Chapter 22

A.D. 2012

Once again, Nine and Ten found themselves, having completed their promised task, standing on the arena floor, surrounded by the Allmind.

YOU DO, INDEED, FACE A MONUMENTAL CHALLENGE, the Allmind told them. THE FIVE RACES THAT NOW COMPRISE THE ALLMIND WERE ONCE AT ODDS WITH EACH OTHER IN A SIMILAR WAY. WE ONLY AGREED TO COME TOGETHER IN THE FACE OF A COMMON ENEMY. THAT ENEMY HAS BEEN VANQUISHED, BUT ITS EXISTENCE, AND THE IMPLIED POSSIBILITY OF THE EXISTENCE OF OTHER SUCH AGGRESSIVE RACES, KEEPS THE ALLMIND UNITED. ALTHOUGH OUR SITUATION IS NOT EXACTLY THE SAME AS YOURS, WE BELIEVE THAT IT CAN SERVE AS A MODEL FOR THE SOLUTION OF YOUR PROBLEM.

I do not understand, Will answered. How is the Allmind to serve as a model for our problem? No one is attacking our system.

THEN SOMEONE MUST ATTACK YOUR SYSTEM.

I agree that a common enemy would have an excellent chance of uniting the peoples of the planet, if it didn't destroy them first, but where am I to find such an enemy? I do not wish to place my people in real danger, so I cannot just go in search of a race that is willing to attack us.

THEN YOU MUST BECOME THAT ENEMY.

Become... ? Will began, stunned. But how can I be an enemy to my own people?

ARE THEY STILL YOUR PEOPLE?

This question and its implications shook Will to his core. It was true that for the last couple of years, he and Nine had pretty much been on their own, without much human contact, other than their targets, but were the people of Earth still their people? Will had created an organ in their brains that had taken on a life of its own, but did that make them something other than human? Still, they were born human and the only families they had were human, so it seemed to Will that he owed them a modicum of allegiance.

It does not matter, Will thought. They are the only people we have, and they are the people from whom we were created. For those reasons, at least, we owe them loyalty.

THE MATTER IS SMALL. UNLESS YOU WOULD BECOME THEIR RULER, IF YOU WOULD TURN THEM FROM THE PATH THEY HAVE TAKEN, YOU MUST PRESENT THEM WITH A COMMON ENEMY. TO ENSURE THAT THE ENEMY DOES NOT COME TO RULE THEM OR DESTROY THEM, WHO ELSE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

"They've got a point, Ten," Tina said quietly. "That's one scenario you never ran through that little computer thing you created in your head. Maybe you should."

"Do you understand what they're suggesting?" Will shook his head. "We would have no home. We already live in a damned cave and have to hide from other humans unless we're hunting them. How much worse is it going to be if we do this?"

"And when did you expect to go home, Will?" she asked with bitter irony. "Did you think you'd be able to just go back to your little house in the suburbs and start another family? Let's face it, unless we decide to rule the damned Earth, which will pretty much make us everybody's enemy anyway, we aren't going to be able to live openly on the planet for a very long time, no matter what course of action we take, or don't take. No matter what we do, if we show our faces on Earth for any length of time, we're going to be besieged by law enforcement, news media, and the same scientists who created us. If they don't want to try us for crimes against humanity, they want to put us under a microscope and see what makes us tick. I'd bet my bottom dollar that at least some of the people we've been trying to protect are so afraid of us that they want us dead. You wanted a way to turn things around without becoming a dictator, so here it is. Even without that simulation thing in your head, I can see that it's got a good chance of working."

"And you're willing to go along with me on this?"

"You can be pretty dense, sometimes, you know that Ten?" Tina smiled. "I'm into whatever you're into, not just because I agree with you, but because I trust you. I trust your judgment. You forget: I've been inside your head, and I've been at your side all along. I like what I've seen."

"Yeah." He said, giving her a hug. "I guess I am pretty dense sometimes. I think, somewhere in the back of my mind I knew, but I've been so preoccupied..."

Your suggestion has merit, but it is a difficult thing to contemplate, he told the Allmind. I must think on it before deciding.

IMPORTANT DECISIONS MUST NOT BE MADE LIGHTLY. IF THE ALLMIND CAN AID YOU IN YOUR THINKING, YOU HAVE ONLY TO ASK.

Will's mind roiled over the suggestion made by the group mind trying to break it down into its simplest terms. Certainly, their option provided a means of forcing the people of Earth to work together to solve a problem that threatened all of them. If he chose to rule them, he would have to ram that down their throats, and then stick around to make sure they didn't regurgitate it. He could see only three possible ends to that scenario: Either he would go crazy and destroy Earth himself, or something would happen to him, probably caused by his 'subjects, ' that would kill or incapacitate him, or he would grow bored with the whole thing and just go off somewhere on his own. In any of those cases, the resulting chaos would be even worse than what they were currently headed for.

If, on the other hand, he could convince them that he was an alien enemy from somewhere in space, come to destroy or enslave them, they would have no choice but to unite. Having done so, once they had 'defeated' him, they could never again be sure that there would not be another alien attack, and would have to maintain their unity to ensure that they would be ready.

It would take a lot of work on his part and Tina's to convince the people of Earth that they were under alien attack, but with their powers, it could be done.

Hell, he thought to himself, if nothing else, we could just go out into space and throw rocks at them. They'd be damned big rocks, but Earth would have to find a way to defend itself.

There really was not that much to think over, Will finally realized, reverting to his old problem solving techniques. Removing his personal feelings from the equation left a very simple problem: To rule or to attack. He ran the simulation through as many permutations as he could, and almost all of them achieved the desired result, creating a whole new paradigm for Earth society that would last far into the future, without the constant vigilance on their part required by the other solutions. The personal cost for him and for Nine was similar, as Tina had pointed out, except that once Earth was well established on the new course, he and Tina would no longer be needed to guide them.

Okay, partner, Will thought to Tina, here's what I've come up with...

He replayed the scenarios and Nine went along for the ride.

At the end, he didn't need to read her mind to know that she was with him.

The Allmind has dealt reasonably with us, and we would offer an alliance, Will finally addressed their hosts.

YOU WOULD JOIN YOUR MINDS WITH OURS AND GOVERN YOUR LIVES BY THE RULES OF THE ALLMIND?

You are bound by a pact that ensures the Allmind complete control over this system, and while we can see that this works well for you, this is perhaps not the best approach for us. We are too accustomed to independent thought to become an integral part of the Allmind. We would be a distraction and a disruption of its functioning. If, however, the Allmind ever has need of us and we can help, simply let us know and we shall provide whatever assistance we can. The Allmind has confined itself to this star system and from what we know of your history, and the devastation caused by alien attacks, we can understand why. You do not want other races to find you. We, on the other hand, are free to roam about the Galaxy. Perhaps, at some time in the future, the Allmind will find that it has a need for information or some object or material that cannot be obtained from behind your shield wall. Should that happen, would it not be better to have an ally on the outside that can act on your behalf than to expose yourselves and your system?

FAR BETTER AN ALLY THAN AN ENEMY! Will detected humor in that thought. TELL US, HAVE YOU MADE A DECISION WITH REGARD TO THE SOLUTION WE PROPOSED?

Will looked at Tina who threaded her arm through his and said, "You know what you need to do. All that remains is for you to decide to do it."

"When we get back to Earth, we're going to have to find a priest," he told her affectionately.

Nine shook her head, "Nope. If we're going to live as long as it seems we might, we'll get tired of each other eventually. Let's see how the first millennium goes and then we'll talk about it again."

"Did it ever occur to you that we just might find that we like being with each other for that long? Anyway, who are you going to leave me for?"

"I hate to throw a wet blanket over your proposal, Ten, but the Allmind is waiting for an answer."

"Nag, nag, nag!" Will replied, smiling, "maybe you're right about us not getting along after all."

We have decided that the solution you propose is the best course for us to pursue, he told the Allmind.

THIS IS AS IT SHOULD BE. THE ALLMIND IS SWORN NOT TO INTERFERE IN THE AFFAIRS OF OTHER BEINGS, BUT FOR SUCH AN ALLY, PERHAPS WE CAN OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE IN FULFILLING YOUR QUEST. LONG AGO, WHEN THE ALLMIND WAS IN ITS INFANCY, AND THIS SYSTEM WAS UNDER ATTACK, WE CAPTURED SOME OF THE SHIPS OF THE ATTACKING FLEET. OUR SCIENTISTS AND ENGINEERS HAVE SINCE DECIPHERED THEIR LANGUAGE AND TECHNOLOGY. SINCE WE HAVE NO FURTHER NEED FOR THE ALIEN FLEET. PERHAPS YOU WILL FIND IT USEFUL IN BECOMING YOUR PEOPLE'S BEST ENEMY.

But what of the defense of this system? Tina broke in. Will you not use this technology for your own purposes?

WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT WE CAN FROM THEIR TECHNOLOGY. WE HAVE LESS DESTRUCTIVE WAYS OF DEFENDING OURSELVES NOW.

Their minds were suddenly flooded with information on the ships, the science behind their technology, as well as the capabilities of and operating instructions for, several different classes of alien warship, abruptly ending the discussion. In the blink of an eye, Will and Tina found themselves in a large, enclosed space, surrounded by glowing instruments with labels written in an alien script. At first, they were at a loss as to how to proceed, until they realized that part of the background material supplied by the Allmind included language lessons and everything their scientists and engineers had learned about these spacecraft.

"We're going to need crew..." Will said thoughtfully, as he found the holographic display that showed the entire alien fleet.

YOU WILL NEED OTHERS TO HELP OPERATING THESE SHIPS FOR YOUR PURPOSE, BUT YOUR MIND IS POWERFUL ENOUGH TO MOVE THEM TO YOUR SYSTEM, the Allmind told him. THERE YOU CAN RECRUIT OTHERS TO JOIN YOU, AND MODIFY THESE SHIPS TO SUIT YOUR PURPOSES.

We thank the Allmind for this generous gift, Will replied, and repeat our offer of help and friendship.

They felt the Allmind withdraw as they turned their attention once more to the ships.

"So what are we going to do about a crew?" Tina asked Will. "And where are we going to put these things while we're getting ready to invade Earth?"

"I have an idea," Will answered. "I did some mental exploration before I came across the Allmind."

Instead of taking the ships directly back to their own star system, Will teleported them to an uninhabited system with a number of planets, one of which had gravity and atmosphere similar to Earth's. This would serve, not only as a training ground for the alien invasion force, but as a refuge for those who were part of that force once their purpose was accomplished.

Back in their cave on Earth, Will and Tina put their minds to the problem of 'recruiting' for their new space fleet.

"So where do you suppose we might find some experienced alien spacecraft pilots?" Tina asked.

Will started to answer her but another thought occurred to him. "Is there anyone to whom you need to say 'good-bye, ' Tina?"

"'Good-bye?'" Nine seemed a bit surprised by the question.

"Yeah, as in 'I may never see you again.'"

"Oh," the syllable fell off her tongue like a dead weight. "It really hits home when you put it like that, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," Will replied, enfolding her in his arms. "It does."

"I guess I really should say a few words to my parents," Tina almost whispered. "We were never that close, but that was because they were working all the time. Papi had three jobs and mama had to be up early to get to her job as a maid in a hotel, but it was only because they wanted the best for me. Yeah, I guess I at least owe them a 'good-bye.'"

Will nodded. "Yeah, and I'd really like to tie up some loose ends with my sister-in-law. You want me to just drop you somewhere in L.A.?"

Tina thought for a moment then answered, "You know, Will, it would mean a lot to me if you would come to L.A. with me and meet my family. In the overall scheme of things, they probably don't amount to a hill of beans, but they're important to me."

Will smiled and replied, "Thought you'd never ask, but only on one condition."

"Condition?"

"Yeah," Will grinned, "afterwards you come with me to meet my sister-in-law."

"I don't know, Ten," Tina, grateful for the distraction from her sudden homesickness, replied with a grin of her own, "parents are one thing, but sisters-in-law, they're tough."

"Oh, Katherine's tough, all right, but not in the way you mean, and it would mean a lot to me."

"Well, if I can survive being changed into something other than human, being shot at by half the terrorists in the middle-east, then being kidnapped by an alien mind-meld, I suppose I can survive a meeting with your sister-in-law," Tina grasped at the banter like a drowning man a life-ring.

"Bravely spoken, Superwoman!" Will laughed, trying to keep the mood from dragging his partner down.

An instant later, Will and Tina found themselves once again on the streets of East L.A. This time, it was dark out and few people could be seen by the flickering light of the one unbroken street lamp. Will used his mental powers to convince the guy in the new black SUV parked down the street that the neighborhood was still as boringly quiet as it had been a few moments ago.

The small house before them looked a little run down, but the yard was neat and the plants well cared for. They knocked on the door then stood well back from it in the glare of the motion-sensor light mounted just under the eaves. The tiny glimmer of light through the peephole was blotted out for a few seconds as someone peered out.

"Who is it?" A lightly accented male voice called through the door.

"Don't you recognize your own daughter, Papi?" Tina asked.

"Christina?" The door still did not open. "How do I know it is you?"

"Just open the door and look at me, Papi," Tina let her exasperation creep into her voice. "I haven't changed so much that you won't know me."

"How do you say 'I'm your little princess' in Spanish?" the voice behind the closed door asked.

"I don't know, Papi," Tina laughed. "I never did, no matter how many times you tried to teach me! You know I only know a few words of Spanish."

The door opened to reveal a middle-aged man with a weathered brown face. His face creased into a familiar smile as he stepped aside to let them in.

"How have you been, Christina?" he asked, giving his daughter a hug that might have bruised the ribs of another woman.

"I have been very busy, Papi," Tina replied. "How about you?"

"I got laid off at the packing plant last year," he shrugged, "but I still pick up some construction work here and there. It is enough."

"Where is Mama? I need to tell you both something important."

"She is in the kitchen," he answered, "but who is this? I have seen his face before."

"This, Papi," Tina said, waving her hand in Will's direction, "is Prototype Ten."

"Proto-... !" Tina's father did a double-take. "Then you ... Ay, Dios mio! You must be... !"

"Yes, Papi," Tina smiled, "I am Prototype Nine."

With that, she pushed past him, pecking him on the cheek as she went by. Will followed, sticking his hand out to be shaken.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Mr. Rosales," he said.

"Mucho gusto," the older man replied, still in a daze, as Will followed Tina into the house.

"Jorge!" A woman's voice came from the back of the house. "Who is that at the door? Hurry up! You have to finish drying the dishes before you go back to your fútbol game!"

"He can't talk right now Mama," Tina said, entering the doorway to the kitchen. "He's got a lot on his mind."

"Christina!" the short, heavyset woman cried, hastily wiping her hands on the apron she wore. "It has been so long! Where have you been? Why haven't we heard from you?"

She grabbed Tina around the waist and tried to swing her around, even though her daughter stood a good head taller. The attempt failed and she stepped back in surprise.

"Madre de Dios! What have they done to you, niña? You are hard as a rock!" Appraising eyes ran up and down her daughter's body. "You seem healthy enough, but don't they feed you in that army? You have no meat on your bones! Come, sit, eat! We just finished dinner but the pozole is still hot, and I can reheat some of yesterday's tamales in the microwave."

"We just ate, Mama," Tina told her mother, "and we can't stay long. I just wanted you to meet Will and to tell you that I have to go on a long trip. One from which I may not be able to return."

"Well, if you're traveling," her mother insisted, "you really have to eat. You never know when you'll get another chance."

"It's not that kind of trip, Mother," Tina said patiently. "You have to listen, because I'm telling you good-bye."

"Good-bye? But you just got here!"

Tina held her mother's shoulders and put her face within inches of the older woman's. "I am going far away, Mama, and I won't be coming back. That is why I came here tonight, to tell you that I love you and that I will miss you."

Mrs. Rosales' head began to swing from side to side in denial. "No. You must not! It has been so long already! Please, do not go!"

"I must, Mama. Perhaps someday you will understand. In the meantime, find a nicer neighborhood and don't work so hard."

Several thick sheaves of paper money appeared on the table in front of Mrs. Rosales, causing her to blink in disbelief.

"This is for you and Papi," Tina said, placing an arm around her mother's shoulders. "It should be enough to pay your bills and buy you a very nice retirement home. If you invest the rest well, you should be able to live in comfort for the rest of your lives."

"What... ? How... ?" Mrs. Rosales sputtered as her husband looked on, bug-eyed, from the kitchen door.

"Papi will explain, Mama," Tina said, hugging her mother again.

Turning, she gave her father another quick squeeze, and said, "Papi, it is better for you and Mama if you do not tell anyone who we really are. If you do, the reporters will not leave you alone, and someone might try to hurt you to get to us. Do you understand?"

"I have lived a long time in the barrio, chiquita," her father told her solemnly. "I know when to keep my mouth shut. You be safe, and come back to see us if you can."

"I will Papi," she replied, then took Will's hand. He tactfully ignored the tears in her eyes as they teleported back to the cave.

Are you okay? He asked.

I thought it would be easy, Tina replied, sobbing on his shoulder as he held her. We were never very close. It was supposed to be easy!

Affairs of the heart are never easy, Tina, he replied tenderly.

I know, she sobbed. I know, but it wasn't supposed to be that way with my folks. I never got homesick. In all the time I was in the Army, through the program, and all the things we've done since, I never missed them. So why, now, do I feel this way?

I don't know, baby, Will answered. Maybe it has to do with the fact that you'll probably never see them again.

Maybe. I don't know. I guess, all those other times, I knew I could go home and they would be there. Now we're deciding never to see the people we know and love, ever again. It's just so damned final!

Hey, Will thought. Where's the level-headed woman that talked me into doing this? Weren't you the one telling me that I could never go home again?

Tina nodded and tried to smile. Yeah. Yeah, it was easy to say, but doing it is another thing entirely.

Engrossed in the book she was reading, Katherine was startled by the ringing of the doorbell.

"Who could that be at this hour?" she asked the empty house. "If it's those government people again, I'll..."

Peeking through the little spy hole she couldn't be sure, but it looked like...

"Will!" she almost shouted as she opened the door, "You scared me to death ringing the bell this late! Oh!"

Katherine's mouth slammed shut as she noticed the woman standing next to Will.

"Sorry to bother you, Katy," Will said, suppressing the impulse to laugh. "This is Tina Rosales. We, um, work together."

"Prototype Nine, yes, I know," Katy said as she started to recover some of her composure. "I am very pleased to meet you! The FBI may be offering a reward for the two of you, but as far as I'm concerned, they should be pinning medals on you."

"Well, let's hope you continue to think that way," Will smiled. "We can discuss it some more if you will invite us in. I don't know how much longer I can distract the FBI guy across the street."

"Oh, of course!" Katherine stood aside to let them in.

Will asked, "So how's business?"

"Oh, well, the terrorist information clearinghouse business has kind of dried up and blown away, thanks to you two. In the last few months it has kind of morphed into a Prototype Nine and Prototype Ten fan club. Instead of terrorists, we've been tracking you two and your exploits. I don't suppose you want to give me a little scoop about what you plan to do next... ?"

"We're going away, Katy," Will told her seriously. "We're not going to be around anymore. The people of Earth have begun depending on us to save them from themselves, and frankly, it's not what we signed up for. We can't stop terrorism if we can't stop greed and corruption, so we're going to take a vacation and see what we can come up with for our next move."

It wasn't much of a lie, but Will still felt guilty telling it. Katherine had been there for him since Karen's death, and it bothered him to lie to her. Still, no one on Earth could be allowed to know what they were about to do, or it wouldn't work. This he knew because that was one of the few scenarios that failed in his simulations.

"But you can't quit now!" Katy argued. "You've made so much progress! There hasn't been a bombing or other attack in almost a year!"

Will took her face in his hands, marveling at how like Karen she was, and yet how different. "If you knew what we know, Katy, you would make the same choice we've made. I wish I could tell you more, but I can't, so you'll just have to trust me. What we were doing wasn't a viable long-term solution."