Impulse, page 8
part #12 of First Colony Series
Noah rolled his eyes a little and shook his head. “I know how it sounds. I don’t think about it all the time.”
Connor smiled in understanding. “Just when you need motivation to keep pushing forward. To go that extra step. I understand what you’re saying, Noah. I really do.”
Noah sighed. “I know you do.”
Connor scratched the stubble of his beard. “All right, come on over here. I’ve got something else to show you.”
He led Noah over to the far side of the workshop where he opened an access panel and inputted a security code. Then, an opening appeared in the floor nearby and interior lighting came on. There was a set of stairs leading down.
“Of course you have a second level. Do these lead to the bunker?” Noah asked.
“No, this is just a sub level,” he replied, and Noah arched an eyebrow toward him. “Hey, this was years in the making.”
He walked down the stairs and into another work area. There were storage containers neatly stacked over on one side of the large room. Connor led him toward a mini command center.
“You call this a side project,” Noah said while looking around the workshop.
Connor brought up a couple of holoscreens and opened the folders that had his data on the Bhatdin.
“These are some of the things we’ve pieced together about the Bhatdin over the years. The data came from a variety of sources. Lenora found some of the information during her research and the Mekaal have added to it, but what you’re seeing here are some of the things we can’t explain that have to do with the Ovarrow. The Ovarrow had their own nation-states, which had various factions that had dealings with a group that introduced multiple types of tech to them. Many of the records were lost, but there is definitely a pattern here. There was a faction of Ovarrow that seem to have introduced advanced technology.”
Noah frowned in thought. “Well, it’s not just the Ovarrow. The Konus had some Krake tech that they were using as well. You think there were competing factions that were trying to manipulate the general population?”
“That’s right, and the Konus having access to Krake tech just makes it more complicated.”
Noah peered at the data on the holoscreens. “I wonder if there are any records of the work done with the arch gateway that was found under that lake.”
Connor smiled. “There are some records, and we’ve been back-tracing them to see what we can learn about them.”
“Like what?”
“Ideally, if they’re not from New Earth, then where did they come from? More importantly, where did they first come to New Earth from? Maybe they had a base of operations. There might be data in there that could be useful. Something to maybe help you with what you’re doing.”
Noah arched an eyebrow. “You think they knew how to achieve FTL?”
Connor shook his head. “No, but they were definitely involved with those gateways. It’s crazy to think about how close they were to figuring out where the Krake homeworld was. Maybe they actually knew where it was and were working on a way to bombard them from this universe. I don’t believe it was chance that the space gate was near Sagan.”
“But the Ovarrow didn’t have the technological capability to go into space.”
“You’re right, they didn’t, but they could manipulate Krake technology, and the Krake could’ve had a space gate in our universe. In fact, the one that Sean found could have been theirs and that’s what the Bhatdin used. I’m sure we don’t have it all worked out nice and neat, but it’s interesting.”
Noah nodded slowly. “It is.”
“I’m glad you agree. Are you up for some fieldwork?”
“Fieldwork?”
“Yes, Lenora and I are taking a little trip, looking for more evidence about the Bhatdin. You and Kara could join us if you wanted.”
Noah considered it for a few moments and pursed his lips.
“You don’t have to decide right now. We can go talk to them about it, but I thought you might be interested.”
“Oh, I know I’m interested, but I’m not sure about Kara. She was keen on some downtime.”
“Think of it as a camping trip,” Connor said and smiled.
“It couldn’t hurt to work on something else for a change, even if it’s indirectly related to what I’m trying to do,” Noah replied.
8
The next day Connor was alone in the sub-level of his workshop. Several amber-colored holoscreens were active with regional maps, each displaying a highlighted waypoint. These were the areas they were going to search for evidence of the Bhatdin. This sort of exercise was right up Connor’s alley. He enjoyed the hunt for information, as long as it also included work in the field. And learning about the Ovarrow had been critical for their own survival on New Earth.
Noah and Kara had left that morning to put their own travel kits together. It wouldn’t take them long, and Connor had more than enough stuff to make up for what they lacked. The resources for this trip were coming from their own personal items, as well as support from the Colonial Research Institute and the CDF.
Lenora walked down the steps to the sub-level wearing a thoughtful frown.
“What’s going on?” Connor asked.
She walked over to him and glanced at the holoscreens for a second. “Victoria reached out to me. She wants you to persuade Diaz to come with us.”
Connor’s eyebrows raised. “Come with us? Why?”
“She said she needs him to get away for a while.”
Connor considered it for a few moments. “I don’t know if this is such a good idea.”
Lenora held up one of her hands. “I know. I told her, but she’s really worried about him.”
“And Isaac.”
Lenora nodded. “It’s been months since they’ve spoken. She sounded really upset. She said the men in her life are tearing her family apart. We need to help them.”
Connor inhaled deeply and sighed. “I can try to get him to come.”
Lenora smiled. “You’ll do more than try, love.”
“I can’t force him to come.”
“I know. No one expects you to do that.” She shook her head. “It’s not black and white. Diaz hasn’t been the same since Isaac left. It’s hit him really hard.”
Lenora was right about that. They’d been there when Isaac told his parents what he was going to do. Diaz hadn’t reacted to it well, and Connor couldn’t blame him. He might not wholly agree with him, but as a father, he understood wanting to keep a child out of danger.
“She wants us to take him to the Embassy in Shetrian and get them to talk to each other.”
Lenora nodded. “Ideally, yes.”
Connor shook his head. “He’s as stubborn as they come.”
She laughed. “Look who’s talking.”
Connor grinned and rubbed his chin. “Point taken. I’ll talk to him, but what about the other preparations?”
“I’ll take care of it. The rest of the expedition is meeting at the Colonial Research Institute. Is the CDF side taken care of?”
“Yes, there’s a squad that’ll be joining us.”
“Just one?”
Connor shrugged one shoulder. “Well, there’s me.”
Lenora smiled and slipped her arms around his waist. “You’re all I need.”
“You’re a smooth talker,” he said and kissed her.
“I learned from the best.”
Connor closed the holoscreens and followed Lenora out of the workshop, thinking about how he was going to coax Diaz into their little excursion. Diaz had taken up permanent residence in Sanctuary, with the occasional CDF reserve duties that sometimes called for travel. His life was comprised of his family, running the Salty Soldier, and being active within the CDF veteran community. He’d had enough of exploring, but Connor thought he knew a few ways he could get Diaz to at least consider joining them. If all else failed, he could tie him up and make him come.
Connor walked toward the Salty Soldier. Voted the most popular restaurant in Sanctuary by visitors and soldiers alike, what had started out as a singular place to eat had expanded into multiple themed buildings, giving the place an experience to be had, as well as delicious food. He headed toward the center building, catching a healthy whiff of cooking that made his mouth water. Patrons gathered at outside tables, eating and drinking. All the buildings had been constructed with rich hardwoods, stained a rustic brown, and copper furnishings. He walked on a pathway of wide, darkened-hardwood planks that smelled of longevity and good times, as if the restaurant had always been there.
Diaz spotted him as he walked in the front doors.
“Connor! What are you doing here in the middle of the day? Did Lenora kick you out already?”
Connor grinned and crossed the entranceway heading toward the bar where Diaz was standing. “What? I need an excuse to come in here?”
“Never. What’s up? Want a beer?”
Connor had thought of a couple of different ways he could broach the subject but dismissed all of them.
“Sure.”
Diaz retrieved and opened two dark bottles, then passed one over to him.
Connor took a healthy swallow. It was deliciously smooth with a slightly bitter flavor that sported notes of coffee and chocolate. He swallowed the brew and lifted the bottle up appreciatively. “That’s good.”
Diaz nodded. “It’s one of the better batches we’ve made.”
“Micro-brewery is working out well, I see.”
“So far. We’ve had a couple of duds but nothing too drastic. I got the idea from Nathan and his bourbon.”
Connor took another swig from the bottle. “Are you going to start making bourbon? Give Nathan some competition?”
Diaz shook his head. “Nah. I like what he’s done and I’m happy to serve it here.”
His friend regarded him for a few moments, and Connor knew he suspected something. Middle-of-the-day chats at the bar weren’t something Connor normally initiated. Time to get this over with.
“I stopped by to see if you were up for a little camping trip.”
Diaz narrowed his gaze suspiciously. “Camping?”
Connor nodded. “Yes, camping.”
“This weekend?”
“A little longer than a weekend. A couple of weeks.”
Diaz’s eyes widened. “Weeks! I can’t leave for that long. We’re updating our menus again, and I have some new chefs coming in from Sierra. There’s even some talk about opening more restaurants in other cities.”
“Really? I hadn’t heard that. Where?”
“Sierra and New Haven for sure.”
“That’s amazing. Congratulations,” he said and raised his bottle.
Diaz smiled, looking pleased, but Connor could see the strain around his eyes. This was a front.
“I’m afraid I can’t take no for an answer.”
Diaz lowered his bottle. His mouth opened as if he were going to speak, but he just blinked a few times instead.
Connor raised his hand in front of his chest. “Just hear me out. Victoria’s worried about you. She thinks you need to get away for a while.”
Diaz rolled his eyes and looked away. “We just had the war games a few months ago. Doesn’t that count for something?”
“It does,” Connor agreed. “But not to our wives.”
Diaz shook his head. “Lenora is in on this too?”
“She’s not in on anything, Juan. You haven’t been the same since Isaac left.”
Diaz shut his mouth and his expression became guarded.
“Has it really been months since you spoke to your son?” Connor asked.
Diaz set his bottle down on the bar. “Are you going to give me parenting advice now?”
“Do you want me to?”
Diaz sighed explosively. “The kid doesn’t know what he’s getting himself into.”
“We can’t control them.”
“Like hell we can’t.” Diaz banged a fist on the bar and shook his head a little. “You’re right, we can’t, but it doesn’t mean I won’t say my piece. I never trusted the Ovarrow, and now he’s there in that damn city. It’s not what he thinks it’s going to be. They’re not who he thinks they are.”
Connor was quiet for a few moments. “He’s there, and there isn’t anything either of us can do about it.”
Diaz rested his hands on his hips and looked at Connor. “You’re lucky your kids are small. When they grow up, they become a real pain in the ass with their think-they-know-better-than-us garbage.” He grabbed his beer and began walking away. “Thanks, but no thanks, Connor.”
Diaz walked into the kitchen. Connor drained his beer and followed his friend.
Diaz whirled around and glared. “What are you gonna do?”
The kitchen staff nearby stopped what they were doing. Diaz was the boss here, and his staff was sensitive to his moods.
Great, now they had an audience.
“We’re not done.”
“I said we are,” Diaz said and looked around at the kitchen staff. “Get back to work.”
The staff hastily returned to their duties, but you could tell they were still listening to them.
“Juan, come on. It’s me. Would you just talk to me?”
Diaz bit his lower lip and shook his head. “I told you already. I don’t have the time for it right now.”
“Just hear me out. Somewhere else, maybe?”
“Fine,” Diaz said and strode past him back out to the bar area.
Connor had seen Diaz angry plenty of times. He needed to be careful or Diaz would dig in his heels even more.
“You can’t do this. Not here.”
“Do what?” Connor asked.
“Try and bully me into getting your way.”
“Is that what I’m doing?”
“Isn’t it?”
Connor shook his head. “It’s not. I’m here as a friend.”
“I appreciate it, but the answer is no.”
“Give me a break. Push back whatever you’ve got planned for the next few weeks and get out of town. Maybe it’ll give you some perspective.”
“I have plenty of perspective. You could say I have a plethora of perspective.”
Connor arched an eyebrow. “A plethora? Seriously?” Diaz didn’t answer him. “Ten years ago.”
“Connor! Don’t you dare bring that up!”
“Ten years ago,” Connor began again. “You remember? Me trying to do everything I could to get us ready to fight the Krake. I almost let it consume me. What did you do?”
Diaz rolled his eyes. “It’s not the same.”
“Yes, it is. You’re putting up barriers rather than trying to fix things with your son.”
“I didn’t tell him to leave! He did that on his own.”
“He was angry. I know Isaac’s been in trouble a few times, but like it or not, this is important to him.”
Diaz blew out a breath. “The damn Ovarrow.”
“No, it’s not just about them. Don’t you get it? He’s trying to figure out what he wants.”
“That’s just it. He doesn’t know what he wants, and now he’s around them. It’s not safe there. He’s not prepared for this.”
“Have you tried to talk to him since he left?”
Diaz looked away for a few moments and shook his head.
“You can do it in person if you come with me. See what Isaac is doing. Maybe you’ll even start to mend this rift between the two of you. Isaac isn’t a kid anymore,” Connor said and paused for a few moments. “We’re going to investigate a couple of old Ovarrow sites, and we’ll be near Shetrian. We can visit the embassy if you want.”
Diaz swallowed hard and then lifted his gaze to his friend.
The door to the restaurant opened and Victoria walked out. “Pack your bags, Juan. You’re going with Connor.”
She strode toward him, and Connor gave them some room to speak. Mostly, it was Victoria speaking and Diaz nodding a few times.
“I’m asking you to do this for me,” she said to Diaz. “I know you don’t like it and you don’t approve, but I also know you love all your children. Isaac needs you. You’re two sides of the same coin, and I’m not going to lose him because you’re stubborn.”
Diaz pressed his lips together a little and took a deep breath. “He’s not going to want to talk to me.”
Victoria tilted her head to the side, her expression softening. “Then make him talk to you. I know if you show up and apologize—”
“I’ve got nothing be sorry for.”
“Yes, you do. Isaac doesn’t need our approval anymore.”
Diaz was quiet for a few seconds. “All right. I’ll go with Connor. I’ll go to the embassy in Shetrian and check in on Isaac, but I’m not apologizing.”
Victoria hugged him fiercely. She let him go and smiled a little at Connor, then hastened back into the restaurant.
Diaz just looked at Connor.
“Had to bring out the big guns,” Connor said.
Diaz snorted. “I should’ve known. When do we leave?”
9
Civilian aerial transport vehicles—C-cats—had changed over the years as the colony evolved. They were no longer the de facto transportation option. The use of C-cats had given way to aircars, which required fewer resources to produce, but they wouldn’t fade from use entirely because of their storage capacity. The base design for a CDF troop carrier had a foundation in the C-cat specifications. They could be modulated to perform any number of duties, and they were easy to maintain. As such, many C-cats stayed in service for a long time. They were mainly used in shipping equipment and supplies among the colonial cities, but various groups that worked in the field utilized their services as well.
Connor stood in front of hangar twenty-one at Quick’s Airfield just outside the city of Sanctuary. The airfield provided services to just about anyone who required the use of shipping large equipment fast. The hangar doors were fully retracted, and a Hercules class C-cat fit snuggly inside, if only just barely. Connor watched as the ground crew guided the behemoth out of the hangar and then proceeded to load their equipment. Four N-Class rovers were driven up the loading ramp.
