F
U T U R E B A R R I E R
( The
4th Novel )
Secret Technology,
Unrequited Love, Absolute Vengeance
© July
2020
- Written by David
Wicker
Please do
not reprint without permission
CHAPTER 58 -
"A Tale Of Two Plugins"
[
CHOOSE A
DIFFERENT
CHAPTER TO
READ ]
* * *
This chapter is
Rated: TEEN
Good afternoon.
As of last Thursday I was taking a break from programming that EVE engine. It's all getting very tedious and difficult to maintain, though it's looking pretty good I think.
I'm still hearing the occasional fireworks outside about 2am in the morning. This kids not being in school or college thing must surely be wearing down the students just bored out of their gourd trying to think up things to do to entertain themselves outside of cellphone activity.
I think the way we're bringing up kids now too has a definite bearing on it.
Tommy Lee Jones in the movie, "No Country For Old Men" worded it best I think.
"You know, if you'd a told me twenty years ago I'd see children walking the streets of our Texas towns with green hair and bones in their noses, I just flat out wouldn't of believed you.
Signs and wonders. But I think once you quit hearin' 'sir' and 'ma'am' the rest is soon to follow."
The fact that parents can't carry out discipline on their kids with a good and much-needed spanking - I fully believe is going to have kids of the future thinking they can get away with anything with no consequences to their negative actions.
There are a great many things I told myself as a child I'd like to grow up to be and one was an astronaut. The other was a policeman.
Wild horses and berry beer couldn't make me want to be a policeman today, not with all that's going on and teenagers running wild like they are. Nossir. While as we fully and well know there are indeed some corrupt policemen out there in the force.
There are also those good folk out there just trying to put a tourniquet on all the crime and savagery we face in these modern times. Hard job indeed I would definitely not want ...
We now return back to our regularly scheduled chapter ...
Janet was rather enjoying her position sitting on me and quite content with the fact I had become completely immobile.
Just then the door opened and she didn't react quickly enough to jump off.
Dr. Bentley had full sight of her sitting straight on me and while he thought that was terrible behavior of one of his agents, he also realized that she was use to any means at her disposal to keep me there until further notice.
Nonetheless he did rush forward to see me but then smiled to find that I was completely asleep. That apparently I was still feeling a little dizzy back from the anesthetic back in the party room.
He hit a button beside the bed and the restraining manacles were released.
Tyr followed shortly after and was not aware of what Janet was doing earlier and warmly greeted her. Then told her that both her own parents and mine were apparently kidnapped.
Bentley turned off the television and related all there was.
Hearing Tyr's voice I woke back up and still feeling a little dizzy, staggered out of bed. There was no way I was going to tell Tyr what the wicked Janet had done to me so I kept quiet.
But Bentley did want to know more about this plugin. He knew enough not to ask Tyr who was just going to draw a rectangle with a smiley face in it. Instead he asked me if I had it on my person.
I said no. He asked where it was ? I told him it was part of me now. That a being named Darceon was responsible.
Strangely he seemed to believe my story. So then we got to discussing why they would want the PLUGIN if they had already taken Tyr's.
Tyr was the first to speak here, "Cause it don't work no mores."
Bentley questioned, "What do you mean by that, Tyr ?"
She said, "It worked for an itty bitty bit, then the light wents out."
Bentley looked to me, "Light ? What light ?"
"I can draw it if you like." I told him.
He agreed and sat me down by a computer to draw it. I told him I need a coin, a quarter beside the 3D paint program so I could draw it to scale.
He did so and a pixeled image of a quarter appeared on the right-side of the screen. I quickly used the mouse and drew the exact size and shape of the plugin device. Then using a fill routine took the inner sphere and tried to give it a blue glow.
He came to bring up a few menu options and quickly printed it on a color printer. Then using a cutting board and razor snipped out two pictures. The front view and cross-section view of what I drew.
I nodded. That was it.
He then brought up some more menu functions and a new printer fired to life. This one was one of those new 3D printers. Unlike the ones I had read about though, this was indeed a fancy and expensive one and printed quite quickly out the device, but the front cover was printed separately.
He reached into a what-not drawer and pulled out a small button watch battery. Then snapped that into place. Using wires from the same drawer hooked it up to shine a small blue LED light.
He then reached in a 3rd drawer which was filled with many different sizes of what looked like more watch batteries, but somehow I knew they were not. He found an especially small once and clicked it on top of the battery.
"Tracking device." he stated simply.
Then snapped the top cover on it with a satisfying click. Then handed it to me.
I marveled at how close I had come to describing it and here it was, back in my hand again.
I spoke, "Right, the blue light shines always."
He shook his head, "That light is only gonna shine for about 12-hours, then it won't. But does THIS look very close to what it was you had before it became part of you ?"
I nodded. It really was very close, even the texture seemed correct. "It had a regular metal hub at the bottom though."
He fingered around in a 2nd what-not drawer and pulled out the bottom piece for building a custom USB device and snapped that into place over it.
"How about now ?"
My eyes grew wide. If I didn't know this was drawn and printed here I would swear it was the original.
"Exact" I said. I was indeed impressed we managed to make such a facsimile and so quickly too.
"Good. Time is getting away. It's already 11pm here. Look, it's clear both of your parents were taken, from each of you. My own family is at risk too. They are trying to make a deal here. I'll bring the fake plugin for them and we'll find out their base of operation via the tracking device."
Tyr then spoke, "But it's fake. Why don't we just give them the real one ?"
I sighed, "Tyr. Weren't you paying attention ? The main plugin is now part of me, Darceon put it there."
"Oh yeah."
I rolled my eyes. That's fine.
Bentley added, "I'm bringing my family here too for safety. Janet ? Can I get you to bring them here."
She nodded, "I'm on it." and was out the door.
"What about us ?" I asked him.
* * *
He looked to me, "Dev. I can't force you to stay here but I think it's dangerous for your to be home or even at your friend's house. For the good of all I'd like you to stay here."
Just then his wrist communicator beeped. He stepped back a bit to listen. Then spoke to me, "Dev. We are having difficulty getting your - vehicle to open. Could you help us with it ?"
I was angry now, "Look you took that from me ! I was doing fine without you ! suspect my parents would still be fine if you and your team here hadn't intervened !"
The doctor changed his tone, "Son, are you a patriot to your country ?"
"A what ?" I asked. Where on Earth was this conversation going.
"Watch this." He went to the TV and hit a single multi-colored button. Then spoke again, "We need patriots not shirkers. I need to go for now."
The TV lit up and a video appeared showing a U.S. Flag waving in the background. Text appeared over it. "The show will being in 1:00." And indeed it started to count down at 1-minute. Tyr and me grabbed some chairs and sat forward.
Then very patriotic music started playing on a high-pitched flute followed by dramatic drums. The flag parted to show - I guess he was some type of military Admiral or something. He came close to the camera and saluted - and forgive me, I saluted too.
Tyr giggled. I told her to hush, that this could be important.
The Admiral got straight to the point. "I'm Admiral Byrd here, and I have a question for you citizen. Are you a traitor to your country ?"
"A what ?" I asked myself.
He repeated louder, "That's right, citizen. I'm asking you, are YOU a TRAITOR to your country !?"
I shook my head, "No." Tyr did the same.
He got closer and there were bright reflections from the number of medals he was wearing.
"Then why aren't you helping us here ?"
The camera pulled back and new patriotic music started to play. "We're all good soldiers here, citizen. We're all good Americans. And we need you to do your part for us. It's time for you to help your country ! Whatever knowledge you may know, whatever ability you may have, they are best serviced in the line of our great and fair country, the United States Of America !"
He sat there and looked at me for a moment through the TV, or at least it seemed that way.
Then he barked an order, "Attention !"
I immediately stood kicking the chair out from behind me. Tyr followed suit a few seconds later.
He repeated, "Attention, citizen ! Are you at attention ?"
"Yessir !" I responded. Tyr repeated me.
He seemed angry, "I can't hear you, citizen. I will ask you again. Are you at attention !?"
"Yessir, sir ! I am at attention, sir !" I shouted. Tyr just shrieked playfully.
I glowered back at her but then had my eyes back on the TV.
He leaned forward and had a riding crop in one hand, pointing it at the camera. "Then no more talk of keeping secrets, no more talk of keeping your special abilities to yourself. We need you, son. And we need you, ma'am."
"Now go out there ! Make me proud ! Help your U.S. government in any way you can ! It is hard working people such as yourself that made our great country what it is today ! Before you are dismissed Let me hear a, "yessir !'" and he saluted again.
"Yessir !" I shouted and saluted. Tyr just saluted and sat back down. I guess she wasn't really into it.
He then yelled, "Dismissed !"
I didn't know what else to do at that point so I just saluted again.
The video clicked off and an equally looking impressive military man entered from a different door. "You can do your part for us right now ... err ..." and his voice trailed off for a second.
Then continued, "Right, Dev, and Tyr. Come here, please."
We did so. He then pulled from his pocket two pins. They were beautifully made. The shape of an armor shield with a triangle at the bottom and the two familar curves at the top and of a U.S. Flag overlay image.
He pinned them on each of us and spoke, "There, citizens. You are now each an honored member of the secret service of the United States Government. It is your job to help us in any capacity that you can. Now if you are confused or afraid about anything, you come to me. I am your friend. I am General Wilson, at your service."
He then held out his hand. I shook it. As I did he pulled me forward into a comrade hug and patted me twice hard on the back. "Welcome to the team, son !" Then pushed me back, saluting.
I returned the salute. Tyr did so almost in time to me.
He smiled, "Good citizens. Let's face your first challenge." and he walked to enter an elevator and we joined him.
. . .
With Bentley, he had taken the company car to the place he was supposed to meet the "Order Of The White Rabbit."
Strangely waiting for him was an all-white limousine. Even the windows were painted solid white. Bentley had to wonder how anyone could see anything out there.
He started to approach the car when a scary voice spoke over very loud speakers, "That's close enough, Dr. Bentley ! Did you bring the plugin ?"
Bentley nodded. He held it up in the air and the very clear blue light could be seen shining from it.
The scary voice spoke again, "You are a wise man, Dr. Bentley. It would not do to trifle with us. Place the plugin device directly here on the brick provided, walk back to your car and do not follow us. You go straight home to the family. The family you just saved."
Bentley looked down and saw there was indeed a solid white brick, about twice the size used to build the bridge he was under and placed the device there.
He hesitated for a moment trying to think of anything to say but couldn't think of anything. Instead he did as they requested, turned around, went back to his vehicle and drove straight home just in case someone might be checking to see if he drove somewhere else.
Unseen to him the back door of the limousine opened and a man stepped out in a fine business suit. He carried with him a cane that had white and pink swirls like a barber-pole up to the top where a large brass and copper rabbit's head could be seen.
But you could also not see his face as he wore a strange completely white porcelain mask of a large and rather fierce looking rabbit, complete with long ears. The mask was such that it covered his entire head including behind. You could not see any hair ears or even much of the neck.
With white gloves covering his fingers, he went out to retrieve the plugin.
He looked it over a moment, the way the blue light shined from the middle of it. Grunted in satisfaction, then returned back to the limousine. Back inside the back door closed and the vehicle took off in no hurry at all.
END OF CHAPTER 58
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