{"id":8827,"date":"2019-10-14T00:01:11","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T05:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=8827"},"modified":"2019-10-14T05:17:21","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T10:17:21","slug":"wolfenheim-emergent-vii-earc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/?p=8827","title":{"rendered":"Wolfenheim Emergent VII eARC"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wolfenheim Emergent is available at the following retailers<\/p>\n

Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Barnes and Noble<\/a><\/p>\n

Apple Books<\/a><\/p>\n

Kobo<\/a><\/p>\n

Smashwords<\/a><\/p>\n

The following is the electronic Advanced Reader Copy originally sent to my Beta Readers in December. Take a look, and if it interests you, the final version is available for purchase now.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The thing I learned when I left Earth behind is that we can rarely leave our troubles behind. They tend to follow us like limpets, never letting us get too far away. We have to deal with them, but we also have to keep our minds open for the new troubles we are certain to discover whenever we go someplace new to us. Especially when it is very old for someone else. We can find ghosts anywhere, and if we are very unlucky they will haunt us until the very end. The trick is learning which ones to fight, which to ignore, which ones we should embrace.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

VII<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The word hung on the air for several seconds. The Alamo. The patron saint of desperate last stands for ultimately victorious causes. Which didn\u2019t reverse the costs for those who held their lines at the Alamo.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know<\/em> everyone died<\/em> at the Alamo, right?\u201d Malcolm asked.<\/p>\n

Clark chuckled and aimed an amused look at Malcolm. \u201cYou shouldn\u2019t believe everything<\/em> you hear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me?\u201d Malcolm asked with genuine interest.<\/p>\n

\u201cNames and faces are so easy to change,\u201d Clark said with a wink.<\/p>\n

Malcolm frowned as he tried to discern the older man\u2019s state of mind. But Clark was a complete cipher. As usual. \u201cI\u2019m not certain if I should believe you or not.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood man,\u201d Clark said and clapped him on the shoulder again. Then the older man turned to wave a hand at the line of hills and ridges surrounding the flat plain they stood in. \u201cAny questions about this fine location that I absolutely do not<\/em> want to name Alamo?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm followed the man\u2019s gaze towards the perfect line of natural defenses. \u201cAsteroid impact?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think so,\u201d Clark said with a chuckle. \u201cOr maybe an orbital strike. It\u2019s old enough we can\u2019t really tell. Either way, it\u2019s mostly a flat circle of land twenty kilometers across surrounded by a ridgeline that is easy to fortify.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s it like underground?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSolid bedrock.\u201d Clark stomped his foot hard. \u201cNo other major geological events in thousands of years. No stresses that we can detect to cause any in the future. This is a rather quiet world as these things go.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow deep is the top soil?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA few meters in the center. Less as you get towards the outer rim. Makes for good footings for serious buildings, and enough top soil to grow good food.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs flooding an issue?\u201d This reminded Malcolm of a giant bathtub now that he thought about it.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really. There are enough cracks in the bedrock to make water flow reasonable. Though improving the drainage wouldn\u2019t hurt, especially during the wet seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are<\/em> the seasons like?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAI models project this location to be nice and moderate. Better than home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark aimed a hand to the east. \u201cFresh water seashore ten klicks beyond that ridge. The sea\u2019s big enough to do a fair job of keeping the cold away in winter, and the heat away in summer. The Californians will be jealous of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWater ski on the sea in the morning, snow ski in the mountains at night?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExactly. The boys have been trying that circuit out already.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow\u2019s it work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA few broken bones and jellyfish stings. Some shark bites and a few bears got too hungry for comfort. Same old story when coming to a new world.\u201d Clark gave Malcolm a hard stare.<\/p>\n

That answered another of Malcolm\u2019s questions before he could even ask it. Mostly. Though clarification was a good idea. \u201cDNA?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark snorted. \u201cWe ran all the tests. Had to make certain there weren\u2019t any nasty bugs looking to eat us, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight. Source?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEarth-derived. No question. We\u2019ve got a human-habitable garden planet with Earth-derived animals living all over it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm shook his head. \u201cBut we\u2019re\u2026what? Three thousand lightyears from Earth as light goes? Five thousand by hyperspace?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark shrugged. \u201cWe stopped off at a lot of places on the way out. It\u2019s the same on all of them. Every Peloran and Arnam world we checked is the same. The DNA confirms it. Oh, the geologies are always different, and there\u2019s some genetic drift, but not much. We\u2019d need to have a real biologist look at the data to confirm, but it looks like all the other colonial surveys I\u2019ve seen.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm sighed. \u201cI guess I just expected we\u2019d find something different this far from Earth. Something\u2026alien.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo such luck,\u201d Clark said with grunt. \u201cWe\u2019ve been living off the local wildlife since we arrived. They\u2019ve got all the right proteins for us to metabolize. Easiest hunting I\u2019ve ever seen. They\u2019ve got no fear of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark stopped to give Malcolm a more serious look. \u201cYour Aesiran friend is right. Humans haven\u2019t lived here in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm blinked at the statement and nodded as the subtext made it through. \u201cYou say that like you already knew it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI did,\u201d Charles said with a snort. \u201cWe found something interesting up north. Buried under a sheet of ice a hundred meters thick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm gave the man a surprised look. \u201cWhy did you go digging up there?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark sighed. \u201cWe tried all the standard frequencies when we arrived. Bunch more non<\/em>standard. Got some answers from stuff that was still here and operating from the last time humans were here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s jaw hung open for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and gave Clark a baleful stare. \u201cYou could have led with that, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Clark asked with a hearty chuckle. \u201cAnd miss that shocked look on your face? I\u2019ve been looking forward to this moment for months. Not going to waste it on a conference call.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine.\u201d Malcolm snorted in defeat. \u201cWhat did you find?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStuff older than Rome. Maybe older than Egypt.\u201d Clark shrugged. \u201cIt appears to be a network of monitoring stations with a central habitation hub designed to house no more than a few dozen humans at most.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s brow furrowed in thought. \u201cAre you certain we\u2019re talking about humans?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark laughed. \u201cAbsolutely. I know every employee of the month to grace that place for the last\u2026oh\u2026ten years of its operation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm aimed a raised eyebrow at the other man.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re calling them, at least,\u201d Clark said with another shrug. \u201cWe got hallways full of smiling faces and name plaques underneath. Writing that I really want to have a Peloran cyber take a look at. Then there\u2019s the company picnic photos. All fifty or sixty of them crowded together and smiling to the camera like they really like each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm scratched his chin and pondered that for a moment. Then he turned a furrowed look at John Clark. \u201cCould they pass for Earthborn?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh no.\u201d Clark pursed his lips. \u201cWell, not outside Japanese anime at least.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm quirked an eyebrow at the man.<\/p>\n

\u201cBig heads and eyes. Little bodies, big hands.\u201d Clark smiled and held his hands out chest level. \u201cThe girls have tatas that could double for flotation devices any day of the week. The boys are the finest of girly men. Wild hair colors and spiky styles abound.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust like a Japanese anime,\u201d Malcolm muttered.<\/p>\n

Clark nodded with amusement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wonder what that means?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark snorted again. \u201cI just wonder how those girls survived the back aches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm raised an eyebrow at Clark.<\/p>\n

Clark shrugged. \u201cSome of my boys have been suffering from unrealistic expectations of the fairer sex since arriving on world.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d Malcolm laughed at the older man. \u201cI\u2019m sure they\u2019re suffering<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark gave Malcolm the evil eye. \u201cI\u2019m serious. I don\u2019t have the resources to keep up with the requests to reformat our personal assistants.\u201d<\/p>\n

He waved a hand towards the side.<\/p>\n

A motion caught Malcolm\u2019s attention and he turned to see a\u2026woman, or maybe a girl, step into the sunlight with spiky blonde hair standing nearly a third of a meter above her head. A short shirt and jacket revealed a waistline no flesh and blood human could survive having, and, as advertised, tatas the size of basketballs. Low cut jeans and bejeweled shoes finished the wild fashion sense, merely emphasizing the body that made a Barbie doll look realistic.<\/p>\n

Malcolm\u2019s eyes picked up the dust flowing around the body as the wind broke against the real, physical body of a personal assistant\u2019s avatar, and he let out a long breath.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh,\u201d was all he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Clark growled at him. \u201cOh.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm pondered for just a moment at how quickly a discussion about possible alien life could be led so far astray.<\/p>\n

Then Clark brought them back on track with a cleared throat and a serious look.<\/p>\n

\u201cSon, I\u2019ve been looking at this place a long time. If there is one location on this planet that gives us the wide open spaces a colonist wants, the solid ground an engineer is going to demand, and the defensive positioning an old soldier like me wants, this is it. Give me a deflection dome over this crater, and it will take a fleet<\/em> to blow through it. I\u2019ve got the manpower to make them pay in cash if they come over the ground. Wide open sightlines for klicks in every direction around the crater. Maximum kill zone. This is where I want to dig in if Danaka comes calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm took another look around the crater and nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you\u2019ve convinced me. I assume you have a detailed colony plan mapped out?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark held his hand out and a hologram appeared above it, showing a rotating three dimensional map of the colony.<\/p>\n

Malcolm peered at it for a few seconds. City Hall, office buildings and habitation condos ringed a large central open area that would be the main park. Another ring of open space surrounded that complex, wide enough to drop football fields into. Lengthwise. Lines of open territory flowed north, south, east, and west, drawing out sharp delineations between the neighborhoods he could already see.<\/p>\n

The industrial park dominated the northwestern quadrant. A large shopping center held sway over the southwestern area, surrounded by smaller retail buildings. Homes filled the southeastern reaches. The northeast quadrant held everything else. Schools. Churches. Bars. Everything a growing colony needed to keep the population educated and happy.<\/p>\n

\u201cDawn?\u201d Malcolm asked.<\/p>\n

The cybernetic intelligence\u2019s holoform stepped forward into his field of vision with an impressed look on her face. \u201cYes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI assume you\u2019ve checked to make certain we have all the necessary colonization pods to fill out that colony plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn smiled. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t an exact match when we arrived, but we massaged it while you boys were talking. We can do this.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm, Park, and Clark shared knowing looks before Malcolm turned back to Dawn. \u201cDo you have any reservations towards this plan?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPlenty,\u201d Dawn said with a snort. \u201cBut every cyber in the fleet has gone over the data Clark gave us.\u201d<\/p>\n

She paused for a moment to aim a raised eyebrow at the old man. \u201cAs well as all the data he didn\u2019t<\/em> give us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark met her gaze levelly.<\/p>\n

Dawn nodded as if impressed and turned back to Malcolm. \u201cClark\u2019s people have been on world for months with some of the best survey equipment available both in orbit and on the surface. They\u2019ve overflown every square kilometer of ground and ocean there is. It would take us weeks to catch up with what he\u2019s done if we wanted to start a new survey from scratch. I think we are in agreement that we do not have that much time?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm nodded in agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith that in mind, we concur.\u201d Dawn smiled. \u201cThis location is our choice as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned to Clark and Park, who nodded their agreement as well.<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay,\u201d Malcolm said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got me. Captain Wyatt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia\u2019s holoform flickered into existence next to them.<\/p>\n

\u201cDirector McDonnell?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a colonization plan in place.\u201d He turned to look at Dawn. \u201cTransmitting now. Or was that already done too?\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn smiled, crossed her arms, and nodded. Just like she often did when doing what he asked. Or like she did when she\u2019d already<\/em> done what he was going<\/em> to ask.<\/p>\n

Olivia broke into his thoughts in a professional tone. \u201cWe have the plans. Do you wish us to transmit them to the colonization pods?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm tore his gaze away from Dawn to look at Olivia. \u201cYes, please.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTransmitting now,\u201d Olivia said and her eyes went out of focus as she waited for her crew to report. Then she turned back to Malcolm. \u201cTransmitted and received. Shall we initiate the colonization plan now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, please,\u201d Malcolm repeated.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransmitting initiation command now.\u201d Olivia smiled and her eyes went out of focus again as she watched her crew. Then she nodded and her eyes snapped back to Malcolm. \u201cOrders transmitted. I suggest you sit back and enjoy the show.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou always put on the best shows,\u201d Malcolm said with chuckle.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you, Director,\u201d Olivia said with a smile and her holoform flickered back out.<\/p>\n

Malcolm sighed and turned to see Clark and Park exchanging meaningful looks.<\/p>\n

\u201cOpinions?\u201d Malcolm asked.<\/p>\n

Clark returned Malcolm\u2019s gaze with impressive aplomb. \u201cShe\u2019s right. It will be an amazing show.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark paused to wave his hand towards several chairs arrayed outside his temporary headquarters. \u201cYou should keep your eyes peeled so you don\u2019t miss anything.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm followed his directions and moved towards the chairs. \u201cHow many colonization drops have you seen?\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark gave him a coy look and shrugged. \u201cEnough to know that it will never get old.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm sat down in answer to the older man\u2019s wave and felt the chair react to his presence. First it molded to his shape for maximum comfort, and then it leaned back to give him an unobscured look at the sky.<\/p>\n

It started with a single touch of flame as the first pod entered atmosphere. It was soon joined by a second, a third, and more. Soon dozens of pods lit the sky in flames. Then hundreds filled it<\/p>\n

It was an amazing sight.<\/p>\n

A dull roar came into existence as the pods approached. It soon rose to a thundering rumble echoing off the rim walls. Then an earth-reverberating boom washed over them as one pod after another dropped below the sound barrier.<\/p>\n

It was a mind-numbing sound.<\/p>\n

The flames faded away to reveal new stars in the sky as they descended towards earth. The bright bluish-white light signified gravplates at maximum effort, slowing the pods down before they impacted the old fashioned way.<\/p>\n

One of the falling stars flickered for a moment, then failed entirely. The colonization pod fell out of the sky like a dagger thrown by a god. It impacted outside the crater and the very ground shook in protest. A dust cloud rose up in protest, and a shockwave pushed up and over the crater rim. Another pod hammered into the ground near the first, followed by a third, and then a fourth.<\/p>\n

Malcolm winced as he thought about how much money each of those unintentional kinetic strikes cost.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry, kid,\u201d Clark said with a chuckle. \u201cYou haven\u2019t even reached a one percent failure rate yet. I\u2019ve seen colony drops go ten percent \u2018Rod from God.\u2019 Those<\/em> were exciting to watch.\u201d<\/p>\n

The last of the flaming streaks slowed to a stop outside the rim and the rumbling thunder faded. Then dozens of faintly-glowing colony pods floated out of the dust cloud to pass over the crater rim. Hundreds more followed and Malcolm felt the faint thrumming of their gravplates as they hovered over to their designated positions. The pods lowered themselves down one after another, and the thrumming of so many gravplates began to fade away.<\/p>\n

The last of the pods finally landed and opened up like flowers seeking the sun. Houses and factories came into shape one after another. Short bars squatted on future street corners and tall steepled churches rose above the landscape on other blocks.<\/p>\n

Malcolm watched the colony take shape and marveled at the sight. He looked down to see Clark\u2019s men talking and laughing amongst themselves as they leaned back in comfortable lawn chairs with their feet propped up on ammunition cases. Their hands held cold beers covered in perspiration taken straight from coolers at their sides.<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned towards Clark with an upraised eyebrow.<\/p>\n

The older man smiled back at him and raised a hand.<\/p>\n

Malcolm, Clark, and Park shared approving looks as some of Clark\u2019s men brought a cooler over to them. Clark opened it up and handed a bottle to Malcolm.<\/p>\n

Malcolm raised both eyebrows as he recognized the label. Callahan Brewery.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor special occasions,\u201d Clark said and pulled out another bottle for Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe very best,\u201d Park said as he twisted the top off and took a long draw. He finished by smacking his lips and nodding. \u201cNothing like it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed,\u201d Malcolm said and returned his eyes to the swiftly erecting colony. It was a sight worth watching. It never would have happened when he was young. It would have been impossible back then. Malcolm considered again how gravtech truly had changed everything for humanity.<\/p>\n

Then he relaxed back into his chair and watched the rest of the pods unfold. It was a thoroughly enjoyable sight, made better by old friends and good beer.<\/p>\n

Olivia\u2019s holoform flickered into existence next to them and she smiled at Malcolm. \u201cDirector?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain?\u201d Malcolm returned with raised brows.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would like to report stage one colony drop successful,\u201d Olivia said with a crisp nod. \u201cNinety percent of the pods deployed as planned. Five percent report minor errors in final deployment, and another four percent report major errors that will have to be rectified before they are deemed habitable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm aimed his partially-empty beer at the dust clouds to the west. \u201cAnd the other one percent?\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia cleared her throat and gave him a wry chuckle. \u201cI think you had a better view of them coming down than I did. We\u2019ll send out recovery teams to see what is salvageable, but even if we lose all of them, we have sufficient redundancy in the other pods. The colony will not be negatively impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood,\u201d Malcolm said with a nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cRequest permission to initiate stage two colony drop.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm smiled. \u201cGo for it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Olivia nodded and her holoform flickered back out.<\/p>\n

Malcolm looked over and raised his beer so Clark and Park could clink theirs against his and they enjoyed another long draw of the liquid nectar. Malcolm relaxed and leaned back into his chair again, enjoying the fresh breeze coming across the crater.<\/p>\n

Then a dull rumble came down from on high and Malcolm looked up to see more trails of flaming lines burning into the sky above them. He counted hundreds and then thousands of them as they streaked down towards the earth. Then he saw tens of thousands and smiled.<\/p>\n

They were taking the chance to perform a full HALO drop. He tried to remember what that meant. High Altitude something something.<\/p>\n

\u201cHigh Altitude Low Orbit drop,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned to look at the older man. \u201cWas I that obvious?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Clark snorted. \u201cI remember that frown of concentration as you tried to remember some odd piece of data you needed for a test.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTouch\u00e9,\u201d Malcolm said and raised his beer towards Clark.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m impressed managed to acquire a full assault force,\u201d Clark said with a nod of approval.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just a matter of knowing where to shop.\u201d Malcolm gave the other man a deprecating shrug. \u201cOlder models are always easier to get than newer models.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark chuckled. \u201cI\u2019m assuming you upgraded them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course,\u201d Malcolm said with a wry smile. \u201cOur Peloran friends were happy to give us a few cycles in their fabricators to bring them all up to Peloran tech.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat model are they?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait for it.\u201d Malcolm chuckled and held his empty hand in the air. \u201cI don\u2019t want to ruin the surprise for you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark raised an eyebrow at Malcolm, but shook his head and turned to look up as the first of the HALO forces dropped below the sound barrier with thunderous booms that echoed across the landscape.<\/p>\n

The drop cocoons streaked towards the earth and then unfolded like wings a few hundred meters above the ground to reveal armored bipedal figures. The wings caught the air and feathers began fluttering off as the wind tore at them. The figures slowed though, and the feathers fell around each of them like rain.<\/p>\n

Malcolm remembered from his briefing that each feather carried electronic counter measures that jammed or obscured them from any sensor during the final phase of their orbital drops. Even the Mark One Eyeball.<\/p>\n

The first of the figures impacted with the ground like titans come to earth, throwing up plumes of dust around them. Then they stood up as the wind whisked the dust away to reveal feminine forms, armor a stereotypical Norse god might have worn, and long blonde hair.<\/p>\n

Clark turned to Malcolm again. \u201cValkyries? Are those real<\/em> Valkyries?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDirect from Asgard.\u201d Malcolm waggled his eyebrows towards the older man.<\/p>\n

Clark shook his head in amazement.<\/p>\n

There were dozens of cheap imitations, but honest-to-God Valkyrie Combat Systems were one of the best ground-based integrated AI defense systems out there. In Earthborn humanity\u2019s space at least. And almost every single one of them defended a colony or world inhabited by descendents of the Scandinavian nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think those crazy Scandinavians would sell those girls for any<\/em> amount of money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI never said I used money<\/em>,\u201d Malcolm retorted. Then he waggled his eyebrows at Clark. \u201cI found something they wanted more<\/em> than money.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m impressed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark frowned as the valkyries folded their wings into their backs and began moving towards the nearest colony pods with purposeful strides.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d be real interested in seeing your Aesiran\u2019s reaction the first time he sees these girls,\u201d Clark said and gave Malcolm a serious look.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not my Aesiran,\u201d Malcolm began equally seriously. \u201cBut I\u2019ve had that same thought myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t suppose you forgot to tell him about these girls?\u201d Clark asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs a matter of fact,\u201d Malcolm said. \u201cI do believe it slipped my mind.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t say,\u201d Clark muttered.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot a word.\u201d<\/p>\n

Park shook his head sadly as more valkyries came in for a landing. \u201cWe\u2019re going to have to work on your information sharing priorities, I see.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I share just fine,\u201d Malcolm said and watched the valkyries move towards other colonization pods.<\/p>\n

\u201cErik may not agree,\u201d Park said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThen Erik may wish to be more forthcoming about when exactly his people first found their way to Earth,\u201d Malcolm said with a pointed look towards the preacher.<\/p>\n

Park raised his beer to acknowledge the point. Then he shrugged. \u201cDo you really expect him to tell you they came to Earth and we worshiped them as gods?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot really.\u201d Malcolm shook his head. \u201cBut isn\u2019t that the important question? Did they play god with us? Did they create our religions in their image?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they did,\u201d Park said with a shrug. \u201cMost of our religions are based on the idea that God or gods came from another world to visit us. They\u2019re alien by their own admission.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t tell me you\u2019re okay with the idea that your Jesus was just some random alien.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlien? Yes.\u201d Park smiled at him and then shook his head. \u201cBut not random by any measure. I do not follow God because he has power. Many people have power, and I do not follow them. But He sent his son to Earth where He allowed Himself to be nailed to a Roman cross and hung there in agony until He drowned in His own fluids. All because He wanted to save us, to show us another path we could live by. What alien have you met out here<\/em> that would be willing to do that<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm let out a long breath at Park\u2019s words. They were hard to argue with.<\/p>\n

\u201cMalcolm, my faith is not weakened by the fact that we have met aliens. It is strengthened<\/em> by it. These aliens are proof that there are things out here that we do not understand. Things we took as faith in the past have been proven true by all we\u2019ve seen out here. And other things we\u2019ve taken as faith were proved false. Or a misunderstanding on our part.\u201d<\/p>\n

Park sighed and looked at the valkyries moving to perform their first jobs on this planet. \u201cPerhaps Erik\u2019s people did<\/em> come to us from on high, just as these girls did. And perhaps some of us worshipped them as gods. Perhaps they even encouraged it. But do not be angry with Erik for something his ancestors<\/em> did. He is no more at fault for that than you are for your parents\u2019 actions.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm gave the preacher a long look. \u201cYou have a gift for making me question things I thought I had a handle on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Park smiled and tapped the cross necklace hanging from his neck. \u201cIt comes with the calling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm and Clark shared a smile before leaning back to watch the valkyries make their methodical way across the new colony, checking individual modules as they went. Sometimes they had to kick one to open it the way it should. Sometimes two or more congregated around a single pod to give it more direct attention. But they had most of the pods straightened away in minutes, and then moved to take guard positions where they could keep an eye on everything.<\/p>\n

And one of them turned to walk towards their extremely attentive audience.<\/p>\n

Malcolm, Park, and Clark. The soldiers had been extremely attentive in their own right, but she did not approach them to their supreme disappointment. They voiced their disappointment that the very pretty robot lady just walked on by with little more than an amused look at them.<\/p>\n

Then Malcolm realized he recognized that very pretty robot lady. He turned to aim a pointed look at Park. \u201cYou didn\u2019t tell me she was one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Park just smiled and shrugged. \u201cYou didn\u2019t ask.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTouch\u00e9,\u201d Malcolm said and turned back to smile towards the cybernetic intelligence that had become the preacher\u2019s close friend during the long voyage.<\/p>\n

Kara smiled at him and came to a stop as Captain Wyatt\u2019s holoform appeared next to Malcolm.<\/p>\n

\u201cDirector. Captain,\u201d Kara began with a formal nod towards each. \u201cI would like to report that the colony site is secure, and nearly all pods are fully deployed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the unhappy pods?\u201d Malcolm asked with a pointed look at one of those still acting up.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were beaten until morale improved,\u201d Kara said with an innocent smile.<\/p>\n

Clark laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like this one,\u201d he said to Park.<\/p>\n

Park just raised his hands behind his neck and leaned back into his chair with a satisfied smirk.<\/p>\n

Kara turned back to Olivia with another nod and finished her report. \u201cWe\u2019re ready to receive colonists.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDirector?\u201d Olivia asked with an upraised eyebrow.<\/p>\n

\u201cProceed,\u201d Malcolm answered.<\/p>\n

Olivia and nodded and her holoform faded back out of existence.<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned to Kara again with a wry look. \u201cSo how do you like the valkyries?\u201d<\/p>\n

Kara smiled at him. \u201cThey\u2019re unique. I like that. Though I\u2019ve met smarter AIs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not playing with their programming, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course not.\u201d Kara chuckled. \u201cPlaying would suggest I don\u2019t know what I\u2019m doing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d Malcolm shook his head. \u201cSo what are<\/em> you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTweaking.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm raised one eyebrow at her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve been upgrading their processing capabilities so they think better. They\u2019re smarter. They\u2019re more adaptable. Some of them might even wake up and realize they\u2019re alive. I\u2019ve got my eye on one or two that are bouncing off full awareness right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malcolm turned a questioning look at Dawn and she nodded in full agreement.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not sure I\u2019ve ever seen a cyber wake up,\u201d he whispered in idle curiosity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s usually a long enough process that nobody notices it,\u201d Dawn returned with a smile. \u201cEven most awakened cybers don\u2019t know when they woke up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah,\u201d Malcolm said with a sad shake of his head. \u201cThat\u2019s a good point.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dawn and Kara shared a quick look.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll see what we can do,\u201d Kara said with a nod.<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm?\u201d Malcolm asked, momentarily confused by the change in subject.<\/p>\n

Then a warning alarm came to life and Malcolm turned to Dawn once again.<\/p>\n

\u201cMultiple hyperspace incursions have been detected,\u201d she reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cDamn,\u201d Malcolm whispered and turned to Park and Clark.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not<\/em> calling this place Alamo, right?\u201d Park asked in a wry tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely not,\u201d Clark answered with a shake of his head.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was really hoping she\u2019d give us more time before she caught us,\u201d Malcolm added in what was probably one of the most unneeded statements he\u2019d uttered in his entire life.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not Caroline,\u201d Dawn said in a far more serious tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Malcolm asked in confusion.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re picking up Shang targeting systems,\u201d Dawn reported.<\/p>\n

\u201cAh, hell,\u201d Malcolm exclaimed as a cold chill ran down his spine. \u201cHow did they find us?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d Dawn answered. \u201cBut the squadron is scrambling to intercept now.\u201d<\/p>\n

The decision flowed through Malcolm as quickly as the chill that preceded it. It was hot and powerful and shivered him down to his bones. He\u2019d done his job. He\u2019d gotten the colony expedition to her final destination. Now it was time to make it stick.<\/p>\n

He rose to his feet and nodded towards Dawn.<\/p>\n

Dawn smiled, crossed her arms, and nodded right back at him in a message of full understanding and acceptance.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou two stay here!\u201d Malcolm ordered and turned to run towards his fighter.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing, kid?\u201d Clark asked.<\/p>\n

Malcolm stopped at the foot of the ladder and turned back to the older man. \u201cDefending my colony.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got professionals to do that for you,\u201d Clark said in a calming tone.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d Malcolm gave him a proud smile. \u201cI hired them. I\u2019d be a poor excuse for a boss if I abandoned them now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Clark nodded in understanding. \u201cGood luck, kid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo with God, son\u201d Park added with one hand wrapped around his cross necklace.<\/p>\n

Malcolm nodded his thanks to the older men and scrambled up into the fighter\u2019s cockpit as Dawn lifted them off the ground.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wolfenheim Emergent is available at the following retailers Amazon Barnes and Noble Apple Books Kobo Smashwords The following is the electronic Advanced Reader Copy originally sent to my Beta Readers in December. Take a look, and if it interests you,[…]↓ Read the rest of this entry…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8827","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-2309-wolfenheim-emergent-earc","uentry","postonpage-1","odd","post-author-medron-pryde"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8827","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8827"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8827\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8828,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8827\/revisions\/8828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8827"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8827"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackofharts.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8827"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}