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  Kline smiled, and reached for a cup, inhaling the aroma and smiling. “You know, I am generally a tea man, but coffee has a certain pleasure about it. Don’t you agree Mr. President?”

  Hutton glanced around, looking for salvation that would never arrive. Once he realized that, he relaxed, and reached for his own cup.

  “I would agree,” the President replied, taking a sip. “Though I would never ruin coffee this good with sugar or milk.

  Kline smiled at the veiled insult, “Like old friends, you and I.” He raised his mug, saluting the President. “Congratulations on your promotion Mr. President.”

  Hutton eyed Kline as he wondered whether or not he should accept the compliment, “Thank you. Though I suppose I have you to thank for that.”

  Kline waved it off, “Please, it was nothing. President Carson did not have the same kind of vision for the world that you and I share. Besides, wasn’t it always part of our plan for you to take the reins of control?”

  “What do you want Kline?” the President growled.

  “I’m here on your invitation, am I not?” Kline asked, taking another sip. “You are the one who summoned me.”

  “To be honest, I wasn’t sure you would accept. After what happened in New York…”

  “Oh please, it was nothing that I wouldn’t have done in your place,” Kline said, shrugging away his partner’s betrayal. “I can appreciate the thought that you might be able to control me, or even take the stones for yourself. I would not have expected anything less.”

  Hutton stared his old friend down, wondering if there was any truth to what Kline was saying. Sure, they went way back, but when it came to the twelve stones, there were no friends. Only those who got in the way.

  “How many of them do you have now?” Hutton asked.

  “Didn’t you get a close enough look when your men attacked me in New York?” Kline’s voice had a playful edge to it that made the vice president uncomfortable.

  “I…“

  “Like I said, bygones my boy, bygones.” Kline took another sip of coffee and smiled. “I understand you want to discuss terms of surrender? How audacious of you Mr. Vice President, or, rather, pardon me, I should say, Mr. President. You’re willing to go down in history as the man who killed the United States? That’s history my friend. Truly a man of honor.”

  “I wish to be certain that you do not harm the American people any further,” Hutton replied slowly.”

  Kline nodded, taking another sip, “And…?”

  The President was taken aback, “And what? That’s what I want.”

  Kline stared at his old friend, “Timothy, I know you better than that. Come on, ask.”

  The President swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, “Ask what?”

  Kline set the coffee cup down on the desk and leaned forward, placing his arms on the table, and staring directly into his oldest friend’s eyes. “Do you really believe I am so dense? You’re hopeful that we will keep our original deal in place, despite your betrayal.”

  Kline removed the teal stone he’d recovered from Joshua Tree, and played with the three-inch claw shaped artifact in his fingers. “I’ll give you one guess as to what this stone allows me to do.”

  The President stared at the stone, as if he were hypnotized by it playing over Kline’s fingers. “I… you’ve shown so many new abilities, I haven’t the foggiest.”

  Kline smiled, lifting a finger. The coffee cup rose off the table and floated unassisted toward Kline’s mouth as he took another drink. The President watched Kline, fascinated with the power he demonstrated.

  “It has come in handy, I can tell you that much,” Kline replied, the mug floating back down to the, settling neatly in the saucer with a slight clink.

  The President watched the cup, his eyes flitting back up to Kline who smiled. “And that’s just the beginning my friend.”

  “You are still willing to move forward?” Hutton asked.

  Kline leaned back, placing his arms around the headrest of the seats next to him. “I believe we can reach an accommodation. Our previous agreement will have to be… renegotiated.”

  Hutton breathed out a sigh of relief. “It’s encouraging to hear you talk that way. We can accomplish far more together than if we were to battle it out.”

  “I’d want total access of course,” Kline said. “All clearances, all notes about the stones collected by the government so far and their abilities.”

  “And you shall have it,” the President replied, visibly relaxing. Kline could see that the man had dropped his guard and believed that they were friends once again.

  “The files on Area 51,” Kline replied. “Alien encounters by the US government, that sort of thing.”

  The president chuckled, “As I’ve told you several times Rupert, Area 51 is nothing more than just a base where we develop new technologies for air and space. There are no alien bodies or clandestine files about contact from UFO’s.”

  Kline stared at the President, his face becoming ugly. Unfortunately for him, Hutton did not notice the change in Kline’s demeanor.

  “I don’t believe you,” Kline said softly. “There’s proof enough that aliens have visited simply by virtue of these stones. You’re telling me the Government has no other encounters on file?”

  The President’s eyes narrowed, “I have no reason left to lie to you.”

  “Oh but you are lying,” Kline said softly.

  Hutton grew pale when he realized Kline’s attitude toward him had become dangerous. “Rupert, it’s… I can’t make something appear that isn’t there.”

  Kline took out the stone of stone, playing with it in his hand. “It’s not too late for you to tell me the truth you know.”

  “I’m telling you, I…” Hutton glanced around, looking for support that wasn’t there. “It’s simply not true. There’s nothing of value to be had from that base.”

  Kline reached across the table, grabbing Hutton’s wrist, and the president screamed. His arm began turning into granite.

  “Stop lying to me Timothy and the pain will stop,” Kline whispered. Shouting was heard from behind the conference room door as several secret service agents attempted to break in. The door flew open, but Kline didn’t even bother to turn his head. He snapped his fingers and the agents’ bodies exploded, the blood and viscera spraying everywhere.

  The ossifying of Hutton’s arm stopped, and the president doubled over, gasping aloud in pain.

  “Kline, I swear to you…” Hutton said, begging for his life now. “We can take the plane directly to the airbase and I’ll show you. I promise, we will get you the stones you need. I swear it!”

  Kline studied his old partner and a smile reemerged on his face. “My dear boy, there’s no need to panic. I won’t kill you. I need you!”

  He picked up the President as if he were a kitten, and pushed him back into his seat at the conference table. “Let’s go for a tour then, shall we?”

  Hutton nodded quickly and reached for the phone on his desk, but Kline waved him off.

  “Oh, that won’t be necessary.” Kline said, smiling.

  The billionaire closed his eyes, and the stone of control glowed as he used it to enter the minds of the two pilots in the cockpit of Air Force One. The plane began banking as it changed course, heading for Area 51.

  He could have teleported them there instantly, but how many times did a person get to ride on Air Force One?

  The newly minted President whimpered as he watched Kline kick his heels up on the President’s conference table, sipping the remaining coffee out of his cup.

  What had he done?

  Chapter Nine

  Alex had traveled through space toward the Patron’s planet once before with the Old Man, but he didn’t think he would ever get used to the strange sensation of watching the stars rush by him in free-floating space.

  At least this time he managed to hang onto his lunch. He hated to imagine what the Patrons might think of Humanity i
f he couldn’t handle a little interstellar travel.

  As they drew closer to the Patron’s planet, Alex was surprised to see that the Dyson’s Sphere that had covered the alien’s star was incomplete. Instead, there were only a few interconnected panels, with electricity arcing in between each one.

  The Patrons and Alex flew through the panels, and he looked around, confused.

  “You haven’t constructed the Dyson’s Sphere yet?”

  The Patron who had been babysitting Alex the whole time, turned to him, the pincers around his mouth clicking quickly. The translation came into his head, “A Dyson’s Sphere. That is what you call the Egg?”

  “Egg. I like that,” he admitted. “The scientist on our planet who came up with a similar concept is named Freeman Dyson. We named the structure for him.”

  “We are constructing it,” the Patron told him.

  “Well, sure,” Alex was embarrassed. Clearly things were not being translated properly. “Humans have a habit of naming things after their creator. Part of the whole legacy thing.”

  “The idea has always existed,” the Patron told him. “It is neither your idea, nor is it our idea. It is a part of the universe, waiting to be expressed in some fashion.”

  Alex’s head began to hurt, so he decided arguing with an alien species about intellectual property rights was best left for another time.

  “So, the Egg huh?” he asked, looking at the panels. They were enormous, each one so large, it nearly defied description. “That’s no moon…” he whispered to himself.

  “No, it is not a moon,” the Patron replied. “We use the solar energy to power our industries on the home planet.”

  The Patrons and Alex approached the Patron’s home planet, the atmosphere a thick fog of brown and red.

  “Not much of an EPA, huh?” Alex commented, looking down at the atmosphere.

  “It is a problem that has only recently been addressed, however…” the Patron extended one of his limbs out, pointing to the planet below, “The climate has been irreparably damaged thanks to generations of unchecked industry.”

  “And your plan is to move your entire species to another planet,” Alex said. After a moment, he understood. “You have no idea what to do. You haven’t had to deal with this before.”

  “We have not,” the Patron admitted. “The vast energy requirements demanded by our species and the Channel have put a heavy strain on our planet’s resources. Our climate was irreparably damaged because of it.”

  They dropped into the soupy atmosphere and Alex looked around alarmed. The last time he visited the Patron’s planet, the air had been completely clean. He had no idea how true that would be now.

  “While the mixture of oxygen, nitrogen is a bit different from your own home planet, it should be breathable and well within tolerance levels. The extemporaneous gases should not be a concern for you,” the Patron said, as if reading Alex’s mind.

  “Oh… great… thanks.” Alex said, not really meaning it. Really, what choice did he have? He was already here. It’s not like he could back out now.

  “Where are you taking me?” he asked.

  “We will take you to the Elders so you may present a case for Humanity.”

  “Uh huh,” Alex said, still in awe of the Patron’s incredible architecture. The generations of industry had turned the planet into one large megacity. The view he had coming in on the Patron’s craft were unlike anything he had ever seen in his life.

  Then suddenly, his mind processed what the Patron had said. “Wait, what?”

  “The council will hear your objections to the settlement of your planet, and how you can save our species.”

  “Then what?”

  “If they accept your proposal, then they will look into how to best execute your plan through the channel.”

  Alex wasn’t sure if he really wanted the answer, to his next question, but he had to ask.

  “What happens if they don’t accept what I’m telling them?”

  “Then your remains will be fed to our children,” the Patron said matter-of-factly. “If the elders believe an anomaly such as yourself may disturb the balance of the universe, then we can take no chances on your continued existence.”

  “Oh… well… that’s great news,” Alex said, not really meaning it. What had he gotten himself into?

  Their descent slowed until they had finally arrived on the ground of the Patron’s planet. Alex stepped off the platform and took his first look around the alien planet.

  It was the complete opposite of his experience with the Patron’s Dyson’s Sphere. Where the “Egg” had been filled with parks and nature surrounding them everywhere, the Patron’s planet was heavily industrialized. Several buildings around him were busily pumping chemicals and smog into the atmosphere. Alex’s eyes were already burning thanks to the pollution.

  “Take me to your leader,” Alex said, half-joking with the Patron standing next to him.

  “Yes,” the Patron said, sounding confused. “That is what we brought you here for.”

  “Sorry, that’s a reference to…” Alex waved the Patron off. “Forget it. Lead the way.”

  The Patron’s legs clicked across the concrete as it headed for the nearest building. Alex stumbled, as he adjusted to the new gravity. The Patron’s planet was slightly larger, making the gravity a bit stronger than what he was used to.

  He caught up with the Patron who was standing outside a small octagonal door. It slid open, and he followed the bug like Patron into the honeycombed building, gasping incredulously once he stepped inside.

  While the outside of the Patron’s planet was dirty and polluted, the inside of the building he stepped into had been built as a monument to nature.

  Dozens of Patron bugs scrambled out of Alex’s way, the chirping increased in volume once they spotted him. The Patron leading Alex through the web of other bugs, chirped at his friends, who backed away. Alex could see that they clearly recognized some kind of authority from the Patron leading him, and gave him a wide berth. Alex found himself wishing for Christina’s extensive knowledge on astrobiology. She would have found the Patron’s and their Homeworld fascinating while it was all Alex could do to keep from throwing up.

  While the nature was indeed beautiful, the inside of the building smelled like a monkey cage filled with animals who had eaten a bad batch of Indian food. Alex thought it would be rude if he gagged on the smell, so he tried breathing through his mouth instead.

  “If you would follow me,” the Patron asked, using one of his eight limbs to point toward a nearby door. Alex covering his nose, followed the Patron quickly, hoping the next room would smell better.

  “They’re waiting,” the Patron said, turning back to Alex.

  He swallowed, and moved into the chamber, wondering how quickly he would be turned into baby formula if he failed to convince the Patrons he was there to help.

  Chapter Ten

  Hey dude,

  By the time you read this, you’ll have already found the first stone. I know you’re kinda confused about what’s going on right now, but you’ve got to listen to me, and take this letter seriously. This is no joke, and hopefully, you’ve already experienced the healing power of the stone so that you won’t just dismiss this as just another weird letter from your buddy.

  There are eleven other stones like the one you’ve got. The problem is, there’s another guy out there (I won’t say who) who’s also looking for ‘em. And, unfortunately, that means you’re in danger.

  And just so you know it’s me, my favorite beer is Fat Tire, the answer is blondes, brunettes and redheads, and there will never be a better baseball team than the 1987 A’s.

  “Hey, actually,” Scott looked up from the pad of paper, “I can go see the A’s win the pennant next year if we’re still around! This time-travel thing might not suck as much as we think.”

  “Keep writing,” Emily urged him.

  Scott’s face fell. “Spoil sport,” he grumbled. He leaned bac
k down, licking the tip of the pen. “Where was I? Oh yes.”

  So, anyway, now that you got my bona fides, I’m here to warn you. You need to get to Joshua Tree and dig into the Mesa – you know, the one your dad always takes us to. You’re gonna need a lot of money, which fortunately, you’ll have by then – I won’t tell you how. But, you need to get in the Mesa and dig out a second stone before someone else gets it.

  “How much am I telling Kline?” Scott asked. “I don’t want to write the wrong thing…”

  Christina glanced at Emily who shrugged. “I think so long as you write the truth right up until we left, that should work.”

  Scott nodded and turned back to the letter.

  There are a few more stones scattered around the world, but I don’t really know exactly where they are. I know one of ‘em is in a copper mine in Zambia somewheres, though I couldn’t tell you exactly where that one is.

  “Where’s a good place we can send him on a wild goose chase?” Scott asked the ladies.

  Christina grinned, “I’ve always wanted to see the inside of Area 51.”

  Scott giggled. “That IS a good one.” He turned back to the paper

  Of course there’s the stone at Area 51, but I think you already know we can’t reach that one… yet. We’d need some serious inside help to find that one. There’s another stone located at the Vatican, but, again, I’m not sure how you can get inside there either. I guess that’s a problem better left for you rather than me.

  One thing, that’s incredibly important. Once you have as many stones as you can hold, you need to go after a man named Rupert Kline. He holds a stone that grants him incredible strength. Something you need to watch out for. He’s not going to give you a second. Not ever. So if you have the chance to kill him, TAKE IT.

  There’s at least twelve stones total out there – all of which are scattered all over the world. Unfortunately, I don’t know much about where the rest are. I just know they’re coming, and you’ll want to be prepared.