Warp Drive, Patent Pending, page 18
“Oh, okay. That’s no problem. I thought it was stolen.”
“No, no, someone thought you were done with it and took it for their own use.”
“Well, I’m sorry to bother you then,” Drath said as he started toward the door.
“No problem, have a good day mate.”
Drath, for once, was happy to be outside again in the sweltering heat. He nervously looked behind as he left the office. If he had opened up to the sheriff, there’s no telling what would have happened. Word would surely have gotten back to Glass. He might have been the next one taking a flight over the desert.
Drath wandered back toward the hotel and passed the trading company. He remembered the old man who worked there seemed to know more than he admitted to. He seemed to be aware that something was a little odd about all the bones turning up. He seemed honest. He seemed concerned. Could he be an ally? Drath wondered. Lost and without any other course to take, he entered the trading company.
The old guy was hanging canteens on hooks along the back wall. He looked over his shoulder and waved. Drath busied himself inspecting the goods, wandering around the racks and rows of shelves. He didn’t really know how to bring up the conversation of bones in the desert. He felt he needed to tell someone that he overheard that Glass security was throwing people out of planes to their death. It sounded unbelievable now as he mentally said the words. How did he even know the old guy could help?
“Can I help you?” the old guy said, startling Drath.
“Oh, hello, I’m just looking around.”
“Got a sale on T-shirts,” he said pointing to a circular rack a few feet away.
“Thanks, I’ll take a look. I should get something for my girlfriend back at work.”
“You’re one of those Glass people. I met you before didn’t I?” he asked.
“Yes,” Drath nodded.
“You still like work’en for those folks?” he asked.
“I’ve had better bosses,” Drath confessed, guarding his words. He was still unsure if he could trust the man.
“I’ve lived in these parts for longer than most people. A lot longer than that Glass Company’s been around.” The old guy said. “I don’t mean to knock your employer, but things have changed a lot since they set up out there.”
“How so?” Drath asked.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” he said. “People just have a queer way of dealing with that family. I get the feeling something’s just not right.”
“Ever hear of them doing anything illegal?” Drath asked.
“I hear they swindled some people out of some land one time, but that’s about it. If I did hear of anything I’d tell the sheriff right off.” The old man shuffled his way back to the register counter and sat on the stool on the other side. “He’s a good man. I trust the sheriff.”
Drath thought about the comment. He thought the old guy may have placed his trust in the wrong man. Glass had his fingers into everything and everyone, it seemed. He picked out a T-shirt that read, “I survived the Birdsville Trail” printed on it. What he really needed to give Helen was a shirt that said, “I survived Glass Research!”
The sun was baking the city now, but it seemed to be more alive. People wandered from one place to another, cars moved along the roadways. A couple of them were stacked high with supplies on the roof. A pickup truck had its’ bed loaded full of survival gear. The city seemed a little more alive than it did the first time he was in town. The tourists and extreme survivalists were heading into town for summer adventures in the outback. Apparently, the hotter it got, the more they loved it. Drath thought of the hiker he had talked with on the bus. He hoped the poor guy survived the heat and made it back to town alive.
Saturday night seemed like a repeat of Friday. The hottest spot in town was the Birdsville Tavern. People started arriving around seven for dinner, and they never left. By ten o’clock it was packed. Beer flowed, and wings were served all night. The jukebox played everything from Waltzing Matilda to Ozzy Osbourne’s Crazy Train. Again, Drath spent a little time watching the crowd and wondering how many of them were on the Glass payroll. He knew that many of them were there to relax and party, but guessed there were security agents there too, on the job, testing the loyalty of the employees toward Glass. Maybe the workers even knew it, expected it and accepted it. If they did, they didn’t seem to mind. Drath watched the controlled chaos of the scene for a while, downed a couple of beers and left earlier that night.
On Sunday morning Drath was happy to see the hiker on the bus ride back to the research complex. They talked for a few minutes, and the shaggy headed fellow happily displayed photos on his tablet. Blue skies and desert scenes, rocks and scrub ground with a couple skinny leafless trees were all that they showed. Drath didn’t think much of the photos. He hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary. Again the bus ride was quiet, this time because most of the riders were sleeping off the hangovers from Saturday night.
When the bus drove through the gates at the complex, Drath actually felt happy to be home. That bothered him, and he reconsidered. He decided he was happy to be closer to Helen again and as he stepped off the bus, she was there to greet him.
“Welcome back she said,” Giving him a long warm hug and a kiss. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too. It was a lonely trip.”
“The bus is packed,” Helen noticed.
Drath nodded as the endless stream of people disembarked. “I was still lonely without you” He slung his travel bag strap over one shoulder and took her hand in the other. They started walking toward their apartment building.
“Did you have a good trip? Did you do what you needed to do?” She asked.
They were far enough away from the group that he felt safe to answer. “No, I didn’t. It was a waste of time. I should have stayed here with you.”
Helen looked at him confused. “What happened?” she asked.
“It looks to me like the sheriff in Birdsville is on the Glass payroll, maybe even retired Glass security.”
“No,” Helen sighed, “Really?”
“He had a certificate that Glass had signed and the company logo was all over his office.”
“He’d be no help,” Helen agreed, “and probably report you back to Glass.”
“That was exactly my thoughts.”
They walked quietly for a few steps. “What are we going to do?” Helen finally said.
“I guess we’ll be good workers for now and do what we’re told,” Drath said. “I’ll figure a way to get out of here and catch up with you in Sydney.”
Even though it wasn’t the case, it sounded like they were planning an escape from jail. They were torn between doing work they enjoyed for an ungodly paycheck and facing the restraints of an overbearing, criminal employer. They couldn’t just quit. Even though they had legal contracts gagging their speech about the research, both of them feared Glass would shut them up permanently.
“I’ve got more bad news,” Helen said.
What could be worse than the situation they were in? Drath wondered.
“They want me ready to fly out Monday evening.”
An arrow shot through Drath’s heart. He had only one more days with the women he loved. He fought the urge to tell her how he felt. The old pain of loss and seeing someone he loves walk away punched in his gut.
“I’m going to talk to Glass,” Drath said.
“What?”
“Maybe I can get him to rethink this. You can work on the network from here,” he said.
“No, I think that’s a bad idea,”
“I’ve got to try. It’s the only thing I can do,” Drath added
Helen stopped, leaned up to Drath and kissed him. “I think it might be too late for a change. He seems to have his mind made up.”
“I’m going to try anyway. First thing Monday morning I’ll go to his office.”
They walked back to her apartment, ordered a dinner in and relaxed together. Anger, frustration and separation anxieties boiled in their heads even though they didn’t speak of their plight again. Like there was an agreement set up between them, they both tried to make their last evening as stress-free as possible and not talk about anything sad.
After dinner, wine, and some evening television they retreated to the bedroom for their last night together. Both of them knew it could be a very long time before they saw each other again. Although their lovemaking was sensual and intense, there was a feeling of obligation in it. It was an evening of sex that each of them offered and expected from each other. It was a kind of goodbye kiss neither of them wanted.
The next morning was routine, even though they knew it really wasn’t. Coffee and toast for breakfast, followed by the morning paper on the balcony. They were usually in the office by nine, but that’s where the day differed. Helen had her suitcase packed next to the door and a small file box partially filled on the table in the living room. They had put the files that Drath had taken from the security building in it with some others.
“I’ll get more files and things from the hanger office,” Helen said. “It will be a full box. They’ll get lost in the mix.”
“Right, it shouldn’t be inspected too closely. It’s going to another Glass office.” Drath added.
“Well,” Drath sighed reluctantly. “If I’m going to convince Glass to keep you here I better get over to see him.”
Helen pulled Drath close and kissed him. “Don’t do anything stupid. I mean, it’s not the end of the world or anything. I’ll be okay.”
To Drath, it seemed like the end of the world, his world anyway. “I’ll use logic and common sense to convince him that you are better off here,” he said with a half-hearted smile. “I’ll see you later in the hanger office.”
The Glass Tower
The main office building where Glass had his office was a short walk away, and it gave Drath time to think about what he might say to convince him that Helen should stay there at the complex. The Glass Research main office was in one of the larger buildings in the complex. Mirrored glass and steel stood about fifteen stories tall. The morning sun reflected in a mosaic of colors off the glass. At the main doors, marble steps and tall columns gave the impression of success and wealth. Drath knew that Glass would have no less.
The dark wood and plush carpet in the lobby contrasted against the hard steel and glass exterior of the building. An indoor fountain and some potted plants gave the interior a welcoming atmosphere. It didn’t help how Drath felt, though. He didn’t think his visit was a welcome one. A directory in the lobby indicated that Daniel Glass had an office on the top floor. Drath was not surprised.
The elevator ride was swift and smooth. The Carpenters hardly got through the first verse of ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ before the doors slid open to a waiting lobby for the one office on that floor.
“Do you have an appointment?” The receptionist asked. She was an older woman with a gray bun of hair. Black plastic glasses accented her face with thin, over-colored red lips.
“Can you see if he’ll see me? I’m Albert Drath,” he said using his full name.
“Have a seat please.”
He walked to sofa upholstered in a flowery fabric. It sat against the wall. But he remained standing and looked around the lobby. There were a few other matching chairs and a couple of nice tables decorating the room. Hanging behind the receptionist was large Georgia O’Keefe painting of a flower. He wondered if it was original. There was a Plexiglas box built over it and a small humidity sensor inside. He decided it probably was real.
Above the sofa, and around the whole room was a series of framed 8 x 10 photos. Each one showed Glass standing with, or shaking hands with, a different world figure. Drath recognized US presidents Clinton and Obama, Russian leaders Yeltsin and Putin, North Korean president Kim Jong-il, Japan’s Prime Minister Tara Aso, England’s Thatcher and current Prime Minister David Cameron, but there were many more. The photos enforced the impression that Glass was a world figure. Drath started thinking about the coalition of countries that would be involved in the exploration of space if he got his way. It seemed impossible that so many opposing forces could work together. Could he really pull it off, Drath wondered. Could he really be that respected?
“He’ll see you now,” the tight-haired receptionist said. She motioned to one of two doors on the far wall. As Drath started in that direction, a black-suited security man opened the door from the inside. He entered a small boxy room. Once inside he was directed through a metal detecting security gate and allowed final access into Glass’s office through a door on the opposite wall.
When Drath finally entered the inner office, it was about what he expected. It was a finely decorated room with plush burgundy carpet. A large desk sat at the far end in front of a wall of windows. On Drath’s end of the room, there were bookshelves on both sides, and a small conference table circled by six chairs. Everything was polished dark wood with gold trim and details. A small wet bar stood further in, and to the side. It was closer to the large main desk but far enough away to not be within the inner sanctum of Glass and two leather chairs for visitors. The room was huge. It seemed like it took a half a minute to approach the desk of his company’s owner.
“Have a seat, Albert,” Glass said.
The use of his true name created a formal atmosphere to the meeting. Glass had never called him that before. The big man was reminding him who was in charge. Drath sat down trying to hide the shake in his hands. “I’d like to talk to you about Helen,” he said
“Yes, of course. You two have become quite a couple it seems.” Then he added, “Employee fraternization is actually against company policy, but I overlooked it because of your important work.”
“I’m quite fond of her, umm, I didn’t know that,” Drath confessed.
“It’s in the contract you signed.”
Drath got to the point, “I’d like her to stay here at research.”
“I understand,” Glass began, “but I need her at Glass Aviation’s corporate office to oversee the building of the network. She is the only one who can do that. You know that, Albert.”
“She can do that from here. There is nothing in Sydney that will help her,” Drath argued.
“That may be true, but I need her in Sydney.”
“She’ll be more productive here,” Drath said.
“With you?” Glass asked.
“With the support she’ll need,” Drath explained.
“Maybe so,” Glass countered. “But I need a real person to act as the inventor. I need someone that can represent the research complex to the rest of the company.”He paused for effect, “I need that person in Sidney.”
Drath understood, he needed a person to help disprove that it was alien technology. If there were a leak about the ship, he needed someone to take the role of the inventor of the technology. “She can still do it from here,” he repeated.
Helen will be instrumental in the placement and construction of the frames. I need a person to put a face on the project for everyone to see, in all of the subsidiary offices,” Glass explained. “Our little airport is not international. She needs to easily get to all the different sites” Glass had a tone in his voice that said his decision was made and final.
Drath had lost. He felt there was no way he would win the argument. But he had to try one last time. “I know the truth, I know how you got the ship,” he said.
Glass looked deep into Drath’s eyes. It was a stare that went straight through him. The blue eyes that Glass usually displayed turned a hard steely gray. “Are you sure you want to go there?” Glass asked.
The posture that Glass took in his chair made him seem six inches taller. Or, perhaps, Drath felt six inches shorter.
“I know about your snooping around the security building. I know everything that happens here.”
Drath wondered just how much Glass did know. Did he know that there were two visits to the file room? Did he know about the overheard conversation regarding throwing people out of airplanes into the desert? Did Glass know how much distaste he felt for him?
Glass’s voice was calm. It had a matter of fact tone. “You can’t blackmail me with what I already know.”
“I know you killed the aliens, and you want me to take their ship and go back exploring with it. They’ll probably kill me at first sight.” Drath tried to defend his position.
“That would be unlikely, but it is possible,” he admitted. “You don’t know everything that happened. You just think you do.” Glass said.
Drath felt his blood pressure building. He was in a fight he couldn’t win. “We can’t do it. Helen and I want out of the whole thing.”
Glass looked back with an odd smile on his face. It made Drath even angrier.
“If you don’t release us we’ll go public.” He said
“Do you really think you have enough to gamble that threat?” Glass asked. He opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a folder. As he threw the manila folder on the table, photos spun out and into view across the desk. “Are you sure you want to threaten me? I wouldn’t if I cared about these people.” He motioned to the photos. “I wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to these lovely women.”
Drath knew instantly what he was threatening. The photos showed images of Sue in Tampa, at work in the school and working out in the gym. Somehow he had taken photos of her inside of his condo. They had been keeping tabs on her, in case they needed to control him. Other photos were of Linda. He hadn’t seen her in years but knew instantly it was his old love. Her hair was a little different, and she had aged a little, but she was still beautiful.
“She left the musician two years ago and is living in Seattle. She went back to look for you, but you were gone.”
He had been preparing for this for two years. Fear, pain, and anger welled in Drath’s heart. “You can’t make us work for you,” he said.
“Try me, it’ll be easy.”
Their eyes locked in a stare that lasted seconds but felt like minutes to Drath. He had lost he knew. He would never let anything happen to either of them. Glass knew this too.
