8:45 PM Wednesday, August 12th, 2024 Cheshire, Massachusetts, USA
While I waited to see if Dad survived his discussion with Mom, I used the time on status checks with Joe. I didn't take any action regarding the current crisis directly, but I did expedite some ongoing arrangements.
Joe, what is the state of the warehouse fortifications in Sacapulas? And give me an inventory of the equipment we have available to send there in case of trouble.
Without a single second of hesitation, Joe checked the inventory, the location of each item, pinged every bit of addressable equipment to make sure it was in working order and remained addressable. The interior level 2 shield is completed, including the roof and floor. If the door is opened that is a weak point, but the shield can be independently locked over the door area at my command to remove that issue. The warehouse cannot be penetrated by small arms fire, Earth-tech lasers, heat, gaseous particles, explosive ordinances of less than 21 kilotons in output, or projectiles striking with equivalent force less than 87 terajoules per square inch.
I whistled out loud, That sounds like a lot. My eight-year-old self replied to Joe automatically, but with my math and physics memory implant training, I knew exactly how much force that was. It meant that the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War II would have left very considerable damage all around our shield wall, including completely vaporizing the exterior wood and tin sheeting, but would not penetrate the shield or harm anyone inside- with a pretty good safety margin. A modern nuke, could blast through, however. It wasn't the best shield we could make, but it would certainly be enough for this application.
Joe continued his report, Inventory and status: Every driver and other Food First employee has a personal hand radio which they believe to be Earth-tech walkie talkies. They are instead, of course, trackable IDC devices with unlimited system range and perpetual power cores, I can contact them instantly and determine their whereabouts with pinpoint accuracy. They are instructed to wear them at all times and keep them nearby when sleeping. We have five sets of tactical eyeglasses, since we decided to scale down from full helmets. These provide the wearer with a full range of sensory augmentation and analysis, like the window glass in the Earth Base here. They are controlled by sub-sonic or audible vocalizations in any language. Only three users have been trained in their use, including Manuel Cruz.
I interrupted. You can listen in and speak to wearers through the glasses, right? Make sure Manny has a pair. Make sure he leaves his radio at the warehouse. It would likely be confiscated if they search him. I don't want anything identifiable as alien tech falling into ANYONE's hands outside of our group. You can detonate the power supplies to destroy the equipment if needed though, right?
Yes, but the damage to surroundings would be significant even for the very small power cores in the IDCs or Tactical Eyeglasses and would likely kill anyone within a two-foot radius and cause meaningful injury to those within eight feet with 80% confidence.
Continuing inventory analysis: We have twelve 45 caliber handguns with spare 10 round magazines and 20 additional rounds of ammunition for each, five AK47 rifles with three thirty round magazines each capable of emptying the magazine in less than 4 seconds on sustained fire. We have…
What? Where did those come from? I had no idea we had guns.
The Royal Strategic Advisor ordered them fabricated. All personal weapons and tactical gear is stored here at the Earth Base facility. His three military operatives are proficient in their use and maintenance through simulated memory implant training conducted by me through relays on-site in Guatemala. We have four augmented Kevlar tactical defense vests. We have two high altitude mobile sensor platforms with grade 4 adaptable laser weapon systems over Guatemala, 14 more in various low Earth orbits. We have 18 short distance mobile sensor platforms with Grade 2 adaptable laser weapon systems in Guatemala monitoring various factions and our own operations, 18 more elsewhere around the globe. We have six personal surveillance platforms with infrared-only laser weapon systems in Guatemala, four here on the property, and 12 more scattered around the globe. One personal fabrication mech in the Food First warehouse. Shall I list off-world assets?
No, that's enough. When you send Manny's gear, send down one, and only one, AK47 and two of the handguns with three AK magazines and two 45 magazines respectively. I'm going to want Dad's two other military-trained people to have access to the AK, and 45's. They are to remain on-site at the warehouse, until further notice, unarmed but with ready access to the weapons which will be secured and out of sight. No one else is to know they are there. They will arm themselves and use them ONLY on MY command, not even on Dad's orders. Fill him in, on all this when he's back in communication… and tell him I said 'Good work on contingency planning with the weapons and training, but I want to be completely sure that only HIGHLY reliable men are armed, nobody who's going to be trigger happy or panicky.' Joe, I want you to do a full range of personality screenings on all of them in addition to full background checks including contacts with any identified group members of any relevant factions.
We're already doing those screenings at the Strategic Advisor's request.
Good. Are you including hostage negotiation skills in their training?
No.
I want Manny to have that before morning. Contact him now for that implant training, don't tell him why yet, but ask him to stand-by in a private location for further communications until we contact him again this evening. When we're done, you can augment deep sleep for him to make sure he's fully rested and ready to travel to the warehouse by 5:00 AM local time to unload the LITV booth with the gear and get it stashed. Have Francisco meet him there to unlock. Also, while we're waiting, I want your full analysis and recommendations, tell me anything I'm doing wrong, where I could improve. Our primary goal is the safety of our people and innocents. Our secondary goal is stopping, negating, or delaying any further interference by Group 17. Third immediate goal and Secondary long-term goal is to dismantle Group 17 and all complicit allies. Say, I've never asked how do they deal with criminals in the Galactic Union?
The primary method is re-education using memory implant therapy. This is the main instance where informed consent is not required. When they are found guilty of crimes against fellow sentient beings, they typically become wards of the planetary government or the GU itself, depending upon the jurisdiction of the crime involved, losing their right to object to such treatment. The goal is to redirect them onto positive life paths, dealing with any past trauma, chemical imbalance issues, or other causative factors, and reinforcing the positive feedback associated with being a productive member of society. That may be a quick or short process, depending upon the factors involved and the level of cooperation or resistance the individual provides. In some cases, a single session and follow-up testing shows they are quite likely to become positive members of society. In these cases, regardless of the specific crime committed, they are immediately released. Our goal is to prevent future crime, not punish people who are no longer criminals. Some individuals cannot be redeemed; the core pathways are too well-entrenched combined with ongoing active resistance, or the mechanical aspects of their brain's behavior modulation is beyond repair. Certain species are naturally wired for violence, those with especially predatory backgrounds where deadly competition for survival between individuals was a key evolutionary process. The governments of these worlds tend to use more direct means to prevent future crimes. The GU itself will endeavor to make behavioral corrections for as long as there is a feasible chance of success. Then terminate efforts and terminate the non-correctable individual.
I see. I suppose we'd have to license the criminal therapy methodologies if we want to use them?
Yes. They are quite expensive. When you weigh them against the future societal value of the individual who is reformed, however, the net return is positive.
OK, let's have that discussion later. What suggestions do you have about our current situation?
In the next twenty minutes, Joe made some good observations and suggested a few things I hadn't thought of. We hashed a couple things back and forth and felt we were in as good a position as we could be, given the circumstances.
Then I heard Dad's mental voice calling us, Ok, are you there?
We're here, Joe replied.
Tim, I've talked to your mother and explained where we are. She's agreed to let Joe use his 'powers' as she calls them, to get her up to speed on the full situation including the pertinent background info. Then, I think she should join our planning.
Are you sure that's a good idea? I asked
Based on our discussion so far, yes. I think it will be good for all of us. Dad replied