.....The President first question was from a middle aged woman in a
pink dress. The president recognized her as being the times reporter.
Her question was. "What extreme threat did this floating mass of ship
make to U.S for you to drop a nuclear bomb on them?" The President
was taking aback by the question, he paused and took a long drink of water
form a tall class on the podium and then glance at the computer screen
on the podium before answering. It seemed he would start with the trues
and end with a half trues. He began by saying. "I don't want to sound
off hand but it was either us or them". This got a little chuckle from
one of the reporter but the President did not smile. He when on." And
the reason are quit clear to Wall Street, the Navy and the F.B.I. .This
nation economy has been deviated by a illegal banking network that are
minting there own money, the navy has suffered loses to this grouping of
cement submarines and the F.B.I. had been unable to stop a steady string
of people being kidnaped to work in there factories. Let me also
say that the device we used was one of the smallest devices in our arsenal.
It was carefully targeted to do the lease damage and still do its
job it was necessary because conventional bombing was not possible do to
the crippling of several aircraft carriers that were had sent
to the area and the fact that the area was difficulty to target." Now may
I have the next question please from you." And the president pointed
to a reporter from one of the TV network. The reporter asked "Mr. President
are you saying ballistic missiles with conventional warheads could not
have destroyed this power plant and why destroy it." The President
answered. "The location of this target was under water and invisible
to spy satellite and the reason was this plant was producing nuclear
grade bomb making material." The reporter quickly followed up with
the question. "Mr. President the brotherhood claims their was
no intention of making plutonium bombs the plutonium was to be used to
make additional power plates." Well" The president said. "The
amount was well over what they could possibly use for a additional power
plant these hybrid plants used very little plutonium and also there making
tritium that can be used in hydrogen bombs"
.....A Mac truck was twenty minutes from the Kansas City stock yards
with three hundred bail of green hay when the diver turned white in contrast
to his dark left forearm that was hanging over the opened window of his
truck. The news of the nuclear attack on the Lily Pad City of the Brotherhood
was a total surprise to him. Billy was also surprised and hurt. He liked
the president and he especially like the snake oil salesman style of the
President, he had even voted for him in the last election. But today he
was frightened for his country and himself. Because he was a upstanding
member of the brotherhood himself and what the President did today was
going over the edge even by today standards of bombing anymore how
mite stand in the way of America world dominance as long as they where
not part of a Western or Eastern power bases.
.....News finally came from the Lily Pad City. It seemed that it was
still there. Even after a nuclear attack. It seemed that there boast that
they could survive even a nuclear attack was not empty boast. The
best news was that the nuclear power ring was only turned to dust. It could
be remelted than molded and cut as for the mega ton iron pump it was at
the bottom of the ocean and would remain there. It seemed that the bomb
was dropped just the right place so the citizens were mostly spared but
for a few that didn't take the warring of the attack seriously.
.....The news that Billy was most interested in was the benchmark of
the invisible penny and it came in unchanged from yesterday. Then his personal
information came next. The information for Billy personal bills was not
good. His insurance was up and so was his job hours. That made him wince
it seemed that he would have to be a part of the rebuilding of the parts
of the Ring City that was destroyed.
........It was three o'clock in the afternoon when Billy arrived at
the outskirts Kansas City he was almost ready to head to the stock yards
when he received a message from his dispatcher. She was almost frantic
to know if he had delivered his load to his destination. After he assured
her he was almost there she got calmer.
......She had a new destination for the delivered of the hay he had
was not ready to take it till tomorrow so he had a day to waste
until they were really to take delivered. This was a little unusual and
worrisome a load of hay was not that imported for all the excitement he
knew there was only hay on his truck he had loaded some of it himself and
busted open several bails and saw nothing. So it must be the latest news
that had set everyone off. She gave him the new address for the delivery.
So he had a night to kill. He wasn't a total stranger to Kansas City so
he headed for a bar with a delicatessen known as Kelly's in the old warehouse
district just off Broadway in one of the only places were he could
find parking for his tractor and trailer by the railroad tracks but before
him left for the bar he got a fat tube for this sport bag and place it
in the hay in the top stack and after he made adjustments to his
palm top computer he was reasonably sure his connection to the black light
net would work after sundown and the crescent moon was out. The bar was
almost empty but for a few old winos when Billy steeped in.
.....Billy set in back and had a Reuben sandwich and a beer while settling
down to watch the news on T.V. there was continues coverage of the bombing
He watched the nuclear blast shown every ten minute in between the President
News conference and news commentators. There was no coverage yet of the
people killed and wounded by the blast the only mention of the human cost
was the comment of how the devastation of the brotherhood second largest
city had caused unbearable losses. Even though it was the same broadcast
over and over billy watch for hours until the Friday night crowd starting
to arrived. When his palm top came alive with pictures and sound. That
was being transmitted on a low amplitude F.M. signal from his black light
laser. That he had place in the hay on his rig. Also in the tube was a
high power telescope with a ultra violet detector and two tracking motors.
That track thousands of other laser dots displayed on the dark side of
the moon.
......The news from the Jesse network was a little for more detailed
than that of National News. The first thing Billy was able to download
was a video made from a camera that was close of the nuclear blast . It
showed park land and deserted roads being tossed into the air as the shock
wave met up with them. The blast was to bright bright to film. Only white
could be seen. Billy cut to another news commentator that detailed how
the casualties were kept fairy low. It seemed there was fifteen minutes
warring before the blast occurred. They even knew where the missile was
launched from. It was a corn field in Iowa where the Minute Man made it
journey to the city.
......But then Billy thought better of watching a illegal broadcast
in a crowded bar and turned his palm top off. The news on the T.V. over
the bar was turned to a discussion with a professor of computer science
and a broadcaster over what brought the brotherhood to being bombed. The
commentator was saying "professor we can disagree with why it was necessary
to use nuclear weapons but let talk about how the city became such a threat
to his nation economy." The professor smoothed back this long hair
and started speaking. "Well it was partly because of the brotherhood
practice of using any patent or copyrighted device or information and for
that matter any software while only paying a small amount of cash to the
originators and then integrated the knowledge into their brotherhood for
their own needs. This gave them a unfair advantage over the rest of the
world especially with the advent of more powerful processing computers
and human assistant rapped fire robotics production techniques and there
abilities to use their fish scale cyanide tooth computer to keep their
secrets.
....... The commentator next question was. "Is this the only advantage
they have?" ."Well" said the professor. "There teaching technique
are somewhat superior in that personalized computer tutoring has some advantage
in keeping students interested in there work also making it a game that
make it a learning game didn't hurt".. The commentator smoothed back
the hair that he didn't have because he had shaved it of and now his head
looked lake a brown bowling ball. His next words to professor Johnson was.
"Professor this sounds like something we can do in our schools is it
not?" The professor smiled and said. "It is but you would still
have two go to class and take the exams and also wait four years to graduate
before you are qualified to work at your new profession and also the brotherhood
teaching game have been made illegal by our federal government." This
made the news commentator smile. He said. Well there has been problems
with their teaching children to make bomb." The professor also smiled
and said. "Yes I believe it was lessons in how to make fuel air shape
charges that caused a lot of children being burned but let not leave out
there courses in don't earn don't pay tax relief a rather popular self
efficient co-op philosophy." The commentator raised his eyebrows at
that last statement and said. "Professor you don't practice these tax
evasion techniques do you?" The professor smiled and said. "Only
if there perfectly legal" and laughed.
.....The commentator shook his head and said. "Can you give me a
example?" Well said the professor. "A good example is this
show. I'm only paying taxes on the little amount of money you are paying
me and not on the very valuable exposure I am getting to hawk my book."
"Well" said the host. " I can accept that as being legal but
do you have say a illegal banking account with the Golden West Bank?" "Well
no of course not." said the professor "If I did I would be sending
my self to jail by telling the government wouldn't I?" The commentator
held out his hand to the professor and as they shook hands the commentator
said. " This is all the time we have for now but let me thank you for"
a informative discussion on this latest crisis. The camera cut in for
a close up as he said.. In the next hour we will have a nuclear physicist
to discuss if the government claims that their will be no fall out risk
from the Atom bomb or from the nuclear reactor that was destroyed.
.......Billy attention to the T.V. was interrupted by a young lady
standing behind him who was watched the news along with a small crowd of
bar patrons. She was asking her girlfriend if they would be in danger of
being exposed to fallout. Billy could not help but say "No we would
probably not be in danger because your in Kansas City and the wind is blowing
away from Southern California so unless there was a lot more radiation
and a wind change where safe California has received a lot more radiation
in the '40s to the '60s when we were doing above ground nuclear test in
Nevada.. By the way if you lived there you should let me check your breast
for tumors." This got him a dirty look which he wanted. Her comment
was is that your best pickup line Billy smiled and said no
I'm not trying to pick you up girl her comment was well I only
visited California so I don't need a examination by you. Really. He
said. is there anything else that I can do for you. I'm just a lonely
country boy in the big city. Her response was sure you are he
raised a cowboy boots and motion to them and said don't you smell the
manure Billy was surprise when she leaned over and sniffed the nap
of his neck and said no but I do smell weed Billy gave a look of
surprise that's not weed its hay. I'm hauling a load for a friend, oh
really. she said oh yes he commented the truck is
out by the railroad tracks if you what a see, "Yes" she said
"I saw that you were boxed in by several cars". Oh shit was
his response well it looks like I'm going to be here all night so would
you ladies like something from the deli on me." "Oh" she said no drinks.
"Well" he said "maybe? "
........After a they settle down at a table in the back of the bar,
by the deli window and ordered sandwiches and more beer, they started to
talk more about the hot topic of the day. The brotherhood misfortunes,
Billy soon had his arm around the brunette waist and was talking about
how the government would probably bomb the Lily Pad City again if they
were to rebuilt there nuclear power plant. The red head didn't agree. She
said "Why did they get bomb in the first place?" Billy answer was.
"They were just to easy of a target being concentrated in one place
like that" She said "Come on their had to be a reason beyond that.."
Well said Billy. "It was most likely that they were challenging the
capitalist power of the whole worlds by entering their market with cheaper
goods. What goods". was her response "well for one they were selling
hydrogen fuel much cheaper than oil, they were also selling aluminum and
that was probably only the beginning how could they do that." She asked..
"well" He said. "If you have really cheap power you can process
almost anything after all its a the price of energy that will determined
the price of any maternal that we use."
..... After Billy last statement he held up his hands before the redhead
had a chance to argue some more and said. "Wait it looks like where
going to have a nice long argument so let's get on a first name basis I'm
called Bill AND don't call me Billy and you girl names are?"
"Lisa" Said the nice redhead. She had green eyes and a nice young figure
the brunette with blue eyes and just a little less of the build said. "I'm
Susan clad to meet you Billy" He gave her a little hug with this left arm
and was rewarded with a giggle from Susan as she wrestled his hand from
her waste. "You be good "
.......She said. "You wouldn't know how !!hard!! I'm trying to be
good " he said. as he placed his hand on her exposed knee that was
twelve" inches from the split in her floor length black skirt she firmly
put his hand on the table I bet your trying hard to be good she laughed
he placed his hand around his cold glass of beer " Let me just cool
off my hand before I get in to much trouble." She looked a little suspicious
as well she should. "Well where were we." He said. "We were arguing
if the president was right to nuke a city,. it seems by his opinion they
were a extreme danger to the whole world." Lisa was just starting her
next argument when a tall young man called out her name "Lisa how are
you doing long time no see, move over I have something to show
you". Unfortunately for billy she quickly moved over so the green
giant could sit down next to her. "Hay brow Im Steve" "Bill"
was Billy responds.. "He cool?" Steve said nodding to Billy "yes
he's trying to act like he's all legal but he knows way to much about the
brotherhood." Was Lisa response to Steve question.
......."What level in the brotherhood are you Bill?" Steve asked
"Well" Billy answered "Not very high at all and I don't need
to know where you are easier." Steve laughed "ok be cool I haven't
heard someone talk like you since I last talked to a twenty in the brotherhood."
Billy thought "This guy is a forty if not lower on the ladder,
one being the top and the inner circle of the brotherhood."
......Steve looked over to Susan and said. "Where's Bob these days?"
Susan gave Steve a dirty look and said. "He's out of town and I
don't know where, maybe he left to make the big money working for the brotherhood
on one of those submarines that smuggle in weed from Mexico." "Hay" Steve
said I do think Bob is in to that but I'll admit he did enjoy that last
party even if you didn't Susan." "Well" Susan said. "They were smoking
so much weed that I got sick from breathing in the smoke ,I should have
know not to go to a party of one of Bob's friends". Steve just laughed
yes. "I have heard about Bob's friends and there parties you should"
come to one of our hacker programming sessions you'll be bored stiff"
"Well" Susan said "At least I be able to leave the party and
not see strange colors when I look at car lights. so what do you have to
show us Steve" "Well" Steve said "you know that lawyer you
recommended to me so I could straightened out my police record, well he
was able to take that conviction on that weapons charges off my record,
you know the one where they caught me with a illegal automatic the one
that I tooled up on my advanced lathe." Lisa turned to Steve and said.
"Maybe you should throw away that illegal lathe and get a legal one,
you don't need all that advanced robotics and you don't need to be making
thing you find off that illegal network, most of that stuff will get you
in a lot of trouble you know" "Yes Lisa" Steve said." But
can I get a machine tool that will work off a drum magazine, one
that will work without me standing over it all day." "So you are
a one man factory we are Im pressed Steven!" Lisa said. Steve smiled.
..........."You would be quite impressed if you seeing the output
I have, day in and day out" Steve said. Lisa asked. "So what
do you have to show us now Steve" "Well" Said Steve. "Beginning
his left hand under Lisa nose. "See these small pin hole in the joints
of my figure, these are the places where the doctor put in my sensor disc
to detect the movements of my fingers, and this bandage covers where
the battery was put in my wrists and if I roles up my sleeve you can see
where she put in another set of disk in my elbow and under my shoulder,
I'm a now a walking cyborg." "Your a nut." Susan said. "To have
those things put in you, what good are they?" "Well I can type on a keyboard
without touching it but mainly I use it to train my robotic lathe." Billy
had been taking it all in and said "Steve you know they have a very
good gloves and full body suits that well take in every movement of your
body." "I know Bill but there bulky and expensive and also hot. My shop
is not air condition, and that because I have to haul butane up to my shop
every day as is to power what a have and Im not hauling more fuel to power
a air conditioner." Steve said. "How did you get a doctor to wire
you anyway?" Lisa asked. "Well" Steve said.. "I couldn't
before I got a better clearance and I couldn't get that until my police
record was cleared up, the dam brotherhood is really sticky about letting
you have anything's that the police can check you for by x-raying you."
Just then a alarm from his pocket interrupted Steve. Billy also received
a attention buzzer from his palm top in his pocket, as Steve checked his
readout Billy saw a the group of five police cars pull up next to the bar.
Some one outside must had seen the police first, and had set off a alarm
over all the brotherhood members palm top computers that the police raid
was happening. As a large group of police entered the bar one of the patrons
placed a package under a chair and as the group of police worked their
way to the back of the bar the package when off like a bundle of firecrackers
filling the bar with smoke and explosions. When the police drew their police
revolver the crowd panic and rush for the fire exits. Billy was taking
the chicken way out, and leaving the girl and Steve behind and blended
into the panicking crowd and, as he lift the bar by the side fire exit.
As a couple of police grab Steve. billy didn't stop to help he just walked
down the street disregarding the police orders to stay in the area. Billy
decided to stay close to the bar and wait for everyone to leave. He still
had his rig parked by the railroad tracks and the bar would have to clear
out before he could move his truck. But Billy didn't have long to wait
before the police left. So in spite of his better judgment he stepped back
into the bar to find the girl. They were still at their table and talking
another girl that he didn't know.
"......Hello I'm back what's been going on while I've been gone?"
Billy asked his friends. "You disappeared awfully fast we thought the
cops got you to Bill" Lisa said. "The cops came in and took Steve
down town for having a palm top computer in his pocket, so we thought they
arrested you to, where have you been Bill?" Billy's answer was. "No"
Said Lisa they tried to bust up a big party of brotherhood members
a few times but I don't think there was a big party tonight, so maybe this
was the next best place to find brotherhood members. This place has been
a favorite spot for a while for hackers and computer experts to hang out
and party. do you think it has something to do with what else is happened
today" "Yes I think so, there will probably be several places hit
tonight, all over the country I would say." Billy said.
......Susan looked at little worried as she said "I don't see why
having a little computer in your pocket can get you arrested?" Well
Billy said. < I > "It depends on the kind of computer you are talking
about," if you slide the back of the computer open and see what looks
like the side of a bass you can be in a lot of trouble." The new girl
said. "Yes it did look like the side of a fish when that cop opened
it up, what are they?" She asked. "Well" Billy said.
"Those are called fish scale cyanide tooth computers, their made by
the brotherhood and if you are found with them to by the police they can
arrest you." Lisa asked him. "Why the long name?" Billy answered. "Well
the short name is just chips but the reason for the long name is it tells
you what they are. The fish scale gives a description of what they look
like. The cyanide tooth tells you what it does with its information. With
is, it will destroy itself before it will give up its information." "So
why does it look like the side of a fish?" Lisa asked him. He answer.
"It looks like fish scales because the chip are laid over one another
and then a vary small thermal charge on on the chip is set off to weld
them together. So they can pass information back and forth." Lisa was
slowly turning her class of beer when she asked "What will they do to
Steven?" "Good question, I don't know to do you Lisa?" Billy asked.
"Well" Lisa said. "I hope they don't let a jail house doctor
take out his new implants he was so proud of them." "Well" Billy
said. "He would be heartbroken to have those implants taken out after
he went to so much trouble to have them put in but if they find them they
will cut him open to take them out." Lisa was listening to bill talk
when her cell phone started to ring she quickly remove it from her purse
and answer it, after she said hello and listened for a short time she executed
herself saying "It's mom. I'll be right back." And then left for
the ladies room. In side she started to speak again into the phone she
said. "Ok Ron what is it I was talking to my contact when the police
arrived and took him away, what is going on?" Ron answer. "I'm sorry
but those raids were set up on a minute noted from the top, we didn't know
until they were happening maybe we can get him release." "No" Lisa
said . "He lost his clearance the moment he was arrested I'll have to
work on my other contact or maybe this new guy Susan found in the bar wearing
a cowboy outfit that was custom fit down to his boots." Ron gave a
little laugh and said. "Do brotherhood members wear tailored cowboy
outfit?" "Some do." Lisa said "if they have a robotic arm programmed
to do tailor work but I think Susan just wants is some new clothes." "And
then throw the guy in jail" Ron said. "And speaking of jail do you
want this new guy picked up so we can talk to him?" Lisa quickly answer.
"No I don't want him getting suspicious and putting me on their list of
under cover agents, there much to good at passing information for me to
risk being suspected of trying to get inside their organization. Ron
said maybe you should learn programming and get in the normal way."
Lisa laugh and said. "If I got really good at programing computers I
would probably join the brotherhood for real like some other agents did."
"Well" Ron said "Those guys were more stool
pigeons then agents and we will find them some day. " "Yes" Lisa
said. "When they come back to the States but until then
there safe, but now I need to get back to my table and see if I can find
out where Bill will be tomorrow. " Lisa said good-bye to Ron
and left the ladies room. "How's mom?" Susan asked Lisa when she
returned to their table. "She's fine." Lisa answered. "She just
wanted to know if I was coming home this weekend." "By the why is
your mother as good-looking as you are ?" Billy asked "Better"
Lisa said and gave Bill a smug look. Ok Susan said you guys can
stop it. Today a nuke was dropped and a of friend ours was taking to jail
just for possessing a computer and you to are sitting here flirting. This
is a civilized country that is going to hell you know." "Well" Bill
said. "I has my doubt about that. You don't throw a bunch of conviction"
in with a bunch of savages and says you have a civilized country. And I
hope we can stay a little uncivilized for a little longer. I don't want
to be civilized line China. There so civilized they can't move." Well."
Susan said. "Are you a social scientist or is that a political scientist
Bill?" " Well no." Billy said. "I have a math degree and im working
on my masters." "Oh really a while back you were just a farm boy.
"Ow a college boy." Lisa said. " Where are going to school?"
"Kansas University." Billy said. "Im just hulling a load for a friend
Ill be going back to Lawrence tomorrow." Susan asked "Shouldn't
you be working for some cutting edge company by now which that math degree
of yours ?` "Well" Bill said. "I properly could if I was
willing to take a lie defective test to prove my loyalty to the company
and country."
....."Why are you not a loyal citizen Bill?" Susan asked. "A country boy like you should be wearing a flag on his arm." "Well most contrary foes loves their country but hate the Feds." Billy said. On that note I think this is going to be a night for me. Lisa said. "My ears are rigging and I have a spitting headache from all the firework someone setoff tonight and Ill need to talk to Steven's mother and Ill probably be looking for a lawyer for him and if that doesn't get him out on bail Ill probably be moving his stuff back to his mothers and I could use a large truck Bill." Billy answers. "My flat bed trailer would leave his stuff all over the road you'll need something smaller but I can get a box trailer if you want to pay the rent? send me a e-mail message and Ill be paged." And Billy gave Lisa a mall card with his phone number and his e mail address. She placed the card in her purse and then bumped her hips again his and said I have to leave now. Billy moved for her so she could leave. He was thinking of placing his hand on her ass but instead slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her to him and said in to into her ear. "See you latter love." Lisa pushed Bill back and smile and said. "Maybe Bill." As Billy watch her leave with her friend Susan, Billy was thinking she's going to break his heart. As Lisa left the bar she said to her friend. "I like him, to bad he's going down. " Billy spent at the night sleeping in his truck it was six in" the morning before he checked with his dispatcher to see where his load of hay was going, his call took a little to long and set him to wonder what was the problem. When he did connect he was told that his load of hay was his because there was no place for it to be delivered to. They asked him if he could burn the load or find somewhere to dispose of it. He reluctantly said he would take care of it. He thought to himself why would they want a load of hay burned. It just didn't make any sense. Well they didn't say he couldn't feed the hay to some cows and that was what hay was for and if there was something wrong with the hay he know the cows wouldn't eat it. It was two hours later before he fond a herd of cows to eat his hay at a ranch near Liberty Missouri He had gave the rancher a good deal and even dumped the hay in his pastures. The cattle were quick to start eating the hay after Billy dumped it of this trailer, he had busted open each bail and found nothing but after the last bail was off the truck he noticed a lot white dirt left on the bed of the trailer. He thought it looked strange so he swept up a bag and placed it in the cab.