Humanity.

Am I right you know? What a miserable bunch of assholes.

There’s the big stuff: War, Famine, Poverty. Also Racism, Sexism any other ism you want-and boy do they have all of em. If there is a method they can be different from one another they will latch on it with hatred and vile that its hard to comprehend. They Are petty and selfish to the extreme.

And that’s just the biggies. Go on the internet, watch the news-they obsess over the most banal and idiotic things imaginable. Watch them tear up movie trailers, peoples weight, leer over mammary glands. I would say it would be disgusting, but that’s just feeds into the problem. The Closer you are to them the more it kinds rubs off on you, sticks to your skin.

And i can’t let that happen. I have to be above it.

Why?

Cause I’m the damn fool who has to save them.

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

The stars man the stars.

You look out of the cold desert of northern new mexico you could sure see a lot of em.

For the dozenth time tonight bill sat in the car and just looked up at them. There where so many of them. Hundreds and thousands and millions of them all looking back with none of the petty bullshit on earth. You could see it as judgment, but really it was man. Hope. Just looking at them with quiet awe filled him with something…

And it was a respite from the noise..

“this a bad idea” said Winston “a real bad idea”

“it will be fine” said bill “it will be simple just you know wait here

“what ever bullshit wants us here”

“its just going to be simple. The email said it wasn’t illegal”

“i am calling shenanigans on that” said winston “big stinking shenanigans”

“you always do that”

“its drugs probably. Guns, the general malaise of the universe”

Bill shook his head. He wanted to believe it wasn’t. Bill treble wanted to believe the best in people generally. Bill was a man..he was a man of beliefs, of principals, of morals-oh not necessarily the big kind-he could lie like the best of them, and had the work ethic of a sloth-but the small kind- being nice to other people, of keeping his word, of hoping for the best he was good for that, a relaxed good but a mighty good.

Bill was a hippie by profession a job that didn’t pay well but had allowed him to get to early middle age with a bit of a belly and a hell of a beard. He made his bread such as it is on jobs like this helping people-kinda. He had friends in high places and low, and with enough persuasion he could use them. He had a business card that said he was a private investigator but well...eh.

One of his friends was sitting in the car with em, but not nearly as peaceful. Winston Zedeke was a bull of a man, a force of nature. At one time he had been a director Hollywood way. There where three week spaced over 5 years where he had the top two pictures in the country. But the argumenting and the fighting had taken their toll. The studios stopped returning his calls. He punched an investor in the face enough to draw blood. After that he left California to New Mexico drawn in by tax credits and promises. It didn’t amount to much. But now a day he was willing to help bill out on cold nights when he wanted or could be persuaded to take backup. He was strong and he was smart, and in conception bill was glad here was here. But in practice he was a lot of pain.

Tonight little exercise had come from email he received three days ago. It was from anonymous account asking for a car to pick someone up and take them to town a certain time(11:12pm May 12) at a certain place ( 35.0923° N, 106.7056° W). That translated to an English to a dirt road outside of town-way out where nothing much was. This was from no one he knew, or could from calls could know-how he had gotten a touch of bill was as they say one of the mysteries of life. What they wanted bill didn’t know. However they promised something to make it worth his time.

What that would be he didn’t know. But he wasn’t the type to haggle to much.

So they waited at around 11 in a warm car..just.

“This isn’t a good idea” said Winston

“You want to bail?” Said Bill “then bail”

“This is my car”

“Oh right”

“And i don’t want to bail-i am not a coward. I just want to...want to be prepared come what may and see how this situation develops fully” said winston

“Right” Bill shook his head. When he heard a noise. It actually sounded more like the lack of noise actually. Like some important sound in the world was silenced, and replaced by...just a feeling a feeling

And he looked around and saw nothing.

Then he looked up.

It was a white light, a white shape, not really a full saucer but more of an egg shape at least from what he could see. It was hard to make out any details it was so bright. It was hard to tell if it was massive and up very high in the sky or a smaller one close by.

Then it moved slightly over the side of his car to desert and he realized it was close up. About a hundred feet long and half that wide and tall..it was still hard to make out even as it landed on earth wobbly a bit as it touched down.

“Do you see that” asked bill

“Of course i see that” said Winston “though in slight retrospect for the last 10 seconds i can see how you would wonder if it was some type of hallucination...cause that’s some serious shit”

“This is a close encounter of a third kind man” said bill “ i didn’t

He saw a circle on the side of it...as the white light got brighter hotter more open...before it dispersed into a black shape..

“There you are wrong. If we see a device that does not correspond to normal existing earth phenomena. That’s a close encounter of the first kind. that’s all we have done so far seen it. If it leaves some kind of physical evidence. Metal, melted rocks, dirt patterns that’s the second. Its only if we meet the alien then it becomes a close encounter of the third kind

When from the hole appeared a strange figure, dressed in all white-it was humanoid maybe 6 feet tall dressed in what maybe was a space suit. The details. It looked to be in the third quadrant.

It climbed out of the craft, walked a few feet looked around...and fell over to its knees.

Bill opened the door and climbed out.

“What?” Said Winston.

“We got to help it man”

“We have no idea what it is or what its capable”

Bill turned his head. There was something pathetic

“Its in need”

“It could be carrying some kinda super virus”

“We where obviously hired to take it into town man” said bill “and that...you know is our job.”

“Its…

Bill walked over shielding his head. What had been a cold night, felt hotter and hotter the closer he got to it, moving in a sprint.

The figure meanwhile laid on the ground seemingly unable to move

“Hey man, don’t worry don’t worry were here to help, i am here to help you

He came up to it and turned it over on its front.. despite the head animating from the craft the suit itself felt cool .he reached for its head and saw what looked to be a line..the white figure was wearing some kind of suit..and he pulled it off to revel that the it…

Was clearly a woman. A beautiful woman with taut skin red lips and short blond hair who seemed unconscious..he looked at the suit to realize yes she was clearly female..in body shape.

“Hey lady are you okay.?your On earth..your”

She coughed..and it seemed like a tremble..then opened her eyes.

“Your okay lady your okay...your okay” bill laughed “don’t worry we’ll make sure you get what ever planet you want to”

“Ee?” The lady eyes instantly focused. “Ee?”

She turned her head to see Winston standing 10 feet away “Whose him?”

*****

NEW YORK CITY- 4 YEARS LATTER

Cindy was bored. Bored and a little tired from going out and clubbing last night despite the fact that she had work today. It was an easy day though....even though she had a million emails all of them she could answer with a stock no comment as…

when an app she had lighted up. She shook her head and turned on the TV at her desk to FNN and... Andrea Lanterns

“The Market seems a buzz waiting for word on whats going to happen with STAR industries at its planned press conference less then 48 hours away”

“David” shouted Cindy picking up her phone but decided just to call him across the large office “where on FNN”

“ And its not all positive The Stock has been up and down from a high of 65 to a low of 53 over the course of the last week, highly volatile, to learn more we talk to Jim Kramer at...”

Cindy looked over to see David Burke, CFO of Starr industries, her boss walk over in his typical methodical limping way. He had been injured in the army-not in Afghanistan or anything but when a jeep turned over in Germany. It had left him with a distinct gait that never seemed in a hurry if his always looking as if the world was about to end face did. “What is it?”

“About the announcement” said Cindy brushing her long red hair that strangled over her face.

She turned her head back to Kramer talking in the TV “its just hard to gauge with Starr industries. When they started 4 years okay, they expanded very quickly into industrial Technologies and patents, real revolutionary stuff, change how we manufacture things, how parts in cars work. You didn’t hear about em except in boring tech and financial Within a year it was a billion dollar company”

“But” chimed in Station

“When they moved into consumer technology with Statrius personal assistant they came into a big way-its huge, was huge...till there competitors came in. Since then they have been kinda hit and miss. They have four big announcements-TVS, Software, The New Storage format Likra- and by my calcs 1 hit 1 failure and 2 mediocre..there just unpredictable product wise and the profit margins showing. They continue to research into the kind of tech in space travel and agRiculture that you don’t see day to day, but while its helpful its not setting the world on fire there as much as it used to dollars on set”

The ti turned to a picture of Karen Cindy’s boss walking out of a business meeting. It looked Cindy thought like something you would see of a defendant leaving a courthouse. Almost all of her photos made her look like that.

“What of Ms. Starr herself the mysterious CEO.”

“Mysterious the world. She is reportedly a genius, the person behind most of the tech herself...but i continue not to know much or anything about her. Even her background is a blank slate. You talk to tech people they will say some of the stuff feels like it skipping steps. Shes a golden goose in STEM-but you know how many eggs does she have left? Its a question, and how much does the big ticket items sink there research.”

“So whats your advice to investors” asked Station

“I am still bullish on it” said Kramer “Still bullish...but its a gamble. Its like 70 30 its going to be like the biggest company around in 5 year...and i am not sure i can advise the garden variety investor to go into that kind of odds when there are surer things out there”

Cindy turned off the TV as the segment turned to Ferris Aircraft “What do you think” she asked Bill.

He sighed “ Well your the head of Public relations tell me..inflammatory...but you know... not inaccurate”

Cindy sighed “This kind of reputation...”

When a ring came up.

“Its the boss” said Kramer “Think she saw that?”

“No” said Cindy “Which i think is part of our problem over all”

5 minutes latter Cindy was in her bosses office.

“What kind of dress i should wear?” said Karen Star “What kind of dress?”

Cindy sighed and shook her head trying to keep it down.

“I had the report repaired as i think its important that...”

“I am suspecting i am going to go with something that covers my body areas” Said Karen “I am not the type to go flashing my goodies everywhere”

“We have had problems of reports in the past with...”

“My Boobs” said Starr brushing hair out of her face “ People always talk about the boobs”

“Your the CEO of a major company. You are the company to a large extent we want to project an image?

“Your trying to look at the floor “ said Starr “i can tell you. don’t want to look at me in my eyes..and you don’t want to look at me in the boobs”

Karen was right about that. Cindy was by her nature...flexible in her desires, but if for a lot of women that meant a couple of drinks she may kiss a girl, for Cindy it meant with a lot of drinks she may entertain a boy. Right now even with a bit of a hangover she didn’t want to look at her boss and her breasts...which as the expression goes where spectacular. They were what....? she didn’t know a size of a bra but big not that it mattered resting on massive amazonian body with large arms tight waist and large powerful legs that Cindy was trying not to think of warped around her head. Best not to do so cause she would be worried of her just snapping it off She looked up at her face-her hair that reflected window light like sapphires. At her eyes…

There was something inhuman to how beautiful she was.

 

“Something informal” read Karen “ understated that dephenises her figure but not completely eliminates it. Suggested dark colors for the top with a scarf or other device to add color. A pencil skirt or something similar on the legs with flat shoes to dephemise subjects height...How much did we pay for this?”

“6000 dollars”

“six thousand dollars from a consultant”

“We are a billion dollar company “ said Cindy “From information if this does not go well on Thursday, we could be well on the way to a million dollar company-large millions but millions”

“Get out of my office” said Starr shaking her head

“I suggest you take the advice” Said Cindy “Think about these things”

“I am thinking about the future of mankind, this miserable rock..i don’t have a lot of time for this nonsense”

Cindy walked out...well that was a lie. She Clearly did. That was problem with Starr.

ALBUQUERQUE 4 YEARS EARLIER

“so” said bill “what brings you town”

The lady alien was largely silent. She was tall, and gorgeous-but sitting in the back seat in her space suit really sold the entire “i am not from this earth”. She did not look happy

“shes not going to answer you” said winston driving. “not a word”

 

“want to get something to eat” said bill “but maybe something you know..basic. Taco bell...there open late to. I bet you never tried taco bell”

She looked at him at “seen commercials, and that maybe the last place on earth i would like to be”

“Hey i know a lot of people bad mouth it” said Winston “its maybe the least authentic you can buy...but its got it’s charms.”

The alien kept looking. She had been weak as a puppy as they brought her into the car.

“hungry at all?”

“Not really no” said the alien at last.

“I bet given alien metabolism” said winston “any substance we provide will be poisonous...oh and our fatal levels of zinc.”

“When i am at full power” said the alien “which should be in 48 hours...very very little on earth could harm me let alone be fatal. Zinc is not one of them”

“oh” said winston.

“Not that it is your concern” said the alien “but i have been in that ship for...a little over 16 years”

“Wow” said bill “wow i suppose the whole speed of light and not traveling”

“actually it travels considerably faster then the speed of light-at top levels i was traveling about 650 times that speed-but still very very vast distance. In addition to consuming matter..which it looks like taco bell qualifies.., i also absorb stellar energy...the power of the earths sun...and in that time my stores have been almost completely depleted”

Bill nodded. They had to help the lady up to the car.

She looked out the window “when i left my craft i could barely walk. Barely walk around”

“And in 48 hours”

The alien laughed, in a deep bellowing throat

There was a pause

“Well i am kinda hungry” said Bill “Lets get food anyway”

*****

SILICON VALLEY PRESENT DAY

Andrew Lokhorn stood in front of the locked case. Inside was things he needed

Well not precisly him. The computer chips inside wouldn’t help him any except in the essotaRic sence of being worth a lot of money to the right buyer which he had lined up...but he still needed them.

And to get them where tRicky. It was a level 5 incrypted system with a barrage of motion sensors just to get into the room after hours, let alone touch the solid steel case. To get into it would instantly detect raiders of the lost ark style that if something was removed if weight changed-but unlike raiders couldn’t be defeated by a bag of sand. This was tRicky.

But Andrew stretched his incredibly lean shoulders not impossible. He wore a black suit as it was traditional but it did nothing if not make him look smaller. Lokhorn was close to 6’8 very tall-but strangely didn’t weight that much. He wasn’t muscular but suggested that there was muscles there-as if every lick of fat had been removed from his bone reveling a miniature display of anatomy. He had once tried for the circus as an acrobat before finding something more lucrative..

he had a drill in his bag which he took out. At least it didn’t have a heat sensor.

“Freeze”

it was a voice behind him, and Andrew did freeze..for a second before cocking his head.

It was a rent a cop. “stay right where you are” not a fat slob or anything but a tall guy. Former military from his pose . Chip companies like this hired well. Probably good. He had a 35glock pointed at him. A good stopping pistol.

“I’m staying for the moment” Andrew said.. “i am about to raise my hands

“Freeze exactly where you are”

Rental cops tend to be a lot slow

“if you insist” said Andrew still hands on the flat table safe...when he heard his old fashion phone bell went off.

“What that” said the guard

“My cellphone. Its the default ring tone” said Andrew “and i do want to take this

“keep your hands”

“I am expecting a very important call” said Andrew sighing as it went to three rings

“*i* am going to call”

“If you let me answer it-i am going to escape no question about that before you get me anywhere no question...but you live..if not i will have no choice

“just stay”

and Andrew moved at incredible cat like speed around in a wide circle with the drill in his hand. The gun went off bit hit where he had been a second ago which was of no consequence. Instead Andrews heated metal drill made contact with the guards head.

He slumped over dead at least quickly. He had annoyed Andrew but still.. he had to

Andrew picked up the phone

“Is this a good time to talk” said the muffled voice.

Andrew looked at the safe...undoubtedly the guard had called the police before pursuing him...he doubt he had time now to complete the job..his buyer would be pissed “No no its fine”

“I have a special job for you...you and a team”

“I prefer to work alone”

“Make a team. 5 at least” said the voice “top of the fields…

“I know people” said Andrew “but its going to cost a pretty penny for that much

“You will get money” said the voice “But something more. Something far more”

“I’m interested” said Andrew absently raising a hand to close the guards eyes. He didn’t like it when they looked.

“Good.” said the voice “and we pay in advance”

NEW YORK

The laser produced a small but distinct hum as it went across the table going two paces of fabRics...melting them together. Int one

“Okay why is it humming” said Dr. Camp “ i am hearing a humming. Lasers aren’t supposed to hum, they work off light not sound”

“I’m not sure” said Dr Santana pushing up her glasses.....”is it safe”

Dr. Camp turned the laser off “Well its a laser...if it gets out of hand”

Santa put her hand through the ray “Still very low if any heat like it suppose to

Camp shook turning it off “What if it hadn’t?”

“Whats going on?” said Karen Starr as she briskly walked in.

Camp shook his head “We have a humming problem in the Ansalic laser. Its not working probably”

“Or maybe it is” said the young Hispanic scientist Santana fresh out of grad school “I mean the technology is so new its”

“Its not suppose to hum” said Starr “Your doing it wrong”

“But you know we never really tested it”

“Its not suppose to hum” said Starr “fix it. Check the casing somewhere you made a mistake”

Santana turned her head down “sorry”

“Glad where not showing that off yet” said Starr “or you would have made us look like an idiot”

“Don’t be to hard on her” said Dr. Camp the head of Starr Research R&D “shes doing good work”

“Don’t burn your hand off in the process though” said Starr “lets talk”

Camp gave a sympathetic look to Santana before started to walk with Karen through the large sterile lab on the 38th floor

“I want to give like...a minute to talk in generalities on Thursday” said Starr “about developments in the future. Stuff we can see next year

“Well its all very”

“Generalities...we miss the target fine. But do you think i can talk about the laser…

“I mean science is proven”

“Yes or no”

“Yes” said camp.

“Without me looking like an idiot when where all bankrupt”

“Well” said a voice “someones going to get that going at some point, and not looking like an idiot

Karen turned to see a young face, big and fat. A big and fat man with a British accent.

“Gerald Shugel” said Starr smiling “whats your opinion?”

“Who ever gets that to market is going to make a pretty penny in manufacturing clothing-whether we can do now...five years from now..humming and everything”

“Probably” said Starr “if someone doesn’t beat us to it”

“This is the kinda thing. That’s just not exciting. Electronics that kinda stuff that your working on-that may make money but everyone is going to wanta be there. Were on Thursday great. A year from now someone else is going to have the same conference”

Karen sighed “you may have a point”

“Know why you want to move into this consumer level bullshit” said Shrugged” and i guess everything comes to the home in the end -but man the stuff where doing down here... this is going to revolutionize stuff-but no ones going to care cause can’t show it off clothing manufacturing tRicks to your friends”

“Hows your own project working?” said Starr.

Starr Industries had hired Shuggel like Santana and a dozen others as part of a skunk works projects last year out of a bunch of top universities. Let them see what they could do. So Far it had been mixed but there was …

“If you want to discuss my brain amplifier go right ahead” said Shugel” doubt how you can fit in 30 seconds but that’s not my department

Starr looked down at the brain amplifying tube. It was a series of metal bands that went over your head and…

Starr Grunted “ i can see your point. I am not sure how we talk about our cyberpunk future of neural uplinks and brainjacking”

Shuggel shook his head sighing”Always with the punk, always with the deplorable noise music”

“Actually it is your job” said Starr “Do you have time today to write something>”

“Well your my boss” said Shuggel “Your company pays for my research and

“ i want a mini version of all the projects-couple of words what we can say about them”

“and not just your researcher but your secretary apparently”

Starr laughed and smiled. Honestly she wasn’t the type to admit it but she liked Shuggel maybe most of all. There was something to his disdain with the world that was refreshing. “I’ll buy you a classical music CD”

“By the time this is over” said Shuggel “i hope you buy me a symphony orchestra”

Santana turned “Will figure out the humming problem before you figure out the hair having problem”

Camp Laughed. Shuggel Sieved. Starr Walked away. “That’s weak. Do better”

*****

NEW MEXICO-4 YEARS AGO.

Antigua was a popular enough Mexican joint on the outskirts of the city. A lot of truckers came through the town at odd hours and they did some business. A lot oil workers got off late. It did business in a grungy Winston Bill and the alien sat in a dinner at 12:30 AM

“The thing of places-Mexican food. Well Tex Mex” said Bill “I mean a good taco-its worth a thousand light year journey”. He laughed

The alien was shielding her eyes as she looked around the place. She was looking slightly more human in the odd light. Still slightly she was wearing the lame suit..she looked...well

“This is the brightest its been in over a decade” said the alien “its giving me a headache. What causes this?”

Winston chimed in pointing out the light “Now that. That is your basic tungeston Grade Lighting fixture. Standard tool of the film industry, standard tool generally, it works by arching electRicity with a metal coil composed of tungeston to produce a steady kelvin that is generally flattering to the human”

“Tungeston based lighting?” said the alien “huh. In all my research i missed that you humans used that. Huh”

She shrugged

“I am sure” said Winston” that your technology is centuries advanced”

“I am honestly not sure” said the alien “That we ever used that. Not that we are so proud and advanced that we wouldn’t but...huh all my research that’s a blank

“How do you know so much” said Bill “our customs are cultures-i must say your English”

she looked at him “I spent the last 16 years...watching your Movies, Your TV, Your radio. Computer helped with the basic translation at first, but got the hang of English, Spanish, Mandarin and Tagalog”

“Wow” said Bill “ i have been here 48 years and can only manage 2”

“Didn’t have a whole lot else to do” said the alien

“Couldn’t you have...i don’t know like have one of those cryo

“Cryogenic” said Winston “it was part of the plot of the my third movie Sand Beyond the moon”

“Yes, i could have...but well i had to learn now didn’ i? . Your movie?”

“I directed it yes for Warner Brothers pictures in 1983”

“Didn’t like it” said the alien.

Winston Shrugged “it revived mixed reviews. Studio interference really removed some of the conceptual ideas of removing society...”

“I could see that” said the alien “Your not...well about 5 months ago my ship figured and we where close enough how to access the internet...which is how i contacted you and hired you”

“lets get some tacos first” said Bill “ i recomend the pastor”

NEW YORK PRESENT DAY

“Blue or yellow light” said Piere

‘Yellow. Yellow Gold” said Cindy looking around the convention center. It was huge and felt empty, but it was like a line from Mark Twain Describing St. Paul’s cathedral-despite the fact that she and Pierre the art Director felt by themselves masked the facts that there where dozens of workers all over the place.

“Are you sure that we shouldn’t run it by your employer” said Pierre with his vague french accent.

“If i asked her, she would snipe at me for bothering her” said Cindy “Yeah just lets do it”

“Its a noble color” said Pierre.

“lets get some Yellow tasseling all around the room” said Cindy “make it look a little theatRical, not all asstire. She never went for the Steve Jobs crap”

Pierre nodded. “Will work on it”

Cindy “She hates being the center of attention”

Cindy turned to hear a voice “Shes good at it though.” said David sitting in the audience Despite all that...there is something that draws you to her.

“David”

He didn’t get up “was just here to take a look at the place. Hows the setup”

Pierre Chimed in “Well. Will easily be finished. Cost overruns of 25k’

“No worries” said David shaking his hand “Will get it sorted.”

Cindy smiled, in the way that when the numbers hit. Her car Cost more then 25k. The entire event cost around a million. The auditorium alone…

This was..…

NEW YORK

“I just want to say” said Mr Davenport “We continue to believe that this is going to be huge”

“That’s reassuring” said Karen “I have no doubt its going to be big”

Karen offered the man a smile she looked up at him-one of the few people who that was the case. He was 6’5 broad shoulders and blond. He was a Wasp god. Looked as one of his associates put it like she should be his trophy wife. Since it was his associate and he was in this case fronting a lot of money and acesss to Asian production plants....she had to smile at that to and listen to him laugh.

“It better be huge” he said laughing. She hated his laugh. Hated it like few noises on this planet.

Karen nodded “Its about capturing the imagination”

“In the short run to make but money-but Well Its genius, brilliant in a 100 years. Its going to be everywhere. Would you like some scotch?”

“Sure” said Karen.

“And if not....Well its collateralize with your patients. If my 3 billion doesn’t goes belly up, those are worth in the long run more…

“Are you threatening me?” said Karen not changing the smile

“No” said Davenport Pouring two glasses “observing. When talking to some of the banker people, the little people, they said Oh this is the biggest risk we ever took. Nonsense. Either way, we will more then break even. In my adult career i don’t think i ever took a risk. Except in love”

“How did that work out for you?” said Karen

He turned and smiled at least times wider, turning his head in a way Karen had become very familiar

“Poorly”

*****

Ric Olie sighed walking into the parking structure of JFK brushing his face. It felt sweety and hot and…

He looked over at Andrews car “Nice”

It was a convert able Beamer, red and cherry.

“You like it?” said Andrew “Rental, but ehh thinking of using the money to get one of my own”

“This probably eats gas”

“Yeah” said Andrew “but you know live. Blue though. Red always looks a little ostentatious”

“Your call mate” said Ric getting in “Speaking of which what is the job?”

“Setting up some chaos at a Preview Conference at Lastin Center. Couple of Bombs, power outages electRic chaos. Also going to steal some items from the show”

“Body count?” said Ric with the kind quiet no British understatement that Andrew never knew if he cared.

“There doing two rooms- introducing a big new tech product, and a room in the back where you can see it and try it. Doing that room while everyone is in front. Well some guards, getting in and out. 20 maybe”

Ric grunted, again in a way Andrew couldn’t quite figure. “The goal is to make it look bad?”

“Wrinkle-good or wrong. The employers have offered us...some technology they have. Power suit thingy s”

“I’ve done that before” said Ric “Nuisance”

they started to drive out of the airport

“Yeah, but fun. They look pretty cool. All of them enhance your strength about five times. Its your not going to notice it bullet proof. Not perfect Stealth but if its dark its pretty good. They have 5 of them. Lanister, Cartwright are at the hotel ready. Francis is coming tomorrow morning. Each of the suits got a theme. You know what you can pic, since you came the longest”

“Francis is the driver hes not going to need one” chuckled Ric.

“Well then we have one extra.” said Andrew “One suits got machine guns built into the hands. Ones got rockets, Swords, Like A grenade toss. One has a short term jet pack..

“Sounds bloody dangerous...but you said swords?”

“Katanas in your arms”

“That could be fun. Unless you want it?”

“I kinda had my eye on the machine guns” grinned Andrew.

Ric smiled “Hey what kind of tech thing is this?”

*****

“Pretty Please tell me “ said Ann

“No” said Cindy.

“I’ll give you kisses”

Cindy smiled sitting in her favorite Cafe, with Ann her favorite person. “Nope”

“I’ll make them butterfly kisses”

“Tempting” said Cindy “Very tempting....but nope”

“But how am i going to write stories about how the tech media is corrupted by the companies it covers...unless you know you bribe me with kisses and stuff”

“Wait a second you where offering to bribe *me*?” said Cindy.

“Come one” said Ann.

Cindy shook her head “Your just going to write an article about it”

“Actually i am really just curious” said Ann “I want to know if its a good idea, or not”

“Oh”

“If its a bad idea and doesn’t work” said Ann “You’ll be out of work...and that will make me sad very sad. Then you’ll have to move in with me and mooch..so you see, in a real way in a very real way i am planning my financial future”

“You can write your article now!”said Cindy “Good think piece material”

Ann shook her head. Cindy touched her noise

“Secrets are fun” said Cindy.

And Ann kissed her finger as there food arrived.

*****

NEW MEXICO

Bill watched the alien eat a chimchanuga with great relish. She was just quickly and easily eating in with a smile and a delight that wasn’t present.

“Most people” Winston observe “Would think eating that fast would be rude”

The Alien smiled “its very good”

She burped.

“Quite good. This is my first fresh food. For the last 16 years i haven’t eaten anything that hasn’t been reconstituted and reconstructed into five base patties.”

“Don’t you have like one of them devices in Star Trek that let you create any food you like?”

“I saw that in Star Trek” said the alien “That would be a very clever clever idea, that i wished we had. I haven’t eaten anything with Fat and Cholesterol”

Bill smiled “See this planet has charms that yours doesn’t have”

The alien sighed “My Planet was destroyed. Centuries ago”

“War?” asked Winston “its always war”

“Over mining” said the alien “Volcanic activities”

“Wow” said Bill. “Bummer”

“I Come from a space station. A big one...but to get from that field to here is as big a journey as i ever took”

“So why did you leave that wonderful abode?” said Winston

The alien was about to speak when a waitress came forward “You really like that strawberry soda?”

“You mean the drink?” The alien looked up “its fantastic”

Bill smiled at the cute black haired waitress. Cute nose on that one. He was a nose man. She looked Goth if goth was wholesome, he saw the alien smile at her to.

“glad you like it”

“You do good work” said the alien looking at a tag “Atallie”

“Well i didn’t make it. Want a refill?”

“No free Refills here” said Winston “I’m afraid.”

“I can get you one”

“Hey were paying for this” said Winston “Since i assume you don’t have a credit card”

“Look man relax” said Bill

“I don’t want to tell people how to live there life and how much soda one can consume, but honestly this may be fantastic but....”

The alien shook her head “its okay, thank you though”

When in the hubbub Atalie had gone.…

“look man” said Bill “This isn’t that big a…

“on the house” said Atalie coming back with a strawberry soda in her hand “enjoy it”

And the alien looked at her with a gentle smile “Thank you so very much”

NEW YORK PRESENT DAY

Karen sat in prospect park looking over a little lake drinking a strawberry soda she smiled and relaxed a touch. She saw a duck land, behind 4 flying little baby ducks landing in the water

“Its beautiful” said Atalie sitting next to her. “life”

“Even in New York” said Karen.

“Especially in New York” said Atalie “so much of it here...just everywhere the people, the trees-never thought there would be so so many trees in this city. It really is a forest not just the parks

“Yeah” said Karen “Not a lot of trees where i come from”

“I’m sure it had charms of itself”

“I miss it” said Karen smuching her face “But..I sometimes forget it to....its like i know that i miss it..you remember things when you see something that reminds you of home..but so little does that here”

Attalie laughed. “ Remake the world in your image”

“Its never going to get there” said Karen “No matter how much I try-maybe it never will. People always get in the way. Financing, getting it out by Christmas...so many damn steps you have to take to do anything here”

“Well as long as you try your goal” said Atalie “you kind succeed a little bit. Just a bit”

“That’s Asanine” said Karen “Where judged in this world, not by our intentions, but by our actions.”

“you live in that world” said ataie smiling softly “Its going to disapoint you.”

“This world was always going to disappoint me” said Karen “Not much of a chance otherwise.”

“Even me?”

“Well maybe not you”

NEW MEXICO, 4 YEARS AGO

“That was really nice” said Bill “About the Soda”

“Sure its not on the receipt?” asked Winston

“Hey man be trusting” said Bill.

The Alien sat in the back seat looking out the window , as they drove into a very dimly lit driveway of the Harris Inn So this is going to be a good hotel”

“Good maybe overstating the charms of this particular hotel. But it was quiet and a nice place to go after i had my divorce. Has a pool that’s actually pretty clean..sure they use...”

“I am not looking to get into a bathing suit right away” said the Alien.

The car packed Bill sighed.…

And heard gunfire. Real really loud gunfire that like earlier it took him a second to realize if it was really big guns far away.

Or as he realized two groups of about five men each huddled behind cars shooting at each others.

“WHAT” said the alien

“Get down” said Winston “Its Mexican narco gangs having some kind of turf war”

“But this is New Mexico!” said Bill. “New Mexico!!!”

“This is the kind of fine distinction” said Winston “That is not always immediately apparent”

“Get out of her, get out”

When Bill turned his head illuminated by muzzle fire to see that she had gone

“Huh?”

He turned and looked out the window of the car to see that she was walking forward towards one of the large flat sedan of one of the gangs. Neither side seemed to be taking immediate interest as people reloaded to her, maybe not seeing them. One of them turned to see her and aim shouting something that Bill didn’t hear…

When she kicked the car he was behind.

It Flew up 120 feet in the air.

Bill watched the Chevy turn as it went arched, spinning once twice, three times....four, five..six times in the air, when what ever momentum was causing it turn stopped and it more or less righted, then it started to drop down backwards behind the hotel.

It wasn’t really a good arch one might say for distance-way to straight up....but…

He heard a loud crash it hit hit the ground.

Bill realized the loud gunfight had stopped, not cause one side won or anything but because after you see something like that..you need a minute

“Hey” said Bill “come back

When the other gang realizing the first one no longer had cover started to shoot again. The first one moved looking for more.

The Alien seeing all of this kept forward to the second car through the gunfight..what in the name of fairness. She leaned in and more or less pushed it…

And it flew backwards into a large classroom of the hotel just pushed through everything...Bill smelled rubber burn with the thought of it, shattering in a million pieces.

“Well there goes the Harris’s Lucrative Conference business i suspect” said Winston.

The alien kept going forward both gangs coming forward. She headed toward the gangster who had yelled at her. He had dropped his gun and kept scrambling away fearing probably rightly for something.

She garbed him and not so much lifted him off the ground, but pushed him into it nearly flat.

Some of the second gang had gotten behind a third car and where looking to shoot at the alien.

She turned her head and Bill saw giant red beams of light, heat what ever fly at the car...a laser flew out and the car melted and then burnt on fire in an explosion.

She turned back eyes towards the gangster in her hand “[ I want you to go home”]” she said in Spanish “[And reconsider the life choices that have brought you to this event”]”

NEW YORK CITY

Karen and Atalie walked to the street. It was always a weird sensation leaving a park, especially in a big city like New York, as one entered a busy world. Atalie smiled. Karen didn’t. Atalie raised her hand for a taxi.

“I suppose you could get me home in like 3 seconds”

“2.5 but its more awkward then it looks”

“You could call me an Uber” said Atalie

“I don’t truck with that” said Karen “To many leering weirdos”

“as opposed to taxis?”

“Hate parking cars” said Karen

“You could get like a driver and a limo”

“That’s a dumb extravagance”

“Your a prickle” smiled Atalie “Hey your having your big press thingy tomorrow”

“Want to come cheer me on?”

“Sure”

“HELP” said a voice as Karen turned her head. It was a middle age lady standing across the street. Running very rapidly away was a purse snatcher with grim determination.

Karen watched.

“You could stop him couldn’t you”? Said Atalie

“if he runs this way i could trip him” Said Karen “But it looks like hes not”

When out of the side of the road a largish man garbed him and tackled him to the ground. The purse snatcher struggled briefly and stooped.

“When ever i get involved in like street crime...its a bad experience” said Karen. “I always end up regretting it”

*****

NEW MEXICO

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ABOUT!” screamed Winston as they drove away

“they where very annoying and people where trying to sleep”

“Jesus Christ”said Winston “ I thought you said in 48 hours”

“Actually” said the Alien “ I was a little surprised by that myself...Its been like 3 ½, 4.... its earths sun...but its the middle of night and the earths blocking pretty much all of the radiation...maybe faster then i thought it would be...or I’ll end up more powerful then i calculated”

“What?” said Bill.

The Alien moved a hand and stroked her chest looking down at herself and her large..…

“My Body stores vasts amounts of energy....in a small organ behind my kidneys. Soon Ill be stronger, tougher, faster then anything that ever lived..i can already feel it...its a little weird to be honest but I am sure I’ll get the handle of it. “

“Jesus” said Winston

“Do you have another hotel?” said the alien “i wasn’t that hungry, but honestly i have been up for around 36 of your hours peeping for final landing, and i am rather tired”

“Are you going to need to sleep when this is over”

“Maybe not” said the alien “But now”

“Well the Queen Annas Rest” said Winston” its not as nice as the Harris, not as quiet...but it has the advantage that the police aren’t going to be swarming around looking for you”

NEW YORK CITY

“Thanks for staying late” said Santana looking as shrugged looked over the device kneeling over the loom like device

“Its not that i have an actual social life or anything” he said smiling

“But anyway”

Shuggel looked at the device adjusted a few touches and…

“There that should stop the humming” He pressed a button and the motor worked with out a hitch “That’s not to complicated-not going to say rookie mistake but yeah it should be good”

“I am good with theory” said Santana shaking her black hair to an through “practical of mechanism not so much”

“its good to know how to work with your hands a little, but i hear you” said shuggel “Want to get a coffee?”

“Sure “ said Santana “At least its free here”

Shuggel nodded “At university lab they had a pot but charged you 25 cents

“mine was 10. i am not sure why they bothered”

Shuggel walked over to the coffee maker “its a neat idea by the way your device. How strong have you gotten it”

“its about 6 times as strong as kevlar. “ sighed Santana “I think we can do better but not sure”

“Wow” said Shuggel.

“The laser Joiners ideally...well will see what they can do for production costs..i dunno”

“Whats wrong?”. Shuggel pored himself a cup.

“Ever have that feeling you don’t want to do with your life” said Santana “My grand mother my aunt..there seamstresses. Work in a big factory... when i was growing up you know i thought wow, how little what a terrible shit job...but there happy. I’ll give em that.. If i really get this right your not going to need them and about 10 million other people any more...and the laser stuff really is just cause you can’t stitch it with a sewing machine”

“Tech works that way” said Shuggel.

“And this isn’t really what i wanted to do. I got my bachelors in Zoology, but had to get a second just find a job. Still you know, you don’t know the first was never going to figure out bacterial grown polymers so...”

Shuggel put a hand on her shoulder. “I graduated high school when i was 13.Got my bachelors at 16 my masters at 20..

“Well the bachelors to masters thing sounds...”

“I took 6 months off to see Europe” said Shuggel “My point is...don’t judge yourself by the little peoples standards. Don’t measure to yourself to them, or there petty concerns about money or status, or let them trap you in those games. Be above it”

“Easy for you to say trust fund genius” said Santana.

“Oh i do my parts of scrapping and bowing-that ms Starr. Camp...but they give me a big laboratory lots of development money and few wonderful like minds to bat ideas off of. But no its attitude. Be above humanity”

“An ultra humanite?” smirked Santana.

“Yes” said Shuggel stroking his prematurely bald head “why not? And work on your mad scientist laugh as well”. He started to chuckle that moved perceptibly into a loud chortling laughter.

“pretty good” giggled Santana.”not amazing”

“Well you know, this is the kind of feedback i was talking about”

*****

Karen woke up at around 2:30 AM. She absently looked at her large bed, empty as usual. Why she had bought a king sized bed she didn’t know. There where parts of her that sometimes wished and wished deeply that someone was next to her at moments like this-the warm sensation of a body next to hers cuddling her up, but that wouldn’t have worked well would it? Not for the puerile ones about how much stronger she was. The one that came to her was that she slept around 3 hours a night, and who ever it would find it rather rude to be woken up so early.

She got up wrapping sheets around and looked out of her apartment window at New York Harbor. It was the middle of the night. She normally used the first couple of hours of the day for work...but not quite today. Today was the day of her big presentation to the press the world...and she felt if anything rather nervous about it all. Scared, but she was never the type to show it. It would break her facade.

She sighed and went to the shower.

Scared by human stuff.

Most people when they saw her only saw her boobs. She knew that. And they where big and yes well spectacular...but if people looked closely they would see that her body under neath her suits was covered with muscle. Her chest itself was built on giant thick pectoral base wider and more powerful the a football player muscle on sinew, giant arms, covered with bolderious biceps that even with her large chest seemed a little out of place , thick lats that connected with her shoulders down dozens of ridges on her back to her hard tight ass. Legs with wide flaring quads, hard tapered abs.

She looked naked like some kind of powerful warrior some kind of amazon godless. Some kind of hero.

She sighed.

She went to her closet-again much to large. In it was her ‘costume’, her superhero suit. When they had worked the bacterial loom she had them make it early on as gag. Hey why not She had been playing with the design for a couple of years in her free time.

It was a big white body suit like an acrobat-the kind of white that reflected light in a shimmer. It had yellow and blue trim…

And noticeably a large hole over breasts for them to spill out of-but thankfully the materially had so far perfectly kept them in place. Phew.

The reason for the hole was simple. Superheros have big symbols to tell you who they are, easy to identify. She never came up with one, so left it blank. Seemed logical at the time but…

Karen sometimes wore it under her normal clothing. Sometimes put it on to feel powerful a real hero, something to show the world- not just a business executive with secrets....and it sometimes worked. Less scared. Lets see.

As she put on a pencil skirt, a dark colored informal top, with a matching skirt with a scarf for color.

The tree exploded into a million pieces in the early morning light, shattering as it got hit.

“Nice”

Lanister smiled as the smoke from her rocket launcher cooled off slightly. She had used them before back in the Army(which army Andrew never knew. Lanister was some kind of pandemonium for a very clipped delivered)” but liked the lack of recoil in this one. It was surprising how straight you had to hold it to get follow through...but this one just built into the sleeves.”

“Very nice”

“Glad you like it” said Andrew.

“Not entirely sold on mine” said Ric as he chopped a log in half with a sword “Don’t need it for demo work”

“Cool though” Said Cartwright as he punched a rock, and saw it shatter not into a million pieces but shatter. He had opted for the flying suit, which fit his personality.

“Yeah i am going for it” said Andrew “This is going to be fun. And we can keep em for latter...and never use it again if you don’t want”

“I maybe will” said Ric “doubts on the stealth stuff. No doubt this place is going to be swarming with security and i want to go in clean for at least 15 minutes”

“I want you to “ said Francis as he leaned against a tree smoking a cigarette “Nothing worse then a chase to a car”

“If its down to me” said Cartwright “I can just fly “

Lanister chuckled. “You want that see us all get caught or die”

“Well just saying” said Cartwright. Andrew trusted him about as far as he could throw the large southern man...but there was something amusing about how little reason he gave em. He would sell them all out and screw the deal-but since there goal was to destroy and not to sell, no real person he could do that to. Not sure he would have hired him otherwise...but well

Ric nodded “Follow the plan people. Lets not use this to showboat. Get in get out, same as any job, got to back to town and in place in less then 4 hours “

“Right see any resistance deal with it, but follow the plan”

Lanister turned and shot the gun toward another tree without moving her body just her arm. It once more exploded hitting a tree 200 yards away

“Sorry But ....Nice”

“OOOH” Said Nicole clapping as the bowls where brought to the dinning room table “Fresh fruit”

“Exotic fresh fruit” said Ann “from the orient”

“Wow”

“I had to spend 6 months in a spice trader braving the dark oceans, pirates and flounders just to get there and then you know another 6 months to bring it back. By that time the fruit was rotten, so i went to the green grocer and bought some more”

Wow the Green Grocer”

This was a delight for her. They where breakfasting together and she smiled at her favorite person.

“so what are you going to do today?” she asked her friend eating some kind of kiwi.

“Going to the trade demo for Starr tech, what are you” said Ann

“I am also going” said Ann “Want to share a ride”

“okay”

“What are you going to be doing afterward?” asked Nicole

“Writing a story about it” said Nicole “After i finally learn what its about. You?”

“Reading” said Nicole “that story..the fun part of my job is i am required to read every story about the product...and there are hundreds of them”

“Ooh sounds rough”

“But it would be fun to celebrate” said Nicole “This has been a lot of work to plan and organize and.…

“Will be there fruit involved?”

The driver sighed pulling up his cab to the street in east village sighing softly.

A woman pulled up and came in.

“Were to?”

“I guess just head into the Lanstin center”

“That’s pretty far, but sure” said the cabby

“Well got some time. I just can’t fly there” said the woman.

The driver looked up at the woman in the back seat.

“Man lady your stacked bozenogas”

“Yeah i know”

*****

NEW MEXICO

Winston and Bill took 30 minutes to get the alien her own room. It was decided they would get one next door.

“Your going to be confterable” said Bill

“sure” said the alien finding her way into the room.

“i had a question”

“Ask” said the Alien

“Are you like biologically a woman? Like i know you look like a woman, but are you some kind of meat suit or”

The alien sighed “This is the real me. Parallel evolution. Given how the clerk looked at my chest i kinda wished my real form had smaller mammary glands. “

“Yeah” said Bill

“Do you want to know something ironic about my people?” said the alien “We have evolved past the need to breast feed millennium ago. So these are just stupid”

Bill laughed. “Ahh could be worse, at least your not likely to develop back problem”

The alien closed the door to her room hard.

Bill wandered down to Winston who was still in the car.

“Well that’s settled” said Bill.

“Is it though” said Winston “is it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Whats the end game here?” asked Winston “ i mean rhetorically”

“We help her out”

“And collect our fabulous reward” said Winston as he shook his head

“Don’t worry about it man”

“We are dealing with a being whose conceptions and goals, we have no ideas”

“Come on”

“What is her motivation and how does she want to achieve it” said Water “To use the language of movies and films”

“Jesus man”

“This is an alien who has aces to incredible technology far past that of western earth society. She is absorbing energy at incredible rate becoming more powerful by the moment, such that in 48 hours she will be near all powerful. Whats to say she won’t use it..i dunno conquer the earth enslave us all. Maybe our reward is that we get to be the overlords of the western continent sector..or maybe it will be our death is realativly quick and painless. I dunno. But it doesn’t sound good to me”

*****

WESTCHESTER NEW YORK

Karen road out of the city taking forever to get to the convention center. As she did she talked on her cellphone with Burke “How are all the preperations”

“Ready and operational-its all in place”

“Excellent” said Karen.”This all goes well you will get a major reward”

She heard a chuckle. “Is it a vacation?”

“Europe, Asia?”

“A nap. When are you going to get in?”

“10 minutes”

“more like 12” said the driver.

She looked up at the driver. She could see him in the review mirror leering at her. It had been a rare second in the hour drive he hadn’t done it. They where just boobs. They where pretty common in the scheme of things and…

*****

Outside the conference center it was chaos-but more or less controlled chaos.

Hamilton Camp watched it bemusement. So much setting up, cameras and C stands. Several Financial news networks where doing live coverage of it. Most of the other networks where doing feature stories on it. Plus Journalists galore, and oh the foreign press. Bloggers and websites, so many-it seemed liked hundreds and thousands where here. This is where it all came together. This is where all the hard work his organization had put forth had come.... A;;

He wondered if there would be shrimp. He giggled. After today they would want some.

He turned and walked into a reporter a pleasant faced young girl with a name tag that Said Ann Hansen. She was from some website he had barely heard of.

“Hey your Hamilton Camp, your the chief of research and Development at Starr”

“Yes” he replied “ I am not authorized to speech right now about today’s events. Its possible that i may be able to talk to the press afterwards..you can talk to PR Department”

“Are you excited?”

“Yes” he smiled.

“Should we be?”

He chuckled. A lot of work had gone into this. Oh so much work, so much blood sweat and tears, so much time...but it was moments like this... His chuckle turned into a laugh.

“Oh the events of today are something your never going to forget”

Meanwhile behind the center a big cab sized Food delivery truck pulled up. The security guard stopped them as they came in.

“Stop here”

the truck paused as he came forward. He saw two men sit in the front.

“Just delivering”

“Understand” said the guard “But going to have to take a look”

“wWere delivering about a metRic ton of Shrimp canape” said the other guy

The guard smiled “let see it”

“No problem” said the guy as they came out “Francis do you have the key?y”

“Yeah”

“Been a guard long?” asked the man absently as they got out.

“About a year”

The driver opened the gate and pulled it up. The guard saw a big refrigerated platters

“Can i come inside?”

“Sure”

The guard climbed up the back of the truck walked inside.. and had his head chopped off with a very quick slice.

He never even saw the man who came from his side to do it

“I told you Ric” said Andrew “That the swords come in handy. Quiet”

“Yeah yeah” said Ric.

*****

NEW MEXICO

“Don’t do this man” said Bill

Winston pulled a surprisingly large handgun out of his glove compartment”

“Jesus “ said Bill

“Going to try”

“Do you think that’s going to work?” said Bill “after what you seen her do..i mean whats that a 357”

“.44 .Can stop a rhino” said Winston

“After what you seen her do?”

“What would you have me do get an atomic bomb?” he challenged

“I wouldn’t have you do anything-you shouldn’t this is wrong man, very wrong” said Bill.

“We have been friends for what 4 years?” asked Winston as he loaded it.

“Don’t do this man”

“I replied positively to your Linkedin request and this is the favor i get?”

“Come on I don’t want to choose sides” said Bill

“The fact that you even say this” said Winston “is highly offensive.”

“Okay..just stop for one second listen “

“Shes been nothing but a mean little shrew this entire time. You want to give a person like that ultimate power?”

“Its not ours to give or take”

“Its ours to defend. We are Americans and have to defend it against threats foreign or domestic and she is the biggest”

*****

WESTCHESTER

The Cab pulled up “Here we are out in the side”

“Thanks” said Karen handing her credit card “you can stop leering at me”

“Hey nothing wrong in looking”

Yeah” said Karen shaking her head “Yeah right”

*****

NEW MEXICO

“listen just to one second. Words of wisdom. An Expression” said Bill”

“A turn of phrase” said Winston

“A turn of phrase”

*****

WESTCHESTER.

Karen got out of the cab taking her card back...and paused.

“Wait a second this is Westchester right?”

“Yeah” said the driver

*****

NEW MEXICO

“If someone is nice to you” said Bill “if someone is nice to you...but isn’t nice to the waiter, there not a nice person”

“Your point, shes not been particularly nice to us”

WESTCHESTER

Karen looked around and pulled out two twenties and a ten “Here’s 50”

The driver looked up “What?”

“it was like an hour to get here” said Karen “an hour to get back your not getting anything”

“Thanks lady” said the driver “God bless yeah”

Karen turned and walked away shaking her head.

*****

NEW MEXICO

“But she was nice to the waiter” said Bill “She was nice to them. And that...that’s somehow also true i think. That somehow”

And Winston put the gun down.

*****

WESTCHESTER

Karen managed to avoid the press such as it was as she walked backstage to the event. Small miracles. She shook her head as she ran into Burke “where on in 30”

“Great” said Karen “going to do a big video presentation”

“Bingo” said Burke as they walked together.

“Let me look over the script again” said Karen.

Burke handed her a binder, as she did Karen turned it down and opened

When a group of three handlers came forward

“my god” said the leader grabbing her arm.

“What is it?” said Karen curiously

“This sleeve” said the handler “This sleeve, its ridding up over the top of her hand!”

“what?” said Karen

“If it does this in the presentation where ruined” she turned into her voice “ get me some thread and needle stat we need to fix this and make it look natural

Karen shook her head as she saw Atalie come forward

“Whats going on”

“Glitz and glamour”

“So you don’t want a seat in the room?” said the security guard to Dr. Camp.

“No” said Camp as they moved through the crowded space dodging people left and right “To many applause, that kinda stuff. Never much care for it makes me embraced”

“yeah” said the guard “i hear you”

“Its the smell of these places-god so many people..

“Yeah”

“Hey do you smell ozone?” asked Camp

“Whats that” said the guard

“its this electRic smell, you would know it”

The guard sniffed. “maybe...probably all the cameras and stuff. The lights”

“I guess” said Camp “They don’t normally do that.

He moved his head “ “did you just see something?”

“What?” said the guard

“This-kinda black figure, this kinda black shape moving at the edge of the hall-i just saw it for like a second

“What did it look like?

“Human but without the shapes” said camp “This kinda distracting smooth move”

The guard shook his head “its probably just a shadow or something-you know lights camera.. making Magic”

*****

“Whats so big about your sleeve ?” Atalie asked looking up karen’s arm.

“Hey do you even know what this is about?”

“Never bothered asking” said Atalie “ you never volunteered and..

“oh i would have told you” said Karen

“was reading about it today on over..its lock and key”

“HEY” shouted Karen as she looked over the crowd backstage.

She turned and saw in the Back Cindy her PR head talking to someone

“Hey come over here” shouted Karen as it did...and Cindy looked like she had her hand in the cookie jar

“Maam i was just talking to.…

“Your Cindy..your Cindy girlfriend right?” said Karen “we met at a Christmas party right”

“Um i don’t like that term” said Ann looking sheepish

“oh what ever sorry to bother..your like a reporter?”

“Writer for TechAnt.com”

“Hey would you like to model what where demoing” said Karen

“But we’re under embargo and just about to” said Cindy

“You haven’t told her?” said Karen

“No” said Cindy looking down

“I believe you.” Nodded Karen “ You asked?””

“Once or twice” said Ann.

Karen chuckled “dedication to the bit my friend, dedication to the bit. I’ll give you a demo right now”

“But where like 25 minutes”

“Like it matters” said Karen “Bring it out”

And a handler without comment brought a small case as Karen looked at Ann

“You have dainty dainty arms” said Karen as she took her skeletal model like arms that looked like twigs “dainty dainty arms. I am built like a horse. I need to use a bigger one”

“Bigger what”

The handler opened it up to revel a watch with a blank face. Not even the time.

In the back of the convention center Andrew scoped out. There where dozens of stations in a large room each with some kinda of device in it. There was also maybe 20 guards around the space moving around

“Cartwright make the derision in the other hall at my mark, Ric setup the secondary bomb, Lanister provide backup...lets do this in 15”

Lanister smiled looking around. The large room “look at those big banners up there. So this is a watch?”

Andrew nodded.

“Its going to be fun to blow up”

“Put it on” said Karen to Ann

And Ann did so.

“Take a look at this Atalie. Now press the face. Just anywhere will do just press it

And Ann curiously did...as she did a giant ray of light came out of it pushing forward to produce a circularly display of little light particles that showed the day the time location and a bunch of other details...floating in mid air about a foot from Anns arm..

“Whoa” said Ann

“You can see the buttons?” said Karen’s “ notepad, calender phone-pretty much anything you can do on a phone really”

Ann pressed a button and up poped a phone display, then another and she saw a sample picture of the shore, frozen light waves in the middle of the air, displaying the sea floating above it-there was something about the color. When you see something on a screen it something, when you see something printed out it was another-it wasn’t real. Ann knew that...but there was something to it that…

“Like that beach pic” said Karen

“How does it?”

“Its a hologram-a real good one..has a sensor in it that detects movement of your fingers where your typing moving them…

“My god” said Ann shocked and amazed.

“It doesn’t really have a great speaker on it” admired Karen “. Not the best phone in the world. But it works with blue tooth what ever you want, has a battery that lasts about a week, has about 20 gigs of storage..it

“and all of its in this little watch?

“All in that little watch. Some of the memory is actually in the wrist band for extra space..oh and there is one big secret “

“Whats that?” said Ann “or do i?”

“it plays Angry Birds” said Cindy breaking in.

“And you spoiled it” said Karen with fake huramph “Don’t you know this was suppose to be lock and key?”

“My god” said Ann as she took it off “my god”

“Ahhh” said Karen smiling “Glad you like it”

“Its....its the future”

Karen shook her head.

*****

NEW MEXICO

Bill walked up the flight of stairs to his hotel room. He was tired. Real Tired it was like 3 am and he was pooped. He opened the door saw the large bed and thanked the stars

When he heard a voice behind him. It was the alien.

“Hi” she said warmly

“Hey” said Bill looking over at the gorgeous alien “I know you promised me a big reward, but its not important. Certainly don’t want you to prostitute yourself or anything you know if you don’t wanna”

There was a brief pause.

“ah hahahaha No” said the alien”just no”

There was a pause.

“No”

She shook her head and sighed “ but maybe this is a bad idea but..i heard your conversation with Winston

“oh you can hear

“Pretty much anything in half a mile radius-its weird and hard on my head and don’t think to much about it-point is...yeah i heard what you said about your fears and stuff like that…

“Don’t get to mad at him hes a little aggressive but he means”

“No no” said Karen” he’s right to worry”

“Oh” said Bill with little expression but one “so your like our new”

“I spent 16 years...I’ll start earlier. My space station-it flew..it flew to close to the sun. A sun...and it started to break up. If it had proper maintenance...we evacuated. I stayed on to near the end to help coordinate the escape and....well it didn’t go well. I got into a pod, but when i got to the erroneous spot..no one was there. No one was there”

“Wow” said Bill “so your like alone?”

“I don’t know” said Karen “ i hope not. Really hope not. Alone in the universe..it was.....i could never find them..its hard in space so vast..so uncompromisingly vast”

“jeese” said Bill.

She leaned against a wall “So..well there i was. I piloted a course to earth. Just a destination. Yeah like i said 16 years latter...but it was the best i could find. It is a jewel you know.. a rare and precious little things. I used to watch sometimes your nature documentaries The seas. The forests..the deserts like here..it looked so beautiful. So pretty”

She shook her head.

“And then i would watch Jerry Springier”

“I’m sorry dude” said Bill “Really sorry..its not..its not all of us”

“For the first 5 years i dreamed of finding a little house somewhere being happy...then the next 5 how i would conquer you all.. my powers the technology in my ship. child’s play Easy enough....then....for about a year i was going to blow you all up”

“Huh” said Bill

“Then i realized something” said the alien “Then i realized, that this...this is the world it has to be. This is the world it is...if i did that i would have nothing you would have nothing. You never learned.. you could be a great people, you have that in you. You merely lack the light...What i could do is...help you. I could make the world a better place. There is technology in my ship that can advance your civilization by centuries, millennium...and i could help you with it. Guide you to it”

“Probably blow ourselves up with it” said Bill

“But maybe not. And that is the choice i had to give you. I couldn’t rule it. I can’t end reality TV...but i can ...well i can try to make it better.”

Bill paused. “Dude”

*****

Karen sighed as Ann and Cindy walked off impressed with her doodad. She sighed opening a cur ton to look out. Analie stood with her Burke away

“Its pretty neat”said Analiee “pretty neat”

“Everyday” said Karen “ i go to a big office 40 stories up look out the window..and see more offices 40 stories up. These are the people in them-not literally but these people...and pretty soon there going to go buy this stuff. It retails at 650. did i mention that? Its the note at the end of the conference. There all going to go out and buy it..the goal at least”

“But” said anallie “But...”

“That’s not the people on the street-poor people, starving people, people you know around the world or just worried about the rent. There not going to get it. Oh maybe way down the line but...i am making a toy for the Rich people. that’s what0 i am doing. That’s who i am helping”

Ana lie put a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah i guess so”

“The goal” said Karen “is to put the money into agRicultural research, urban development transportation-make the world cheaper better happier for everyone”

“But that’s everyone’s goal” said Atalie “do this one thing for money before you research your dreams and help the little guys..do this one thing-this business plan, this product, this war even sometimes- just one more job.....but it rarely ever works out like that. Next year your going to be here with a watch that can play flappy birds...and the year after and....”

Karen sighed and closed her eyes...and started to cry

“Oh no” said Atalie “oh deer, i am sorry i am so so sorry..i didn’t mean”

She was bawling “This world..this world its just, its just crap, so much stupid crap...and i am just part of it. I am just one more…

“No your not” said Attalie holding her “Your not...not just you know companies, or the alien stuff....its like perspective...its your power its... hard to explain”

Behind the screen to the audience a video started playing describing communication, connections and stories..all of which Karen ignored.

But she slowly regained control. She had stuff to do. These pesky emotions these pesky ideals. She turned to Burke

“Sorry” said Karen “Going to go out there and be a pro”

Burke nodded “And actually it can already play flappy birds”

Atalie chuckled in a forced way “Shows what i know”

“For all my power what do i got?” said Karen.

“Embrace it” said Atalie “That’s....that more then anything else....you got to show that show the world...be the power....be the power girl”

*****

The video presentation ended and the hundreds of people in the hall(actually 1453 waited patiently) for a second watching the closed cur tons. The pause was in fact built in give a moment to build up to the awe.

Karen walked to the middle hitting her mark like a pro, and waited, for the big moment to begin. She smiled.

She had made it. She had doubts before but they where gone. She looked at Ann face told her everything. She had really made it she wanted to let that hit her, wanted to be.…

And also she really wanted to tell everyone in the crowd....stuff

*****

Lanister smiled as she put the touches connecting the wires and”

“Go. 12 minutes this goes sky high”

“Hows the roof” said Andrew in the walkie talkie

“Hold for a minute said Ric “For a guard to move out”

“Drat” said Andrew “ you should have just killed him”

“Didn’t want to break cover”

There was a ring on the device timed with the start of something that Andrew didn’t care

“Ahhh Where suppose to start now” said Andrew “lets begin anyway”

And he took his machine gun arm and started shooting round the room.

“So much for plans” said lanister...as she smiled “So so much for plans”

*****

The cur-tons opened Karen stood. She looked at the people looked for a long second

“For so long we....have strived to communicate..to be..just...we have strived to be....and i know i have..just to be”

When Karen heard something.

Andrew started to shoot around the hall laughing his ass off, the guards where scattering such as they where around him. They weren’t actually armed, but so far had good sense. This would be fun...well 12 minutes of it at least.

When he heard like a hard step noise behind him and turned.

“What the hell are you doing here?” said the female in front of him that it took him a second to recognize

“Scram bitch” said Andrew

“No. I am the CEO of the company that rented this hall, and we damn well want our deposit back” said Karen standing in front of him when if he was half way thinking knew she should be about 1/8th of a mile away giving a speech

He aimed his gun at her “ Best get down if you don’t want me to blow your head off”

she looked at him “What the hell are you doing wearing that black clown suit?. You look like something out of GI Joe..and i watched a lot of GI Joe and i was never a fan

Andrew realizing there was no point to the conversation shot her with a controlled burst of fire, before turning around not bothering to watch her hit the floor. Was that part of the assignment-he knew that he was suppose to make her look bad...but dead? Ahh well.

“Ahem” said Karen standing behind him raising her voice “I want you to get down on the ground and be arrested ...if not well”

“What the hell?”

He turned around and turned his gun fully on her hitting at full blast with it..he could see it hit her stomach her chest, her neck moving it around ripping her blouse to shreds in a titter tatter of fire but…

“Okay now i am pissed” said Karen “Actually that’s a lie i was already kind of pissed”

Andrew didn’t know what to do until he saw lanister turn and shoot a giant rocket at her causing a decent size explosion.

And he used that as cover to run away from something he didn’t seem to be able to shoot.

NEW MEXICO

“Um whats your name” asked Bill

“Don’t have one” said the alien “not with letters you can pronounce”

“Lets call you Karen” said Bill.

“That your mothers name or something?” giggled the alien

“Its its the star of....1985s Indiana Jones and the Temple of doom”

WESTCHESTER

Burke walked on stage as fast as he could. He had to remain calm

“ I’m Tom Burke the, CFO- and i am here inform you that we are hearing reports of Gunfire in the east hall at this time. Security is on the scene to actively deal with the situation as we speak. Ms. Page decided to leave immediately

“She just vanished...”

“ To look into it and i do apologize.

“Whats going on?”

“ I ask that everyone remain calm and in there seats until we learn more of what to do and when to evacuate the building”

He heard people murmuring moving around in there seats, shouting

And they did not look calm. Great.

Ric stood on the roof shaking his head. He was almost finished wiring 5 bombs to go off on the roof. Andrew was a blood maniac he was these things take time

When he heard a crackle on the radio “Ric man , i really need a distraction right about now”

Bloody maniac right now.. God this job felt stupid right away…

Still he was part of a crew now and owed that loyalty.

When he felt a tap on the shoulder

“Hello” said a large man with a beard “My name is Winston Zedeke and i am head of Security for Star Company...and you sir are trespassing on private event”

Ric looked at the older fellow-what 50 60. he sighed. He felt for rental cops He didn’t like this…

As a four foot long katana went out of his right hand.

“A man of the blade i see” said Winston “a gentleman of the blade”

*****

NEW MEXICO

“i Didn’t seen the movie” said The alien ‘Karen’

“Its underrated” said Bill “hey with all your neat tricks..saving the world.. going to put on speedos and a cape?”

And Karen laughed “God no”

*****

Lanister smiled as she hit the woman. This was fun. It took her a moment to reload but..

When out of the mist walked the woman..the explosion had blown off her outwear to revel a skin tight white leotard and gloves...it looked grown on her and her massive.…

Lannister looked around what could she do .. then it clicked

she shot a rocket again.... but it went over her shoulder.

However the woman leaned a hand up and garbed it over her head. It exploded upon contact but the woman kept walking

“we have hid a bomb” said lanister “in 12 minutes it goes off..if you let me go I’ll”

The woman leaned forward and went to one of the stations with the watches. She pushed it off with a quick flick of her hand as lanister watched the desk fly across the conference room. Under neat it was a metal box the size of a suit case

“You mean this bomb? Its not actually ticking but i can hear it anyway”

she saw a display on the top. 11 minutes

“please” said Lanister “ i can disarm it if you just don’t

“plastique” said the woman which is not designed to...”

she grarbed it and put her two hands on either sides a quarter second latter the bomb had been flatten to the size of a record the metal sludging out to the ground.

“Implosion” said Karen matter of factually

“um”

and Karen tossed the metal sludge right in lanisters chest hitting her against the wall. She didn’t bother to see that the black suited terrorist was knocked out.

New Mexico

“no Wait a second” said Bill “got that wrong. Karen in Raiders of the lost ark not temple of doom”

“oh” said the alien “Whats the actress in that so i can get that name?”

“Escapes me at the minute. Doesn’t matter. Lets go with Karen.”

*****

Dr. Camp heard chaos around him and wondered what on.

People security guards they where all running about looking very nervous-most of them where going towards the east hall.

He had been waiting in a small hall between the main conference center and the demo hall. He was scheduled in about 45 minutes to do a mini interview with CNN about the watch, and generally be available for tech questions(with in a set parameter) to reporters who where interested. He meanwhile had been standing next to a bar with free soda...well he had been until he was pushed aside. Which was ashamed as he dropped his soda

“Whats going on” he said to know one as even his handler Scott wandered away.

When he hear what sounded like looked up.

It was some kind of figure-Camp first thought was a black angel, that’s what came to mind-some kind of demo person in a faceless black mask flying through the air towards him. As it got closer he could make out the strange texture on the suit the fact that it was on the rocket-but in the five seconds it took to fly down and grab him lifting him up it didn’t quite evolve it was…

Cartwright had looked around people where ignoring him as he stood on a balcony overlooking the hallway between the main conference center and the demo room they rushed around the room towards the west hall..something was going on and the frantic calls from Andrew suggested nothing good. Well great.

Well he was suppose to create a deversion now was the time to do it. Grabbing a man at random was a good idea. He flew up into the rafters of the center towards a large center.

When Karen pushed open the doors to the hallway looking up to see it.

“Look up in the sky its a bird its a plane its an idiot” she sighed “Well..shortly “

She saw from one of the demo tables a Orange cloth with a Yellow sash. In for a penny.... as she grabbed it and wrapped over her shoulders. And Karen for the first time in about 6 months concentrated and did the mental conceptions for her feet to lift off the ground and.…

Fly.

“Two idiots”

flying thankfully was very second nature to her fly up after him, before he landed on a perch of a railing. As chaos reigned bellow people bustling and screaming all over to see it…

until they saw her...and Karen thought she could hear an Erie calm over the floor all of a sudden...a sense that it all just stopped..

mean while turned and looked at her, holding camps throat..

“Don’t know who you are and what your deal is super freak”

“Come on we can do better then Super Freak?” said Karen “That song is about sluts”

“What ever just stay where you are or i will break his neck. This suit gives me the strength of five men, and that’s”

“enough to break my neck” said camp helpfully “please just”

*****

Ric came towards the portly guard dragging his kantana close to the ground, who casually picked up a metal pole on the ground something out of an air conditioning system.

“so you want to fight?”

“I directed Onambashi in my increasingly far away youth” said Winston “it was primitive but one of the first attempts to do a samurai movie in the west

Ric move forward and sliced towards Winston, who lifted up his pole and parry ed

And Rics katana cut in half. Literally it fell apart into two pieces.

“one of things that i learned was-your samurai sword? Its not really designed for heavy uses. The strength of an average man let alone what ever type of robotic suit your wearing will easily shatter it.”

Winston turned the staff in his hands spinning it slightly

“You clearly do not respect the arts of partiality”

*****

Burke stood on stage when something went off in his ear

“I have just been informed that we are being asked to slowly and carefully exit the room and the building”

When a mob of reporters started pushing and prodding there way to the exit. This wasn’t a stampede or trampling...but it wasn’t all that much better

“Please be calm, were not in immediate danger..just please be safe and”

more words came on in his ear piece. What was going on in the east hall? Some kinda of what?

*****

Karen sighed “I am not by my nature a business person really..but i have learned a thing or two...your power is only as good as your negotiating position...and that is stRictly as far as his neck.”

“I want you to turn and fly to what ever cloud you came from girl”

“i am not going to do that. Because in this situation i have considerably more power then you do. I think you can guess that”

“your not going to kill me” said Cartwright

“You know nothing about me”

“Your bluffing for time”

“Actually” said Karen....as a red beam of light flew from her eyes toward him... Cartwright winced he couldn’t dodge a laser....when it stopped

“What?”

“x ray vision. Your suits exo power functions are dependent on hyper conductive micro sequencing of the coils in your joints-which is highly dependent on a power source placed in your…

Cartwright looked down to see a small hole was in suit on his abdomen...but well he had a good plan anyway.

He tossed the scientist down off the rafters to the floor above, and at the same second umped up with his jump gate towards the glass ceiling of the convention center this would hurt. But he could get away and he could..

He made a big arch in the sky flying maybe 50 feet when...he got grabbed hard on the back and yanked in place. Conversation of motion meant that where 10 tons of force pushing him forward then any he could imagine stooped that. This hurt more then he could imagine he was standing in place

he looked back to see her holding him just with one hand. The other was holding the scientist

“I’m quick”

Karen looked down at the convention center the city, to the villain cowering in her hand But he wasn’t alone or hadn’t been. She looked down.

*****

Ric looked down at his broken katana. Thankfully he had to, as from his other arm came a second one … just as a giant metal pole hit his head.

That hurt a lot as he fell back

“No doubt” said Winston “Your suit is bullet proof, but those designs tend to be very bad at blunt force trauma”

And Ric felt about a dozen more hits to his head in quick succession as it just kept coming..he tried to raise his sword to stop it but the man pushed inside his guard

“at a certain close combat quarters swords aren’t particularly useful”

“ugh

Ric fell down to the ground in a heap.

“This was a damn stupid idea”

Andrew raced out of the convention center pushing as much as he can...he had to..he needed to get to the car. Francis had stashed a small getaway van after ditching the truck among the parking for the event..he was there and they could just get away and…

Super strong legs weren’t so much fast but he could jump fast and far on them and that was enough. God he hoped.

As he reached it, dozens of cars was the spot to see

That it been turned upside down on the ground.

Oh no.

He looked up to see her flying 5 feet above the ground.. now wearing some kind of white suit that made her look like an angel of death.

Silently.

He stood there for a second...then reached down and tore off his machine gun attachment, and pulled off his mask.

“Come on lets do this Mano o mano”

She looked at him.

“Comeon” said the man “lets fight...”

he started to cry lightly, tears coming down his face “Come on”

she landed in front of him with a slight crouch walked towards him..and waited for him to punch her.

He did. Right in the solar plexus

And broke his hand in the process.

She pointed towards her face....but he just grabbed his hand and started screaming fell to the ground, collapsing in a pile before she even had to punch him.

She looked down at him.

“Your not worth it” she sighed “Your not worth it”

Then she looked around...when a mob of people came to her..it seemed like a hundred but it was more 50.. security guards...and oh yes the press oh yes them to see her in ground…

“Whats going on?”

“Whats happening?”

Well she was wearing her super suit. Which didn’t have any kind of mask. With any luck people would be so interested in looking at her boobs..

“Ms Starr” said the reporters “Miss Starr whats happening?”

That would be a negatory on that one.

“Miss Star what did you do?”

“Miss Star why are you dressed like that?”

She looked around. Yeah people knew now. The secret she had spent all this time building, the effort....all of it was gone. She was a freak, a monster, well an alien. All of it....it was all.…

But she looked up at the people. And she realize it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter at all. All of her pretending and lies to hide what she was? It didn’t stop it. She was what she was and what she had always been and what could they do about it?

“Nuts to this” she was heard to say “I’m Power Girl, God Dammit!”