened, so get some food and sleep.”

Betty, Cindy, and I finally collapsed into our bed. Rita and Carol joined us even though they knew we were too tired for sex. Cuddling is always nice. Rita snuggled up to me, while Carol ended up between Betty and Cindy. Rita and Carol made their plans for tomorrow clear to the three of us. After that, I kissed my wives and the five babies goodnight.

Our internal clocks were way off. Betty, Cindy, and I woke up around three in the morning, and couldn’t get back to sleep. As we got out of bed, we woke Rita and Carol.

In the dark of our bedroom, Rita said, “Doug, Carol and I have been pleasuring each other for the past five weeks. Fingers and tongues are no longer enough; we need your cock in our pussies.”

Rita pulled me over her, spread her legs, and then wrapped them around mine.

“Drive your cock up into me, sweetheart. Keep it moving fast and hard; make me cum.” I always take orders like that from my women, so I did.

As Carol, Betty, and Cindy started pleasuring each other, Carol would periodically moan, “I get him next” followed a short time later by “Oh God! Finish her off, lover, and do me.”

For the next three hours, we engaged in what I prefer to call an orgy of lovemaking, but it was more like lust. Rita and Carol were just as happy to have Betty and Cindy back as they were to have me back. I have absolutely no idea which of my wives was moaning the loudest. That is understandable. I kept switching between the four of them and my attention was focused on giving pleasure to my current partner, but I could certainly hear the other three expressing their pleasure.

When our lusts were satisfied, or should I say when I was exhausted, we lay in bed snuggling up to each other for the next hour while we talked about how their pregnancies were progressing. Rita and Carol explained their progress in great detail and the other things that happened to them while we were gone. Betty and Cindy told them what they had been doing in the Multiverse. It seemed like both pair of my wives were talking at the same time, and being a man, I really couldn’t follow their simultaneous conversations. It was seven by the time we rolled out of bed. Betty and Carol headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast, while Rita, Cindy, and I got cleaned up to attend our meeting.

Cindy and I made it to the office by eight thirty. That gave us thirty minutes to put everything away before the meeting. Rita joined us at nine.

“Good morning, everyone. We finished up the efforts that we planned to take care of in the Multiverse. Between Maribel, Sergei, Kendrick and Harry, I have a few additional items that will need to be addressed during future trips. I’ll brief everyone on those items later.

“Right now, I want to catch up on what happened here while I was away. Matt, let’s start with you.

“The day you left, the owner of the construction company, Jack Tander, let me know they had completed the construction effort for the water and sewage lines, power lines, and additional pads for mobile homes and the portables. He said the Building Inspector had signed off on the work.”

“Good, now all we need are the final batch of mobile homes and portables.”

“Well, Doug, I contacted the manufacturer and got both good and bad news. The good news is half the order was complete and ready to install. The bad news was the workers who build the mobile homes and portables are trying to negotiate a new contract with the manufacturer. The labor dispute led to a strike, so the rest of the order will be delayed.”

“I talked with the manufacturer and they agreed to install the units that were ready for installation. They finished the installation early last week, so that takes the pressure off of us for housing the people you brought back with you.”

“Rita, were you able to get the dishes, linens, furniture and other items needed to furnish the mobile homes and portables?”

“Yes, we bought everything we needed for all of the new homes before they started the installation. Everything has been moved into the appropriate units and the rest is in storage.”

“That’s good to hear, Rita.

“Sereine brought back one person to assist her with the Check Point, and I brought back four security guards for Bill’s department. Sereine will introduce her new officer to everyone later, and I will introduce the security guards to Bill after this meeting. Misty has recruited two nurses to help her. They will be returning with us on our next trip. Misty said she would consider converting a couple of the hospital portable’s rooms to living quarters for her assistants. Will we have enough living space for her assistants with the new portables or will we have to convert the hospital rooms?”

“We should have more than enough space for them once the rest of the new mobile homes are installed, if you don’t bring back as many security guards as Bill would like. We can discuss that with Bill later.”

“Do you have anything else, Matt?”

“Yes, just one more thing. We were notified the second delivery of our bulletproof SUVs from the armorer down in Texas was ready for delivery. I was told your armored limousine would be ready for delivery a couple of weeks later. We took delivery of the SUVs and the limousine.”

I sort of cringed at that news for now Bill would insist I travel in my limousine whenever I left the ranch.

“Are we going to need more SUVs in the near future, Matt?”

“No, we have enough vehicles for now. We will have to re-evaluate our need once we move into the Embassy and we bring more people onboard.”

“Mary, how is the warehouse effort going?”

“Good, Doug. I hired enough people for now and we have all of the merchandise out of the shelters and on the shelves. The quantities and locations of everything were entered into the inventory system as the merchandise was being shelved.

“I saw several shipping containers this morning. Do they have more merchandise that needs to be shelved?”

“Yes, Cindy has the manifest and you can get it from her after this meeting. Some of the merchandise is for our use and the rest is for sale.”

Mary said, “I hope you plan on selling some of the merchandise you have for sale, Doug, because with this load, my shelves will be close to full.”

Looking to Sandy, I said, “You need to hire a few sales people, Sandy, and put them to work.”

“I will but the labeling issue may make selling some of the merchandise a problem.

Abby said, “Doug, don’t forget that the merchandise needs to be inspected by the Customs Department and the import duties paid before you start selling it.”

Sandy said, “I’ll add a couple of offices to the Trade Center for the Customs officials.”

“Bill, what’s going on with the Security Department?”

“Nothing new, Doug. I talked with the Sheriff and they’ve made no progress on identifying the assassin. The FBI isn’t telling me much, but what little I was told indicates they haven’t learned anything new either.”

“Would it help if Abby talked with them?”

“I doubt it would help. I think they are too embarrassed to admit they haven’t learned more than what they would call a hick town sheriff learned.

“Now that we have all of our vehicles, Patty has set up a roving patrol within the outer perimeter. The route my people drive is just grass and dirt. The weather is fine right now, but in the winter, it will be a mud pit. I want a construction company to turn the route into a gravel road or pave it. We may have to lay a bed of crushed stone and then put the gravel on top, and the cost is not in my budget for this year or next.”

“Don’t worry about a budget for items like this, Bill. If it needs to be done, and it seems like this needs to be done, let me know. If I agree, you can get an estimate from a contractor and we can go from there.”

“Okay, I’ll get two estimates for you. I made good progress on the Security Procedures Manual. I should have the first cut done by the end of summer if nothing interrupts me. That’s it for me.”

“Sue, what’s happening with you and what have Alan and Charlie been doing?”

“Charlie and I have been assessing the types of data we will need to support your effort, Doug. Charlie said your needs are very different from what HS needed as a database. He also said there is a good degree of commonality with HS’s database in a few areas. He contacted Ken Smythe at the State Department to see if we can get a copy of those portions of the database and if we can be put on distribution for future updates.”

I asked, “What are the differences between the two databases?”

“HS is primarily concerned with the internal and external security of the US, which includes law enforcement. You won’t need the law enforcement portion of the database, and you will need domestic and foreign financial information. HS has some of that, but nowhere near what you will need. There may be other Government databases that we can get, that will have much of what you need.

“Ken is looking into the possibility of extracting the information we need from the HS database. HS bears a bit of animosity toward you, Doug, and that is making it a bit more difficult than normal for Ken to get what we need. Ken thinks Senator Belton may be behind the reluctance on the part of HS that he has been experiencing.

“We are in the process of turning one of the portables into a computer facility. I hired a Computer Consulting firm to define the equipment and software we will need until we move into the Embassy and I put Charlie and Alan in charge of that effort. We aren’t ready to place any orders yet, but we are getting close.”

“Things are rather confusing, for we need our current Multiverse computer system to control all of our security equipment and download the data it generates. We also need an Earth computer system for my database, to access the Internet, and to interface with other Earth equipment. What we really need is an interface that will allow the two computer architectures to talk with each other.

“Will the interim system equipment be used as part of the Embassy’s system?”

“I don’t know, but probably. It will depend on the interface between the two architectures and on whether the people of Earth can use the Multiverse computer system. The guidelines I gave the consulting firm for the portable system were to select equipment that could be reused in the Embassy. Charlie and I are thinking of using the Embassy’s Multiverse computer system as our main system.

“I’m thinking of scaling down what we get now to meet the minimum needs of my department until we are in the Embassy. Once we are in the Embassy, we can use the Earth equipment to support the non-critical interfaces with Earth’s computer networks. If those of us from Earth can’t use the Multiverse equipment, then we can use the Earth equipment to interface with the Multiverse equipment.”

“That sounds okay. Is there a final date for making the decision to buy the Earth equipment?”

“None that I’ve seen or know about. The only thing driving that date is the lead time necessary to receive the equipment so it can be installed in the portable, which means we need to set a date soon.

“Charlie and I formed a concept for how my department will operate. I will need three groups of people. The first group will identify valid sources of data for the areas of interest that you specify. They will gather the data and input it into the database. The second group will evaluate the data that is in the database and generate a hypothesis of what the data means for a specified purpose. The third group will work in the field to determine if our hypothesis is correct, before we act on it. Alan has always been a field agent for HS. I am going to use his investigative skills to set up the third group of people to do the field work.”

“Anything else, Sue?”

“Several small items but they are still in the concept stage and not ready for discussion.”

“All right. When you’re ready, come see me so we can talk about your ideas.

“What about you, Kim?”

“Just working on several articles, Doug. Why?”

“I was curious about what has happened since we held the press conference.”

“Oh. Things seem to have settled down. There has been a bit of backlash from a few groups but nothing significant.”

“What type of backlash?”

“There is a group called The Pure Earth Society. They put out several press releases about how Earth is at risk from the Alien threat. So far, no one seems to take them seriously.

“Then there is a group called the Black Activists Coalition. Their leader was interviewed on television several weeks ago. She claims that slavery is slavery and what you are telling people about Custodial Servitude is a lie. She said the Multiverse is actually practicing the same type of slavery that Earth did. The interviewer asked what she based her claim on and she said it was only reasonable for whites always put down blacks.”

“Do people take this woman’s group seriously?”

“Some do, but most don’t. The group has been in the forefront of race relations for several years. They did some good, but in a number of instances they created problems for the black community.”

“Matt, is this a group that could potentially cause us problems?”

“Yes, it is one of several. Bill and Sue need to keep an eye on those two groups and others. Abby can get us a copy of the FBI’s watch list and we can go through it to determine who we need to be aware of.”

“What about the religious groups? Any problems with them?”

Kim said, “No, at least not since that demonstration at our front gate. I think the Bible thumpers were sort of embarrassed by the coverage that group received. It was so apparent that the group was just out for publicity that the religious groups have kept quiet up until now. I think they are preparing to do something and will start coming out of the woodwork shortly. I suspect whatever they’re planning to do will be different from what those demonstrators did.”

“Thanks, Kim, it sounds like a lot has been accomplished and the outside world is quiet for the time being. There are several potential problems that may cause us difficulty in the near future. What I would like is to put together an assessment of what a group might do for each of the five issues we need to consider, and a preliminary plan for coping with an attack.”

Sue said, “It sort of sounds like the work is in my area of responsibility, Doug. While you’ve been gone, the issue concerning the Greek reporters has disappeared. The Greek government dropped the issue after apologizing to the State Department, and people lost interest in the newspaper reports.

“I’ll put a couple of people to work gathering background information on the groups that might take action in regard to the other four issues, and how they’ve operated in the past. These types of groups typically do what worked for them in the past. If they stick to their past approaches, my people can prepare a recommended approach for addressing their probable attacks. Then I’ll have my people think about how they would attack us if they were part of the group. Those types of brainstorming sessions can produce some outlandish possibilities, but sometimes those ideas have proven useful.”

Thank you, Sue. Does anyone have anything else to add to the status of what has happened while I’ve been gone?”

No one said anything, so I said, “Our trip to the Multiverse was successful in that we completed all of the things we planned to do. There are several new situations that Kendrick is handling, and the situations should have no bearing on us here on Earth. Having said that, there are a couple of things happening that will affect us.

“The most critical of those things is the Banking Guild has indicated that it does not have the resources to start a bank on Earth. I don’t believe that is true. Kendrick is looking into the actual reasons for their decision. We need to start preparing for how we will do our banking if the Banking Guild doesn’t start a bank here on Earth. My solution is for me to start my own bank or possibly a chain of banks.

“Abby, are there any Federal Regulations that would prevent me from setting up my own bank?”

“I’m not aware of any, Doug. I am aware of a couple of people who started private banks, but there were state and federal laws and regulations that they had to comply with. I don’t know a lot about banking, but all of the banks I am familiar with are part of the Federal Reserve Banking System, and you will have to comply with their rules and regulations.”

“Could you find out what I would have to do to create a bank for doing business between Earth and the Multiverse?”

“I think Charles would consider something like that within the bounds of my duties. When I discuss this with him, I will need a few details. Will the bank be incorporated here in the US, and will it have branches in other countries? When will you be setting up your first bank and where?”

“I’m thinking of the bank being incorporated here in the US, and yes I will probably need branches in some of Earth’s major countries. I don’t have a plan for expanding into other countries at this time. The timeline for that will probably be driven by my starting to trade in other countries. If the Banking Guild doesn’t create a bank here on Earth, then I will create a bank here on the ranch and I will need to get it set up in time to support trade between the merchants of Earth and my trading company.”

“Doug, I’ll pass your plans about setting up a bank on to Charles. Considering the potential repercussions to the financial world, he will probably brief Aaron, who will brief the President.

“You have allowed me to sit in on meetings like this one and I appreciate it. So far, you haven’t tried to keep your plans secret from the business community. However, you also haven’t told the business community about the scope of your plans and the probable affect it will have on them. What you have shared with me seems like privileged information, so I haven’t passed most of it on to Charlie. Do you have a problem with me talking about your plans with Charlie, or with him passing the information on to the President?”