Undercurrents 11

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I didn’t get any more work done before joining Theo in bed although it was quite a while before we got to sleep. We both slept until we woke which meant I woke to an empty bed just beginning to cool. I took a few moments to lie there and think before my bladder drove me to the bathroom and a shower to get the funk of the previous night off.

I was glad to find that the soreness had eased even more once the water had its way with me but I still wasn’t up to snuff. There wouldn’t be any serious exertion for me for a while yet and although it chafed a bit I wasn’t willing to risk further injury just so I wouldn’t be twitchy. I didn’t bother dressing more than necessary, a kimono and my distressed bunny slippers being quite enough to get me to the coffee pot and a small bowl of grits with cheese. I’d just sat and gotten the first spoonful when a familiar voice came from behind me.

“Well you were in no hurry to get up today… how ya feelin?” Vinnie came around into my field of vision with a steaming coffee mug and sat across from me, grimacing at the contents of my bowl. “How you can enjoy violating perfectly good polenta that way I’ll never understand…”

“Yeah well what yawl do to rice is pretty bad too!” I shot back with a grin. “Whats up Vinnie? You obviously wanted to talk to me about something?”

“Well I was talking to Kennie this morning and she told me about your prosthetics idea. I think I might have some connections that could help you scale it up much more quickly than 2 years. I’m assuming from what she said that you intend to take this thing global and focus the charitable end on conflict zones and other areas of extreme need?”

I thought over what he’d said for a moment. “Not to quibble over words here but there isn’t to be anything other than a charitable end. I want it to be economically self-sustaining but it has to be a nonprofit. Will your connections agree to that?”

He got a look in his eye I couldn’t quite interpret before breaking into a smile. “The people I’m thinking about would insist on it! You’re going to have to make it look pretty though… nothing kludged together.”

He cut off my protest. “I know the way you build but you’ve got to pay attention to design and atmosphere too… it has to be very slick and professional looking. You’re about to start playing in some seriously big leagues here Angel. I have faith in your ability to handle it because I know you but you have to make these people believe it too. I’ll offer any help I can but when it comes right down to it you are the face of this thing, you have to be.”

“What do I need to do next?” I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed and was more than ready to grab the offered helping hand.

“Right now? Flesh your idea out, make a serious presentation. Develop a granular level of detail on processes but stick with broad strokes at first. You will sell them the idea before any detail ever gets discussed so realize that your initial presentation has to be overwhelming. You have to wow them completely because ultimately what they are really putting money and effort into is you, not a product, not an idea, but a person they can see and shake hands with, a solid, tangible avatar.”

“I don’t think I can pull off corporate buttoned down Vinnie… its not who I am and I’m pretty sure it’d show. If nothing else I’d feel phony and they would be able to see that.”

“You shouldn’t anyway. Who you are is far more impressive, visually and every other way. People who fit in corporate boardrooms are a dime a dozen but a woman with a look like yours who can put their best engineers to shame? You’re going to destroy their preconceptions the instant you walk in the door and that’s just the opener.”

“Okay, I can see that but this is… well its never been done before, not this way and not on this scale. This model will spread and its going to be a huge economic disruptor. This is a good thing Vinnie…. but it has the potential to destroy the global economy. I want to help people, not hurt them.” I’d thought about this, read about it… played with concepts and gamed it out and if there was a scenario that didn’t bring on massive upheaval I hadn’t found it.

“That’s exactly why it has to be you.” He quirked a half smile at my expression. “I know you’ve studied the available literature but the intersection of economics and sociodynamics is still a place of art more than one of science. As a culture, as a species, we are doing something completely new, again and again. Its what we do, how we evolve faster than our physical selves… It is one of the things that is the essence of humanity.”

“Omelets and eggs, is that what you’re saying? I don’t believe that and neither do you. There has to be a path forward because its not like the underlying technological progress is going away. There has to be a way…”

“There is Angel… and you’ve just said it. People want to find a way to better their world and themselves. Yes there are rapacious assholes who want to have power over others and will stop at nothing to get it… but there are far more of the decent, hardworking people who have been screwed by the way things are now. People who don’t believe in ‘Breaking the eggs’. People who want to look to someone like you who has proven who she is and who will work to make a better way of being for all of us.” He looked into my eyes.

“People who will follow you if you simply show them a way. That’s all you have to do Angel… just be who you are… that’s what these people will want and it is what everyone will want. Someone to believe in.”

I had to think about that one. Did I really want to be so public? Did I want people looking up to me, following me? Did it even matter if I wanted it? Could I escape it?

“I hate you…”

“Hate me all you want little girl. It won’t change reality and it won’t change what you have to do.”

“I know… I just, I dunno… feel inadequate I guess. Its so much…”

“If I ever in my life met anyone less inadequate I must have been asleep. You forget how long I’ve known you, what I’ve seen you do. You changed what it means to be homeless in this city, even changed what it means to be a junkie here. Others helped, I helped… but the driving force was you. You did that with nothing or as close to it as makes no difference. Now you’re going to have some serious money backing you, people and organizations who believe in what you want to do and are willing to put their money where their mouth is.”

He shifted to get a little more comfortable in his seat. “You have a chance to make that way forward happen. This will be the start… but I think its going to snowball and quickly. This is going to be the proof of concept required to engage in wholesale adoption of new, localized microproduction. Economic disruption in developed economies should be quite manageable, most don’t rely on production as a chief economic driver. Less developed economies will feel it far more but even there I think you’ll find the effect to be overall positive.”

“You sound awfully confident. I wish I were as optimistic.” I couldn’t keep the flatness out of my tone. “I haven’t gamed it out in any way that doesn’t result in several major wars and huge numbers of dead. I can’t be responsible for that, I just can’t…”

“Silly girl, of course you won’t. You couldn’t be anyway… the technology is what will make this happen. The thing is that you can help it happen in ways that improve things rather than making them worse. The human spirit is not something you can game or predict and in large part that is because of X factors like you, like the people around you. Ideas change the world, not things.”

“I need your help Vinnie… there’s no way I can handle this by myself.”

“I don’t recall anyone asking you to. You already have the nucleus of the organization you will have to build. You have people you can trust utterly who believe in you. They don’t have to understand or believe in what you want to do even though I think most of them do… the important thing is that they believe in you. That’s what they need.”

“You make me sound like Gandhi or Mandela or someone like that. I’m not any of those things Vinnie! I can’t be those things!” Tears spilled unbidden from my eyes, dripping into my empty bowl.

“That’s good because that is not what is needed now. A Gandhi in today’s world would be largely unnoticed. A Mandela would be just another unjustly imprisoned man. Someone who begins with less than nothing, not even the integrity of her own body, and changes the world? I know you can’t see it Angel, don’t think you have that capacity, in the end don’t think you’re worthy.”

He reached over and picked up my hand, cradling it in his own larger one and closing the other over the top to completely encase it. For some reason my gaze was drawn to the wiry hairs on his fingers. Talented fingers that could save a life with nothing but needle and suture…

“Maybe you aren’t. The only way to know is to try.”

Maybe he was right but maybe this was hubris, overreach… How was I to tell?

“Look, I know I have to do this, I knew I had to do it the instant I realized it was possible. I just thought I could, you know, continue to work from the shadows. I don’t want to be some figurehead! I don’t want people looking up to me… I would rather they had no idea I exist. I’m gonna be outed to the whole world Vinnie. I know I’ve never really hidden as such but… most people have no idea. Either that or this city is chock full of super polite extremely open minded people…”

He chuckled at that one, a calming sound that I needed. I was beginning to really knot myself up thinking about this.

“That is a part of why you’re the right one. I keep trying to tell you… yes the idea is awesome but someone else would have come up with it given time. The unique thing here is you, your ability to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together. Its not just what you say, its who you are, even how you look… The whole package. The totality of who you represent simply by inhabiting the body you do, with your heritage and background. It doesn’t hurt that you’re drop dead gorgeous but even that is only a small part.”

“You can interact with communities of faith too, I’ve seen you do it. You’re as comfortable at a mosque or temple or church of whatever faith as you are here, talking to me. You listen more than you talk and when you do say something it tends to be slanted toward reconciliation, peacemaking. People know you care about what they are saying, what their problem is, about helping. No one questions your motives, they are as clear as daylight. You are clear… pure because of who you are, what you’ve endured… the steel left after the flame burns away the dross.”

“I’m none of that shit Vinnie… but I get what you’re trying to say and I know you’re right… its just… I dunno. Childhood’s End, I guess.”

“First surgery.”

“What?”

“That moment where you realize the playtime, the time to learn… is over. That the things you do in this moment will change someone’s life, for better or worse and the only thing that can determine which will be is you, your skill…” He caught my eyes.

“You already passed that moment Angel. This is the letdown. I know, I’ve been there. That time when you question everything, yourself, your entire life… Its hard. Deep dark night of the soul stuff. I slept for a week except when I was drinking. You got up on stage, gave a show and decided to change the world.”

“Yeah well there’s nothing like a bit of repression, eh?” I gave a sardonic laugh.

“So that was repression I saw on that stage? Venting I’ll buy, repression not so much.”

“Theo didn’t sign on for this.”

“There’s where you’re wrong. For better or for worse, you both said it and I know you both meant it. Did you really think either of you have a picket fence in your future? That is for your sister. She has the luxury of being mother to one or two children… You have the entire world. Not because anyone else says so but because you cannot stop as long as you know someone is in need. He signed up for this, exactly this. He knew… knows… exactly who you are, what you are. He threw his lot with you with his eyes wide open Angel. Don’t abuse that trust by not returning it.”

“You’re really irritating when you’re right.”

“Yep!” He grinned at me with a little twinkle in his eye. “Now get dressed, there’s someone I want you to meet.”

2 hours later I followed Vinnie off a private elevator and into a garden. What looked like the top of a gothic cathedral framed by trees and greenery rose into the sky ahead of us and it took me a moment to realize this was a spire I was used to looking a long way up to see.

“I had no idea there was a garden up here…” I breathed softly.

“Not many people do. My grandfather had this built so he could feel like he lived in the country and still be in the middle of the city but my father never liked it. I moved in here when mom died and just never wanted to live anywhere else. It suited me…” The gentleman who spoke, for there was no other way to describe him, smiled down at me.

“I can see why. Its so peaceful… if I hadn’t just stepped out of an elevator I’d have no clue I was on top of a building. Thank you for welcoming me to your home sir.”

“You would have been welcome long before young lady, had I known where you were. For someone so involved in her community you are awfully difficult to find. Vinnie still won’t tell me anything, just said he’d bring you to meet me and here you are. Do you have a little time?”

“I have the afternoon free Mr. Pringle and am at your disposal. Forgive my friend for not properly introducing us, I’m Angel Winters.” I offered my hand to shake and was surprised when he raised the back of my hand to his mouth, just brushing it with his lips with a slight bow.

“Just Duncan please, Mr Pringle was my father.”

“Thank you Duncan, just call me Angel please.” I was sure the blush his actions brought to my face was visible.

“Truly a fitting name. Tell me, do you really climb walls?”

“Oh geez...” I facepalmed and he laughed at me, Vinnie joining in. “I don’t really climb walls so much as things that stick out from the walls… its just Parkour, Freerunning, whatever you want to call it. No big deal.”

“Just use the elevator here please… I’d rather not have you falling off the building. That said, the elevator has been keyed to your biometric signature so you have access. Feel free to enjoy the place anytime.”

“You’re being awfully free with your home.”

“I don’t think so. We’re going to be doing a great deal of work together if you’ll accept my help and I find I rather like the idea of the energy you have already brought to a home that has been staid for far too long. Makes me feel a bit younger even. Why if I’d been born 40 years later and you were single I’d make a play for you myself!” He grinned at me, a little boy grin on a face that had seen far too much of the world.

“Duncan I think you flatter me a bit too much.” I returned his grin. “I think you might want a bit more information before you decide whether you want to help me or not so lets get started, shall we?” I subtly captured his arm and allowed him to lead me further into the greenery as we talked and Vinnie vanished in another direction. We found seats in a little grotto and were deep in the details when Vinnie arrived with tall glasses of iced tea for each of us and joined the conversation. The afternoon and part of the evening had elapsed before we all decided it was time to eat and I invited them to the doss. Duncan had shown me a great deal of trust and I felt it incumbent upon me to demonstrate that I was returning it in equal measure.

I sent Vinnie in South Low with Duncan in tow and forgot to show myself to Screech who was on High Sentry. I came down through West High and startled a few people but was off and running fast enough to barely register their expressions. The Trips were in the kitchen with Dahl just getting ready to serve dinner and the smells were intoxicating so I took a moment to sniff appreciatively before getting chased out with a ladle.

I had just time enough to freshen up a bit before the two men arrived, an awestruck Mark in tow. His hero-worship took a sudden nosedive as he caught the smells coming from the kitchen and sidled in that direction. I could just hear “Mmmmm… cookies…” as he departed and didn’t even try to suppress the smile.

“Welcome to our humble abode Duncan. Dinner is about to be served and if you’d like to freshen up the restrooms are right over there.” I pointed in the appropriate direction and he went off with Vinnie, passing Theo as he exited the facilities.

When they came back out there was a round of introductions before we all sat to eat. Various prayers were offered and when all had finished the noisy, happy business of an extended family filled the space, laughter ringing brightly. I noticed Carmen quietly taking 2 plates up to join Screech on High Sentry and had to take a moment to myself to reflect on what it meant that these 2 kids got to have something like a normal teen crush even though their families and society had ignored or betrayed them. It went a long way toward allaying my self-doubt.

Theo saw my attention stray and rubbed his leg against mine, letting me know he was there. I met his eye with a smile for the barest instant, thanking him wordlessly and his returning smile was like sunshine on a frosty morning. I knew without any doubt that he would back me with every fiber of his being but as comforting as that was it was also daunting. His trust, the trust of all these people around me could so easily be abused or simply misdirected… If they depended on me to do something and I failed them… So many ways I could do exactly the wrong thing and take others with me on a road to ruin.

This new stage that was beginning now… I would be able to have more information, be able to work with people who knew how to use that information. The chance for disaster was greater but so was the bulwark against that eventuality. Why was I obsessing over negative possibilities when things just seemed to be really started in the right direction? Was I that self sabotaging?

I looked around at the tables, the happy chattering people that worked every day to make a life, a community from those forgotten by society and I had this moment, as Collette passed a bowl over to the next table and took one in return. It was suddenly clear to me that I had taken too much on myself. Yes I would help them decide which way to go but I was no more deciding for them than I could have eaten for them. Intellectually that made me feel a great deal better but there was still this knot of anxiety that I couldn’t undo.

Tomorrow would be time enough to begin the serious work. I was to fly out to NYC with Duncan to meet with several of his friends and get the ball rolling in a serious way. I’d asked Duncan why the rush during our conversation and he’d simply shrugged.

“Honestly I didn’t even think about it as rushing. Its just the way I grew up you know? Flying an hour or two for a dinner date was never a big deal, just the way things were. I love being up there… it’s a different sort of world. Nothing really matters but your aircraft and you and sometimes you can imagine you’re flying without any aid, gliding through the air unsullied by the concerns of life, some sort of strange misshapen bird.”

“You make it sound magical.”

He had a faraway look in his eye as he gazed out into space. “It is. I wish I were young enough to fly the way you do… Nothing but your wits against gravity itself. I can’t imagine how that must feel…”

“I think maybe you underrate your imagination.”

We sat in companionable silence for a time after that watching the birds who found a home here in the sky, the sounds of their tiny rapid lives coursing around us.

“I wonder if they were as brightly colored 80 million years ago…”

He took a moment before answering. “It would certainly have made the cretaceous a vibrant looking time. When I was your age we had no idea that birds had evolved from dinosaurs and for some reason everything was grey. I remember thinking as a child how terribly depressing it must have looked and I like this notion much better.”

Another long pause as we both watched a hummingbird dart around a feeder of golden-red nectar. “I remember the first time I read about it, about Bakker and how long he had to struggle to get the authorities in his field to accept something that was so obvious the moment you actually looked at it. I wanted to discover something that earthshaking, to help transform our understanding of reality in some equally profound way. Maybe I can’t do that but I can do something…”

“I think you’ll do a lot more than just ‘something’ and I intend to do everything I can to make it happen. There are others like me who have obscene amounts of money and want to use it for something other than simply to make more money. This thing you’re starting? Its going to rub some very powerful people the wrong way and you need allies to avoid being squashed at the outset.”

“That is a part of why I’m willing to seek help at this point Duncan. This thing is more important than my own wellbeing and that means that I have to make it independent of my own ability to carry through. You and others allow me to make that happen and for that I am and will be grateful. You must all understand that this has to be its own independent entity. The structure of the organization has to make it immune to efforts to control it as much as possible whether those efforts are private or governmental in origin. A Super NGO of sorts.”

He thought for a moment. “That’s going to take some serious pull… How do you feel about taking a little side trip to meet another friend who might be able to help?”

“Where?” I didn’t let him reply. “Strike that question. What sort of weather should I expect?”

He gave me another of those appraising looks of his. “I’d have to say pack for just about anything. Is there anyone you wish to bring along aside from your husband? There is a little extra room if so.”

“I think for now Theo and I should do nicely, thank you. I will need a little bit of baggage space… the whole thing including printers and measuring gear with materials runs to about 1000 pounds and takes a meter and a half of cubic with the generator. That can be distributed in several different arrangements to allow for maximum flexibility in stowage and transport.”

“Plenty of space in the Cessna then. When can you be ready tomorrow?”

I had to think about that one. I was going to have to do some rebuilding to make my brainchild look pretty as Vinnie had clearly indicated but I was sure I could get it done in 3 or 4 hours with a little help. It was almost entirely fairings and catches, the little details. I wanted it to look like an enigma fully stowed for shipping… Just a fancy impact plastic box with stowable handles and wheels that could be treated quite roughly with no issue.

“9 good for you?”

“How about 11?”

I hid my relief… the extra 2 hours would mean sleep I was going to need. “Where should we meet you?”

“You know the executive airport just outside of town, right?”

“I do.” I wasn’t going to admit that I’d skulked around outside the fences when I was younger, admiring the sleek machines that crouched on the apron like big cats at rest and dreaming of flying one.

“Hangar F. We’ll be checked out and ready to lift as soon as your gear is stowed securely. Now I believe you mentioned something about dinner?” He leaned forward a little as the conversation turned.

“I did indeed. No idea what they have planned for tonight though, I’ve been a little busy the past few days. Any food allergies or strong dislikes we should know about?”

He grinned. “If it doesn’t eat me first I’ll eat it!”

I giggled a bit at that one. “Well I don’t think there’s much danger of your food attacking you… Still, there was that one time the crabs got loose… I don’t think Dolly will ever be quite the same…”

Then of course I had to explain who Dolly was and by the time I got around to describing her reaction when one of them fastened a claw onto her nose we were both laughing so hard we had to catch our breath. It was a good start to what I hoped would be a true friendship.

After dinner there were a couple hours of general conversation and comradery before Duncan left for home accompanied by Vinnie. I was already deeply into my mods and was done within 2 hours, as soon as the bits I needed finished printing and I had a chance to test everything. It unified into 2 different layouts but could also be broken into variations consisting of 2, 4 or 6 fairly equal components, each of which had stowable wheels and handles and provisions for lashing to just about anything. It was quite solid in all of its configurations and with enough materials to print several prosthetics was 3 ounces short of 1000 pounds. Not exactly light but quite manageable on its wheels. I took a moment to caress the nearly invisible seams between segments, quite proud of my creation but already thinking of ways to improve it.

With a final pat I turned and got ready for bed, joining Theo who was half asleep. I snuggled into his arms and dropped off much more quickly than I’d thought possible, waking in what seemed like the next instant. Theo was half dressed already and leaned down to give me a kiss that brought me to full awareness in record time. I showed my appreciation in kind and it was a good half hour before we both made it out to a late breakfast sporting silly grins.

Our bags had been packed the night before so a quick healthy breakfast of avocado and grapefruit over mixed greens with a raspberry vinaigrette and some feta crumbles had us on our way out South Low to the garage, a waiting transit van swallowing the equipment before we got in and whisking us to the airport. There was no stop at the gates as we were simply waved through and driven right into a hangar. There were several aircraft in it but the one that looked prepped and ready was a sleek business jet that made me drop my jaw when I realized what it was.

With some assistance from the pilot Jean-Michel we got everything distributed and lashed down properly although it did make the luxurious cabin seem a little Spartan with 2 pairs of seats removed. I thanked him for the assistance and he assured me in this dead sexy French accent that it was no problem at all and “If ze lady desires anything furthair I am at your disposal”. I suppose one of these days I might get tired of the way men respond to me but it hasn’t happened yet!

I was a little surprised when the pilot sat in the cabin and Duncan went upfront but even more surprised when he called me up to the cockpit and told me to strap down in the right seat. The cockpit was well appointed and spacious with high end avionics crammed into every nook and cranny and I couldn’t help myself.

“A Citation X! I’m kinda fangirling on your plane here Duncan…” I was practically bouncing in my seat with eagerness as he pulled us out of the hangar and sat on the apron doing his final preflight.

He smirked at me as he finished and radioed for clearance from the tower. “Just wait…”

He taxied out to the end of the runway, applied brakes and ran the engines up to a barely contained howling and then released. I was pushed back into my seat with gradually increasing force as the jet leapt forward and seemed to rush down the runway before tilting the nose skyward and leaving the tarmac behind with a sudden smoothness. I could feel the gear retracting smoothly and as soon as the hatches closed the level of noise fell even further. We continued to climb at an astonishing rate until a bare 18 minutes later we leveled out at 50,000 feet doing the maximum rated speed of mach .935 or 617 mph.

I had been silent the entire time, just enjoying the ride and watching so I was a little surprised when he asked if I wanted to take the stick. He assured me he’d be right there and so I got my first flying lesson right then. I was a little shaky but once I could feel the feedback from the controls I steadied right down and started soaking up as much as I could. He coached me on what to say and when and I was dealing with control along the way, really getting into the groove. He took the controls for our descent and landing but still had me talking to control and privately getting a bit tickled by the response from the male controllers. For some reason the female ones were a bit frosty with one exception…

Duncan did make a comment about how quickly we’d gotten clearance to land but I didn’t really think anything of it until he told me that he usually had to spend at least 30 minutes holding in pattern when he flew into NYC. The approach and landing were quite smooth and soon we were loaded into an SUV with a panel van containing my prototype following us into the city. We arrived at a building whose only distinguishing feature seemed to be its utter lack of distinguishing features, pulling into the underground parking levels and disembarking close to the freight elevator. After an interminably slow ride we finally arrived at the floor labeled PH and exited into a space which looked a bit like someone had gone insane with paints and power tools.

It looked a bit like someone had attempted to blend Ottoman, Greek and Roman stylings and failed miserably at all 3. It wasn’t until you looked a bit more deeply that it became obvious the whole thing was both very tongue in cheek and a symbolic criticism of modern western culture. I wanted to linger a bit, take it in more fully but I was being gently led into another room, this one quite ordinary. A small fastidious looking man stood and offered his hand, giving a minimal contact shake to each of us before seating himself and holding his hands together in his lap.

“So you’re the girl Duncan’s been telling me about?”

“Depends on what he’s been saying sir.”

“That’d be a yes then. I represent a consortium of concerned parties who have shown significant interest in some of your ideas. I understand you brought a prototype unit for display purposes but that won’t be needed today. We have seen some examples of your work and believe that with the right support we can enable your plans to help introduce this technology in a way that helps humanity rather than causing harm. We have likely gamed out many of the scenarios you have but this… this gives an edge none of those scenarios did. A way to be something other than lemmings.”

“Mr Stillman, I am happy to hear that your group endorses some of my broader goals but you have to understand that this thing will destroy society as we know it. Wealth will be a thing of the past as will poverty. When any of us can go to a public printing station and obtain what we need or want, be it basic needs or things that would be considered luxurious… then things no longer have meaning.”

“Sounds like a pretty nice world, doesn’t it?” the small man flashed a surprisingly animated grin. “You have the full backing of our group, whatever resources you need. We want this thing to hit globally and at a price point that puts it within reach of the poorest village. The price will be below cost for anyone who cannot afford the full price.”

I had to take a moment to digest what he’d just said. After running some quick figures in my head and coming up with an astounding number I had to let him know. “Mr Stillman, to fully implement what you’re suggesting will take at least 400 billion dollars, maybe more. Are you sure that’s what you want?”

“We actually have your projected costing over triple that and yes, that is what we want. The only way to keep this thing from turning into a war or wars is to make sure everyone gets them at the same time, and I mean everyone!” He was becoming more animated now

“Okay, I get that… but why do you need me? Surely there are other people far better suited to doing that sort of thing?”

“Right… We’re going to find someone better than the Angel of the Streets? You’re an icon back home and you’ve inspired others like you in other cities. You didn’t know that, did you? Well you’re fixin to be a whole lot more famous kid because all of this is going to happen with you at the helm. We’ll give you anything you need, people, materials, whatever… but you, the way you normally are with the antisocial punker look and all… You are the one people will connect with. With your husband standing beside you, a bonafide war hero? With everything you’ve done with absolutely nothing? With those people who would follow you straight into hell without you even having to ask?”

“You make it sound like I don’t have a choice.”

“Do you? Do you really think someone else could pull this off? You’ve gamed it out, you know how it goes down if you do it on your own, or even if we stole it and did it ourselves. Its not us that has taken your choice away from you Angel… it’s your own conscience. You know this is the only chance and you have to take it. I wouldn’t want to be in your shoes for all the money in the world and I can’t think of any sane person who would.”

“Shit…”

“Indeed.” He turned his attention to Theo. “You are going to have to assemble a serious security detail for her. It needs to be as low profile as possible but once this hits there are going to be some heavy hitters coming after her. I know you’re well placed to pull people you can trust and I have assurances from the very top that no request will be denied… short of tactical nukes.”

Theo mulled that over for a moment. “Were those the specific words used?”

“By POTUS herself just 2 hours ago. As of now you have command authority Alpha-3, subject to countermand by POTUS and Alpha-2 only. Your clearances have been updated to reflect your status.”

“And who is Alpha-2” Theo’s tone was a little testy.

Stillman smiled at him. “Why that would be your better half of course. The young lady upon whose shoulders lie the fate of modern civilization and what it will become. Would you have expected anyone less?”

The conversation continued between the 2 men for a few more moments but I was oblivious to it. In my mind I was plotting out a way to have the necessary production facilities up and running as quickly as possible and had hit upon an interesting solution, a variant of a Von Neumann machine. The trick was designing in an automatic senescence into them which would prevent endless self-replication and I just had it when…

“Mrs Winters, do you have any input on the initial production location? We would like to be as covert as possible.”

I had to switch gears and think for a moment. “Yes. I don’t know how much you are aware of, in terms of what we’ve built on the fringes of our city. There are places like that in every city where the throwaways, the homeless, the down on their luck go because there is nowhere else they won’t get rousted by the cops. Mostly who is there are good people who have just had a problem or a run of bad luck or maybe they are running from something. Many of them have surprisingly sophisticated skillsets and are quite intelligent. Give them half a chance and they will form a community, stronger than most.”

“What does that have to do with production?”

“Maybe you don’t get it because you’ve never been that far down but if you give them something worthwhile to do, something they can believe in… Give them a reason to reach out and use the potential they put aside because they thought they were useless or not wanted or… just lost hope. Give them that and you will have their absolute loyalty and secrecy. That’s your workforce and the places they hide are your clandestine production locations. Right under everyone’s noses and as invisible as vacuum because as far as society is concerned neither the people nor the places exist.

Stillman had to sit there for a moment, thinking that line of argument through. Shortly his face twisted into a lopsided grin and he barked a short laugh.

“Mrs Winters, I don’t think I could invent a more poetic form of social justice if I had a million years to think about it. The least of us shall save the rest from ourselves. Claim to be an atheist all you want but I think your name fits you perfectly. You truly are an angel and humanity will owe you a great debt.

I stood there nonplussed at the effusive praise, wondering just what I had done to merit this outpouring.

“You don’t understand, Mr Stillman. I’m none of those things you say I am. I’m just a kid who found a home with others like me who had none, thats all. There’s nothing special about me, no angel that saves the world, none of that! I’m just an ordinary tranny with crap fashion sense!”

“Who obviously needs some therapy to deal with her self-esteem issues. I happen to rather like your fashion sense by the way. And Mrs Winters?” He waited for my slight nod of attention. “Please don’t use that word. I dislike pejoratives in general and ones used to excuse bigotry and violence are particularly grating.”

“Now, we’ll be in contact within the next week to get the ball rolling here and I’d like to have a good preliminary framework for at least the initial site by then. Let me be very clear about this. We will be in the background and will provide any sort of help you may require but from this moment forward this is your ball game. You are the one who has the vision and the way to make it happen in a way I can’t even conceive. I have no idea what the hell you’re going to do but that’s the whole point. No one else will either, until its too late and the world has become a different place overnight. Humanity is placing its faith in you, all unawares.”

“Well that’s not much pressure at all then. Figure out how to change the world in a week, he says. In total secrecy yet!” I realized I was muttering to myself and stopped abruptly. I had to get out of there before I did or said something stupid so I spun on my heel and walked out of the room, into the elevator and left the building before anyone had a chance to respond. Once out in the street I spotted a park across what seemed like 10 lanes of road with 14 lanes of traffic on it. Luckily there was a lull and I was able to dodge the various vehicles, both auto and human piloted, making my way finally to the other side with a renewed appreciation for the old video game “Frogger”.

Once across the busy street I found myself in a peaceful park, even the traffic noises fading quickly as I made my way into a thicket of woods. I climbed to the top of a sturdy looking tree and made myself comfortable in the crotch of a limb, just taking the time to let my mind wander. I had to have lost it. I must be sitting in a padded room somewhere wearing an “I love me” jacket and drooling on myself. Things like this just don’t happen at all, nevermind to someone like me…

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Comments

heh

I can't wait to see what happens next!! Loving this chapter it paints a pretty good picture of what she has to do, and who is going to help her do it. I just can't wait to see how =]

Sara