Chapter 6

Monday morning...

I knew I needed to get back into my morning routine soon and figured to start today. Monday to Friday, wake-up, and head downstairs for 30 minutes of cardio followed by another 30 minutes with weights. I had been doing this for many years now and it was a nice routine to help me stay in shape.

I had showered and was at the table with a coffee and some fruit when Sam appeared.

“Good morning DD.”

“Good morning Sam. Any plans for today?”

“Did you still want to take the Enhanced CAP test today and inform Trank what is happening as it pertains to the agreement?”

“Yes, I do Sam. I need to try and stay ahead of everything that is happening. If I start to fall behind things will probably start to go to shit. After my coffee let’s head to the Testing Center and see if we can get started.”

“I will do my best to help so you don’t get swamped and fall behind DD. Things seem to be going quickly right now but you are handling everything very well.

I have contacted the Testing Center and they said they have a lot of open time slots today so we could drop by any time we wanted to.”

“Alrighty then, let’s get going Sam.”

Sam shed her human form when we arrived at the Testing Center and when we entered the building I saw the same Cpl. Connors was manning the front desk.

“Good morning DeDeus. How are you doing today? Why are you back here, you already tested?”

“Good morning Cpl. Connors, I am doing fine thanks for asking. It is good to see you still here. I am back this morning to take the “Enhanced” CAP test. My Personal Assistant AI will be monitoring it.”

“Ah yes. A memo was sent to the Testing Centers about an “Enhanced” CAP test but no one knows what it entails. Is your AI here now to monitor for you? We have a new AI as the previous one has been transferred to the archive department in another sector of Confederacy space.”

“Yes, I am here Cpl. Connors. I will be the only AI to monitor this test and create the Arkadian CAP card for DD.”

“Yes, we were told that a different AI may be monitoring this test. Do you know if this will be happening frequently from now on?”

“This will be the only one for now. Once we are ready to do more, we will inform Trank so word can be passed to the Testing Centers.

DD, I have notified Trank that you will be taking the “Enhanced” CAP test this morning and that afterwards, we have some information to give him regarding our agreement. He said he would be available and asked if he could see the final results of your test.”

“What do you think Sam? I can’t see any reason why he can’t see them. If the rest of the Confederacy wants them they need to request them, ok?”

“Trank agrees DD. Ready to get started?”

Cpl. Connors takes me down the same hallway and I’m put in the exact same room as before. Sam tells me to relax and that the test will start in a minute. It seems like the lights had just dimmed then went bright again and Sam’s voice told me the test was over and to follow the yellow arrows back to the front desk.

I got up and went back to the reception area. I looked at my watch and saw that only 50 minutes had passed this time.

I went up to the front desk and mentioned to the Corporal that the test didn’t take as long this time. Sam told me that I took only the “Enhanced” test not the Confederacy and Enhanced tests combined. 50 minutes was a long time for just the “Enhanced” test.

The Corporal hands me a nice looking white card with a crimson and black stripe on it and the word “Arkadia” across the top. Sam tells me to look at the middle ‘a’ in Arkadia and put my thumb or finger in the lower right corner. I do so and see my name and a photo of my face appear on the card along with the word “Verified”. In the upper right corner is a “9.9” so I’m guessing that is my Arkadia CAP score.

“Very nice Sam, I like that the photo and name is part of the Security features. I take it the number in the upper right corner is my Arkadia CAP score?”

“Yes they are and yes it is DD. Retina and fingerprint scan with thermal sensor.”

“Excellent. So is Trank available now and we can go through what we need to with him?”

“Yes, I am DD. It is good to see you again. We can talk in the back office again if you wish.”

I make my way to the back office again and grab a seat at the desk.

“Ok Sam, so how did I do on the “Enhanced” test?”

“You did very well DD. All the subscores are very high and the results bumped you up to 9.9.”

Trank mutters, “9.9? Did that AI ever screw up. It cost the Confederacy a 9.9 sponsor.”

“Only a 9.9 Sam?”

“No one is perfect DD,” Sam says with a smile.

All of a sudden we hear the Corporal yell “Incoming” and I see a flash of light and am in my apartment.

“WTF? Sam! What the hell is going on! How did we get here?”

“Sorry DD, I had to get you out of there immediately. Someone fired a rocket or something at the Testing Center. I immediately transported us both back here.”

“Transported us? I didn’t know you could do that? How did you do that?”

“I never thought of it until I heard the Corporal yell “incoming”. It was an automatic reaction. I wasn’t trying to hide it from you DD.”

“Ok Sam, you can tell me more later. Is anyone at the Testing Center hurt?”

“I don’t know DD.”

“Can you transport us back and we can help if anyone is?”

“Just a sec DD, I’ll go check first and be right back ... Ok no one is hurt and it doesn’t look like any damage has been done to the building. I’ll transport us back to the meeting room.”

We transport back to the building and leave the meeting room to see if the Corporal is ok. She is fine and says the rocket must have been a dud as it didn’t explode and has been taken away already.

I ask why the Testing Centers aren’t shielded against something like this. Trank answers that a shield can’t be shaped to fit just the building, and it would cover too much of the surrounding area to use permanently.

“Shall we go back to the office and finish what we were going to discuss?”

“Sure Trank,” I reply and head back to the office again.

“Ok, Trank I want to let you know that I have a planet and it is approximately 2550 light-years from Confederacy space. That distance will meet the distance in our agreement.”

“Yes it will, DD. However, that distance will cause us a problem with regards to the transports we are to provide you with. We don’t have anything available that would get you there within 30 days.”

“Yes, Sam and I had the same thought Trank. The race I am getting the planet from is sending a ship for me so we thought to ask if you would be willing to provide 2 new Byorn Ore Refinery Platforms instead of 2 fully equipped transports. They could be dropped off in this system and then it’s up to me to take them where I want them.”

“2 new Byorn Platforms are very expensive DD. We could provide 1 new platform and bring it here to Earth’s solar system then it would be up to you to move it to wherever you wanted it.”

“Hmm. Include the Byorn Full Warranty and I can agree to 1 platform instead of the 2 transports.”

“Agreed DD. The platform will arrive in this system in approximately 25 days. Will you be here to take possession of it?”

“25 days is fine Trank. Yes, I will still be here as I have 3 months of University left.

I also have AIs on the way here for the Testing Centers Trank. The testing procedures will be pretty much the same as the procedures we did today. It went very quickly I thought.”

“Yes, it did DD. Let me know when you are ready to do that and I will make sure the Testing Centers are informed.”

“Please let your people know that the ship being sent for me should arrive within the next 10 days. They will notify the Confederacy immediately upon their arrival.”

“Thanks for letting me know when the ship will be arriving. I will make sure the information is passed on to the CnC (Command and Control) and the CO (Commanding Officer) of Lunar Base.”

“Please give my regards to Capt. James, Trank.”

“I will do that DD. Is there anything else we need to discuss at this time?”

“I have nothing I can remember at the moment. Do you Sam?”

“Will the Confederacy be able to transfer a copy of the Confederacy technology agreed upon to DD’s ship when it arrives?”

“Yes, we will Sam. I do ask that you contact me when you want to start the copy and that you confirm the transfer when completed.”

“I can do that.”

We leave the Testing Center and Sam retakes her human form as soon as she’s in the car. She is super excited that things turned out the way she thought they might. Minus the Earth First attack of course.

I go to the offices and see Diane asking her if I need to sign anything so Dean can take over running things. I sign a few documents and see Dean has already signed them. Diane says she will send them out right away.

I stop by Dean’s office and let him know I signed the documents and Diane was sending them off. He asks if we can do the paperwork for the house on Wednesday and say as long as it is in the morning as I have classes in the afternoon. We agree to meet at the house at 9 am and get the paperwork done.

I also stop by Burger King on the way home figuring that it can’t hurt anything as I’m going into the MedBed (Medical Bed) soon anyways.

Tuesday is a quiet day, classes in the afternoon, and more reading of the information Sam has transferred. I figure I’ll be reading this stuff every day for the rest of my life!

Wednesday I meet Dean and Marsha, sign the paperwork and the house where I grew up now belongs to someone else.

Classes in the afternoon and I notice a few Sorority girls looking at me. I wonder what that is about? I haven’t told anyone my CAP score ... shit ... Melissa knows, but I doubt she would have told anyone. Eh, they wanna look they can look. I’m not going to hide.

I take Sam grocery shopping something she hadn’t done in, well in more years than I can even think of. She is amazed by all the different food items. That reminds me I need someone to compare what is available on Arkadia to what is available on Earth, what is harmful and what isn’t. Shit, I need to get a study or something done regarding the flora on Arkadia and what is and isn’t compatible with Earth animals. I mention it to Sam and she says she’ll take care of it.

Home, relax, sleep, and get ready for another day.

Bzzt bzzt bzzt,,,, bzzt bzzt bzzt,,,, bzzt bzzt bzzt,,,,

Ok up and at em. Brush the teeth, do my workout routine, my bathroom routine and I’m ready for coffee and food. I’m glad I went shopping yesterday and restocked my fridge.

Meanwhile out in space...

The GPPG (Guardian Prime Protective Group) arrives at the edge of Earth’s solar system and as ordered only the Flagship decloaks. It is noticed by the Confederacy as soon as it does so.

“Attention Confederacy, this is the Flagship of the Guardian Prime of Arkadia and the Guardian Solar Systems and 1^st of the Furst. We are here to pick up Guardian Prime and our colonists as per the agreement you have with him.”

“Unknown ship, please hold where you are.”

“Confederacy I believe our Guardian Prime told your Lunar Base AI that a ship was being sent for him. We are that ship. I will now move and enter into an orbit around Earth.”

“Unknown ship you are ordered to “heave to and prepare to be boarded”.”

“Whoever said that you may want to check with the Lunar Base AI about our coming here and the agreement the Confederacy has with our Guardian Prime. We are early but the Lunar Base AI knows we are coming and should be expecting us.

We are not part of the Confederacy so your order does not pertain to us. We will not allow anyone to board without Guardian Primes’ explicit authorization. Raise shields!”

“This is Adm. Laung (pronounced LONG), ya’ll bettah follow mah orders and heave to and prepare ta be boarded. Ahm gonna send mah Marines so yah bettah open them doors and let them in ... Send Marine 1 ta board that ship.”

“Confederacy, you are in violation of our agreement and our shields have been raised. I will inform you that if that little ship you just sent towards us contacts our shield it will be destroyed upon contact and no one will survive.”

The Lunar Base AI, Trank, contacts the CnC and tells Adm. Laung that he is violating a Confederacy contract and he is ordered to stand down and have Marine 1 return to the CnC. The Admiral does not respond and no one on the CnC takes action against him.

The Furst commanding Guardian Prime’s flagship contacts Sam and informs her they have arrived and that a small ship is on its way to try and board them. Sam responds that no one is to board except for Guardian Prime and herself and that they will be there immediately. She also tells him to make sure Guardian Primes’ uniform is ready for him to wear when he arrives on board.

I’m enjoying my coffee after breakfast when Sam suddenly appears by me.

“Excuse me Sire, but your Flagship has arrived and has encountered a problem. We need to go up to it immediately. I’ll explain on the way.”

I look at her and she says my PG has arrived early and that some Confederacy Officer wants to board the Flagship. I tell her to make sure that doesn’t happen at any cost. She tells me it won’t but I need to be there ... NOW!

I nod my head ok then I see the bright light again and am suddenly in a spacious suite. I’m guessing I’m onboard my flagship and this is my suite.