Freddy Anderson’s Home: Book 1 (16 page)

Chapter 25
Working at Home

O
nce I was back in the canyon, I started right to work. I measured the waterfalls and then diverted them again. I built a tunnel into the cliff directly behind the largest waterfall and mounted the generator. Getting it up to the tunnel was easy, but locking it down was difficult. It took me three days with the first one. The second one was much easier, as I had learned a lot about drilling the holes first and setting the anchors before I blocked access to them. I mounted four of my generators, two behind the main waterfall from the underground river and two behind the next biggest waterfall.

While I was mounting the generators, I also drilled several tunnels that connected the generators together. All I had to do was set the tunneler, hit the button, and wait. I made sure that the tunnels were on a slight incline, so that the water would not flow into my main connection room, which I made quite large.

I ran a tunnel, only one foot in diameter, from the main connection room to the base of the cliff, nearly six hundred feet down, and curved it toward the edge, where the cliff met the first terrace. I went outside and drilled an eight-foot hole into the area where I planned to have a junction room. The one-foot hole I drilled from the connection room wasn’t there. I had to redrill to open it up, as my tunneler had closed it, trying to compress and combine the molecules for the junction room. Work and learn. After that, I knew to drill the destinations first.

From there, I drilled a hole in the ground where I wanted my house to be and then holes out by each bridge, the landing platforms, the pier, and several other places where I might need power. Then I went back to the junction room and drilled smaller holes that went all the way out to the different spots, so that I had cable runs.

When it came time to run cable, it proved to be very difficult. Getting the larger cable straight down was easy. I just put a long rope on one end and attached a disk to the other. I sent the disk down the hole, and it came out the other end, pulling the cable with it. The problem was the smaller holes and cable. I could not use disks, as they traveled up and down really well but not side to side. After trying several different things, I finally settled on using a toy.

I called into the base to let the SEALs know that I needed to go to the exchange to get an item I needed for my cabling job. The lieutenant was waiting for me and took me there. I remembered seeing this item when she took me through the exchange the first day. I met her and luckily it was still there. In the toy section, there was a small four-wheel-drive, remote-control truck. I purchased it and lots of extra batteries and took them home.

After that, my job was easy. I attached a small rope to the truck. The holes I sent the truck down were straight and smooth as glass, no snags, and that little truck shot through the holes like a rocket. When it got to the other side, I removed the truck and attached a disk to the rope. I sent the disk straight up until it pulled the cable out that side.

I redirected the flow of the water to its natural movement, so that it turned the generator turbines. Now I had power available for all areas of my home. Most things were completed, including mounting the connector boxes and preparing for installation of fixtures. Everything was ready; the generators were tested and ran fine. The connection room and junction rooms worked out great after a little modification. In all, it took two weeks to complete, and it was time to report to the lieutenant. I was so tired, and my arms hurt from all the screwing, wire stripping, weatherproofing, and cable connecting. This was not a job for a child; I was determined to make a robot as soon as I could.

I called the lieutenant and let her know it was time to leave. When I reached the base, everything was ready for our flight to South Carolina. There were several issues with the house, which I brought to the builder’s attention, and then we went to North Carolina, where we rested and played.

I simply do not understand why people watch car races. I received a stiff neck, watching the cars go around and around the track. It was noisy. The most annoying thing was that some people kept hoping for a crash.

Before long, it was back to South Carolina, where I checked out the house again, and then home. Everything went smoothly. Back at the base, the lieutenant asked if I needed help with anything. At that time, I said, “No, but thank you for the offer.”

“Why do it all on his own? And what are car races?”

Everything went black.

“Master, I believe that some of the military and most of the politicians of this species are not trustworthy. At least, that seems to be his thoughts. I also believe that ‘car races’ is a form of insanity. Why else would the people continuously run around in circles?”

“I understand the Blues—I mean, politicians not being trustworthy. But the military? I can’t believe that. Why would these creatures watch the insane?”

“I think they are watching the insane in hopes of seeing them run into each other.”

“What? Why?”

“They must be very bored, master.”

“Interesting. Continue.”

Chapter 26
They Declared War

I
went home and found it trashed. I checked my scanners; which I had left concealed, monitoring any activity while I was gone, thinking that I might get animals visitors like bears or cougars. Instead, I got army animals. It was easy to see where they had come in, and obviously, they stayed only a few hours. I called the lieutenant and asked who knew I was going to be away.

“Freddy, anyone could have found out by simply watching and by checking transportation data,” she said. “Why?”

“My place is trashed. The army destroyed almost everything, including my power junction room and four of my generators. I have a week’s cleanup and a lot of things I need to reorder, including a new trailer to live in.”

“How do you know it was the army?”

“I hid my scanner and left it on. Lieutenant, they took my disks and a couple of other things—things that would not be good in their hands.”

“Freddy, let me handle this. You make me a list of what’s missing, and I’ll do everything I can to get it back.”

“I’ll have the list to you within an hour—with pictures.”

Four days later, I received a call from the lieutenant. “Good news, Freddy. We retrieved everything. Come pick it up.”

Everything was waiting for me at the barracks when I arrived. “How did you do it, Lieutenant?”

“It wasn’t hard to find when they blew a hole through six buildings. We simply went in during the chaos and grabbed everything.”

“Was anyone hurt?”

The lieutenant raised her hand, and the master chief placed a twenty-dollar bill in it.

“That was a sucker’s bet, Master Chief,” I said. “Lieutenant, what exactly happened?”

“We received information from our source, Bunny, where they were keeping the stuff. They had it altogether in one place while they studied it. Apparently, someone set off something and in just a flash, it tore a one-foot hole through six buildings, eight cars in the parking lot, and halfway through a hill.”

“It just stopped?”

“Yes, one flash, and then it was over.”

“Darn it, Lieutenant. That moron probably turned on my laser without plugging it in. He probably ruined the battery. Now I’ll have to replace it too. Idiots! Didn’t their mommies tell them not to play with big boys’ toys?”

They both started laughing, but I didn’t. When the lieutenant saw my face, she said, “I take it you’re fairly angry, Freddy.”

It was plain to see that I was fuming. “They set me back six months, Lieutenant. I have to order and wait for four more generators. I have to worry that they’re going to try something again, and I have to start all over on a lot of work. The project I’m trying to get to next is important, Lieutenant—very important. My arms are still tired from the work I just finished. The general has just cost me over five million dollars in ruined parts, set me back six months, and worse, he’s declared war on me.”

“Whoa, Freddy. I don’t think he meant to declare war,” said the master chief.

“Really? What would you call it? Playing games? Well, I can play games too! Lieutenant, may I borrow your phone please?” She handed me the phone, and I dialed the president’s office and informed her secretary that I wanted to talk to the president right away. “You tell her that the incident in northern California at the army base was caused by the theft of my inventions,” I said tersely, “and that I think her people have declared war on me. Now, you get her on a secure line, or I will answer their declaration of war.” A few moments later, the president answered, and I made it clear that I was very upset. “You promised that the army would stay away from me,” I said. “They stole my inventions, and then were stupid enough to try to run my equipment without instructions.”

I assured the president that it was not the lieutenant’s fault and that her team was doing a great job but that I wouldn’t let them near my place, so they had stayed away, as requested. I ended our conversation by telling her that I had a tape of the whole thing that I would give to the lieutenant. Then I handed the phone to the lieutenant, saying, “She wants to talk to you.”

The lieutenant’s end of the conversation consisted primarily of “Yes, Madam President,” which she said repeatedly. When the lieutenant finally hung up the phone and sat down, she was as white as a sheet. She said, “Master Chief, we’re about to get new orders. Send one of the team down to the Communications Center to pull it off the system herself. I don’t want anyone to see the orders before I do.”

After the master chief left, the lieutenant said to me, “Freddy, the general is about to get new orders too. I need to get that tape and dispatch the ensign to the Pentagon today. It appears that the general is about to get court-martialed, along with everyone else on that tape.”

“Good.”

“Freddy, this will ruin the general’s career.”

“Your point, Lieutenant?”

“I know you’re angry, but that was the first time I’ve ever seen you do something mean to anyone.”

“Lieutenant, I’ve tried to warn the general. I think I’ve been fairly easy on him, all things considered. The man is mean, and he will continue to do whatever he wants until someone stops him. I have read about history throughout the ages, and the thing that sticks out in my mind is that people who are completely wiped out do not retaliate. The president assured me that she would wipe him out for me. It was that, or I had to harm him myself. This was the lesser of two evils. I really don’t want to harm anyone. I don’t ever want to start down that path. I pride myself on being a healer and a creator, not a destroyer. The general made me be a destroyer, and I don’t like the feeling, but right now, I need to make you a copy of that tape and then take this stuff home. I have a lot of work to do.”

“Freddy, if we could protect you at home too, this will never happen again.”

“Lieutenant, if someone comes to my home uninvited again, they’re going to find several very unpleasant surprises. Please keep your people away, because I don’t want them harmed. The system I’m about to put up is not passive. I will develop a passive protection system while I’m waiting for the parts I now have to reorder, but for the time being, please stay away.”

“I understand, Freddy.”

I downloaded the information into her computer. As soon as it was ready, the ensign left for Washington, DC. We packed up everything, and I hugged them and left.

The big Gray exclaimed, “Ah … this I also understand.”

Everything went black, or so they thought.

“Master?”

“That poor general sacrificed his life to ensure that this evil child did not have all the power. Our color has had to do similar heroic things to obtain information from you Greens.”

The Green said, “I tend to see it the same way this creature does. That general, or military Gray, was a thief and stole his equipment. Why trash the rest of his equipment, if not to cover up his theft?”

“Typical scientific Green. You’re worse than the crazed moralistic Whites. Of course he had the place trashed; the creature is dangerous! I would have had him shot.”

“Please pardon the slang of your color, master, but I find your militaristic Gray opinions offensive and oppressive. That is why we call you the ‘pleasure killers.’”

“I take no offense in being considered your pleasure killer. In fact, I take great pleasure in removing your pleasure. Now, continue.”

A Blue walked in. He was far bigger than either the Gray or the Green, and I could see the fear in the Gray’s face—if I could call that a face. “I have been watching the two of you.” It turned to the Gray. “You will stop with this childish prattle so that the Green can finish his job. And if I ever hear you call a Blue anything besides Great One or sire, I will have your pleasure for dinner.” He turned to the Green. “Please continue.”