Chapter 20: Again

I walked out back and grabbed a few of the security guys and we went for a drive in the Stryker. I figured I would give those other guys something to think about, so we went around the neighborhood for the next few hours. We didn't see them but I knew they saw us, and then we headed back to the base for dinner. I was sitting eating with everyone and started talking.

"Most of these people have no idea what is coming," I said.

"What do you mean?" Jenny said.

"Think about it, if we lived down here and never met Kris or Kristy. We would be hot, yes but we would be ok. Plenty of canned food to scavenge and eat, the aqueduct water is ok, just boil it first. It would be like camping for a few weeks in the desert. The problem will come when the water dries up and the canned food runs out. People don't know how to farm and they don't care to learn, when the food dies out so will the people."

"So you're saying everyone will die anyways," Mike asked.

"No we will survive; people who have been living in the back country with no technology may survive. The Indians would probably survive if there were any left; people are used to going somewhere and getting what they want. When the time comes that can't happen anymore, then they will take what they want."

"You have a low opinion of humanity," Cameron said.

"Yes I do, the bad part is the good people out there will be the first ones to die. They will try to help those who don't want to help themselves and will pay for it."

"Like us?" Jenny said.

"Yes like us, but we're pretty darn secure unlike everyone else."

"So what can we do to make things better?" Lydia asked.

"Not much, we can keep doing what we're doing and spread the word that we are here and that we're peaceful. When people run out of options then they will come knocking, that is when we can help the most."

"So what do we do till then?" Cameron asked.

"Like I said we keep doing what we are already doing, and we get our security force up and running. We also send a message and ask for help."

"A message to who," Cameron asked.

I laughed and said, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"He's right none of us believed him at first, once you get to know him better you will find the rest out," Mike said.

"I believed him," Jenny said as everyone laughed.

"I still think there is something else going on here; this is all working out to neatly. I understand how Kris could be here this time to help us, but she was also in my dream the first time. If she crashed in my dream then how is she here now to help us, wouldn't she have needed to have been sent back before she crashed?"

"I don't even want to get involved in this, but what other possibility could there have been?" Mike asked.

"Maybe whoever tried to fix things screwed up the first time so now they're trying again? Maybe if this doesn't work out we will all wake up from a bad dream."

"Oh shit! Don't even say that, I don't want to go through this again," Mike said.

"Ya, don't even go there," Jenny said.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cameron said.

"There is a lot we will tell you if everything works out, but so you know three of us had a dream of what was going to happen before it did. That is how we were able to prepare for this," I said.

"You all had a dream about the future?" he asked.

"Yes, I spent well over a month preparing for this event. If we wake up again I could find myself with a year or more to plan."

"I told you don't even think that, if someone is watching it might give them an idea," Mike said.

"Wouldn't that take the cake, if some other race was controlling the situation since the 'EMP'? Someone had to have put Kris here and it was before the Lodi knew what was going to happen, unless it was not the first time it happened. We could have been working through this situation many times, it's possible the last time, they tried to help us with the dreams."

"If that is true, it could also mean they planned additional help for us this time?" Mike said.

"You're right, they would know what we were going to need if it has happened before, so either they will help us or wake us up. Or maybe just give up on us and leave, who knows?"

We finished eating and chatting, then locked up and went to bed.

Meanwhile, in a large underground lair on earth's Moon two beings were planning the future of the human race. They were the sole remaining survivors of the Bethan race. Their people had been annihilated by a race they knew nothing about; they just called them the Evil Ones. In a desperate attempt to save their species they sent several scout ships to check for compatible biological life patterns. They had also shed the last of their organics so they could survive until their mission was accomplished. The race of Bethan's were part organic and part machine, they survived as one. However, only the mechanical parts of their bodies could last the centuries required to finish this mission.

"Well Xavier, it looks like you were wrong, they know exactly what is happening," Xanthus said.

"It's no matter this is our last chance to repair the careless act of those Lodi fools," he said.

"He will need help if he is to succeed and re-populate the planet, and then act on our behalf." Xanthus said.

"We planned for that, I hoped we would not need it but the Fauz Stream destroyed that possibility when it hit the planet," he said.

"Yes it was indeed unfortunate to have hit the planet; the fact that they used the drone to warn the Lodi off was amazing. We are lucky it did not affect the dimensional shielding we put in place," Xanthus said.

"True they learned well, we will need to give him access to the grotto and hope for the best. They will eventually learn about the shielding, and then the dimensional shift ability of the Evil Ones," he said.

"Perhaps we should start the nano replication, I know they are not ready but it may help. At least the ones that survive."

"That would make them much stronger. You are right; we should just do that as well. We cannot afford to fail in our endeavors. We are the last of our people; we can re-create our race on this planet. Once strong enough we can re-pay those who would see us destroyed."

"We can set up the conversion and start it as they use the learning chairs. We will set up the process to run slowly, this should help keep the causalities low."

"We will need to bypass the AI process so they are not aware of it."

"It will be done. It has to be now; our bodies are out of time."

"Good Luck 'Humans'."

I woke up the next morning and felt like I had a hangover. As I opened my eyes, I noticed everyone standing over me looking at me including the two drones.

"Oh God I hate it when I'm right," I said.

"We were worried about you. The drones said you were receiving some type of signal they couldn't block; they said it was similar to the dream signal," Jenny said.

"Get me some Advil would you, and give me a minute to clear my head."

"Ok, just so you know Patricia and Amy are on their way. They called the chopper back when they learned what was happening," Jenny said.

"OK, I guess that means we will need to behave," I said with a fake pout.

"You're going to get it one of these days," she said and left.

"You hate it when you're right?" Mike asked.

"You were too, they are listening and watching."

He stood there starring at me for a minute or more then said, "They who?"

"No idea but nobody we have met yet I'm sure, I believe but not sure that they are somewhere close."

"What did they say?" Mike asked.

"I heard a conversation between two of them then they gave me a location to the grotto. The conversation seemed to go on but I can't seem to remember the rest."

"Grotto?"

"I have no idea, just what I said."

"How close is this place?" Mike asked.

"I'm surprised the drones haven't run into it building the tunnel."

As we were talking, Patricia came running in carrying Amy.

"I'm ok sweetheart it was another dream, nothing bad though. Well not really."

"I was so scared when Kristy told me what was going on," she said.

"If you think that was scary I'm glad you weren't here yesterday when Mike and I were talking," I said, and explained everything that was said yesterday and the dream I just had.

"Damn, that would be awful to live through it again. So you're saying some other race is trying to help us," she said.

"It appears that way; they seemed to be really upset at the Lodi and were trying to correct their mistake. It appeared they tried to stop this event from ever happening but it didn't work out. So they are going to live with however life turns out the way it is now, but I think we will get a little help."

"Well I'm glad you're all right, I didn't like staying behind so don't try that again."

"Ok, I promise if I plan on staying away for more than one night you will come along agreed?"

"Ok, sounds good."

"Well let's have some breakfast, maybe it will help my head."

"Oh I remember that headache," Mike said.

Amy went over and grabbed us some breakfast and we got busy eating. We all ate in the lobby this morning, I was still watching out for those guys from yesterday. I ate with Amy on my lap and I let her feed me this time. After we were done I took a quick shower trying to get over this hangover feeling. When I was done Mike, Jenny, Patricia, Amy, two security officers and I departed in one of the Strykers for the grotto.

We headed up 173 in the direction of Big Bear for about 30 minutes, and then turned off on a dirt road and into a small canyon. We stopped on the ridge above. I left the security guys with the vehicle and the rest of us walked into the canyon and then into a cave at the end. The cave looked to be a dead end only about 50 feet deep.

"Well now what, is there a magic word?" Mike said asked.

"I don't think so," I said as I held up my rifle and turned on the laser sight. I started at one end and followed the room around heading to the other side following the laser on the wall, but when I got to the back of the cave the laser disappeared as was no longer on the wall.

"Damn that was good thinking," Mike said.

"I don't understand," Jenny said.

"You see the laser dot on the wall right there; watch it disappear when I get to the back wall," I said as she watched.

"You're saying the wall is not really there?"

"Very good young woman, yes we are."

I grabbed my light and walked up to the wall and then through it and was confronted with the biggest door I have ever seen. Then it hit me. I wonder how much of this cave is fake, I bet the entrance is enormous too. As I stood there I felt Mike's had on my shoulder as he walked in and whistled.

"Now that's a door," he said.

"Yep it sure is, you want to try and push?"

"Nope don't think it will work," he said laughing.

I looked up and down the door but noticed nothing, no lock no key, just a solid door. Well if all else fails just knock I guess, so I knocked. Well big shock, that didn't do anything but I did notice that where my hand touched the metal turned blue for a second.

"Did you see that?" I asked.

"Ya, it reacted to you touching it," Mike said.

So I stuck my hand back out and touched it, again it changed color but nothing else. I decided to try my whole hand and put my palm against the door, which did something. The door turned from blue to green and there was a loud static discharge pop as the door started to slide down. There was no light on inside when the door went down but as soon as I stepped in the lights came on.

"OH MY GOD," I said.

"Damn straight, what the hell is all this stuff, it looks like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier," Mike said.

"It's a ship," I said.

"A spaceship?" Mike asked.

"Yes, I bet you it transported into the mountain like Kris did," I said and turned around and yelled for the girls to come on in. I heard them both gasp as they walked in; I reached down and picked up Amy.

"Well we have many new things to learn I guess," I said.

"I wish Kris and Kristy were here," said Mike.

"Yes that would be good, we could even use the help of a drone, maybe he could interface the ships," I said as I requested the presence of a drone.