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  She said, “Heard you’ve been busy.”

  I nodded, “I expect we’ll find out soon if the direction will change. What about you?”

  Subtle, but clear enough for understanding. We weren’t exactly in a secure area, being explicit would earn us a spot on a firing line, and not the spot where the soldiers held the guns.

  She smiled, “Good actually. I think we’ve figured out that fabrication issue.”

  I took that to mean the special alloy used in the fusion reactor, which meant I was about to be redundant since it was the only thing that they needed me for.

  One more thing to think about.

  Sure, I could design other ships, and do things faster, but I knew it wouldn’t be long before Diana could program the nanites as well. More than that, she’d be creative, and be able to advance, I could only do what I knew. Plus, the two ship types we already had didn’t need me involved to copy them at all anymore. I’d done too good of a job automating things.

  Sure, the general had said five years, but I didn’t imagine in his wildest dreams he’d thought we’d get so far in just six weeks.

  She added, “I had a good time last night.”

  I took that as a hint, though I’d already been planning on asking her out again.

  “Me too. How about Italian tomorrow night, we can go dancing after?”

  I was exhilarated as I tried to pretend my heartrate hadn’t just gone up, and I felt out of my league.

  She smiled, “Okay, I’d like that.”

  We chatted easily for the rest of lunch, avoiding work which we really couldn’t talk about anyway, and it was easy as breathing. We didn’t really match, not on a work level, but on a personal level we had a lot of things and beliefs in common, as well as plenty of chemistry.

  Both of our phones went off toward the end of lunch, of course I didn’t have to look at mine.

  “The general’s calling a meeting at one-thirty.”

  She checked hers, “Me too.”

  We had just enough time to finish up lunch, before we got up and headed back to the building.

  The general, Cassie, and Jemma were already there waiting for us when we got back, and the latter gave the two of us a speculative narrow-eyed look I didn’t appreciate. We took a seat, and everyone looked toward the general.

  General Schaefer said, “I’ve looked over the new ship type and approve. Good job, the last thing we need is the world freaking out on us. We’re going to start manufacturing those instead. For now, the scouts will remain hidden, we will need them eventually, but it seems wise to keep them out of the public eye and from the aliens at this time. The president wants three hundred of the new planes, we’ll stick to the hundred fifty scouts we have at this time. How long will that take?”

  “Two every two and a third days for each ship, or to triple what we have. If we fully leverage the resources, that’s… less than two weeks. Three to start with, then nine, twenty-seven, eighty-one, two-forty-three, three hundred. So… eleven and a half days, give or take a few hours.”

  The general nodded, “Good, for now we’re also going to hold off on the larger ship sizes you discovered. Given the aliens’ ship counts we need to move cautiously and figure out where they stand first, we also want to consider making our own designs. Especially since the ships can be any size if they stay in our solar system, and our priority would be on protecting Earth. It seems wise not to copy the ship shapes of the aliens. We also don’t have enough information to decide, the designs need to fit the circumstances out there.”

  That made sense.

  He continued, “The president is considering contacting them first, with one of the new ship types, but in… twelve days. I only mention it because everyone in this room will be going, except for Doctor Young. We have pilots, but a first contact mission means me.”

  “Me too, sir?”

  The general frowned, “Is that a problem?”

  “No, sir. I’m more than willing. Just… surprised.” At being included, but I didn’t say that part, though it was implied in my tone.

  Schaefer replied, “I want you there in case things go south, you can commandeer their ship if necessary, can’t you?”

  “If we get close enough, and two ship lengths away is very close in space. I could also strengthen ours with my magic. The new ship although smaller has equal combat capabilities as well, so we won’t be outgunned if it comes down to it.”

  He grunted, “Good. We’ve been reviewing the data, is there any way to find out how many inter-stellar civilizations are out there?”

  I considered the information I’d absorbed from the aliens. The scouts were monitoring tens of thousands of pre-FTL civilizations in over fifty galaxies, but they didn’t monitor other FTL races. Best guess, politics had a lot to do with that.

  I shook my head, “We can only safely deduce they have thirty-one trading partners of some form or another, based on the unique ship types in the database that have been detected around their worlds. There’s no way to know how many interstellar civilizations exist that don’t interact with them.”

  The scouts and warships around their planets only registered the ships of other civilizations that visited them on their home world or settlements. Without scouts in those home systems for other civilizations there was no telling, although I bet the aliens had a good idea.

  There was also no way to know why they monitored pre-FTL societies, perhaps to judge if they’re a threat or not when they reach space, or perhaps simply to make sure they didn’t violate taboos during first contact. Obviously, at that point they make some kind of deal, or try to, which leads to them not spying on the system anymore.

  Anything I came up with would be a guess, although the fact there was no wars going on out there that we can tell, implied that any unsuitable worlds are prevented from spreading out into the galaxy, somehow. That thought gave me pause, unfortunately. Humanity could be noble, but we could also be assholes. Dale and the general were proof of that.

  No current war could also imply they obliterate their enemies quickly when it comes up. Now that I thought of it, it seemed odd that their database wouldn’t have FTL civilizations in it, if only so their ships didn’t violate any borders. Perhaps it was in another database, but why would it be segregated out? I couldn’t think of a good reason, but then they were alien. Humans were hard enough to figure out, aliens would be… alien, in shape as well as in thinking.

  Hmm, perhaps the alien database and ship network I’d seen was only for their military ships. None of the ship types had been freighters, or personal ships without weapons, so perhaps I just had an incomplete picture.

  “Any questions?”

  “Should I get those copies started? I’ll have to move them into the new empty hangar.”

  The general nodded.

  The meeting broke up, and we all got back to work. It also occurred to me my worry about the U.S. taking over the world was probably wrong, otherwise the general wouldn’t have been worried about other countries reacting badly to our new technology.

  Maybe.

  Still, I imagined it was more than the U.S. watching our alien scout by the asteroid field. I wasn’t sure what worried me more, what the aliens would do when we went to say hello, or what the other countries of the world would think when they saw us go out there to meet them. The impulse drive would get us out there in less than a day, so there’d be no doubt we weren’t using rockets, and that we had inertial dampening.

  I supposed I could be wrong, maybe it was a secret only the U.S. knew, but at the very least other governments with satellites couldn’t fail to miss us going into space, and they’d track our progress and eventually see the alien.

  And how would our government react if Russia, China, or another world power lost their minds over it? Was that why he wanted three hundred of them before we went, instead of as a defense against aliens, a defense against humans and other countries?

  I was along for the ride because of my magic an
d I was part of the project, but I had very little to no influence on the project, and none to speak of when it came to policy. Point being, there wasn’t anything I could do about it but wait and see how it all unfolded.

  Life was about to get very interesting, regardless.

  Chapter Eight

  My heart pounded to the bass line as we danced under the flashing colored lights. Our second date was going very well, but it felt more like the tenth date after all the time we’d spent together the last six weeks chatting, eating, and working together. Our second official date, but we were already friends, and knew each other far better than a second date would imply.

  She also looked like pure sinful delight, in a little black dress, red heels, and dear god could she move that tight body of hers.

  Alluring didn’t cover the reality, I’d never felt so captivated by or close to a woman before.

  As I’d noted before, her looks were the least of what held my attention. She was gorgeous dressed up, but not in a way that stood out from all the other hot women in the club that night. Not that I’d been looking, I couldn’t keep my eyes off Diana.

  She was… genuine. A rare trait in anyone, male or female.

  We were both glowing after a few songs, and we moved off the dance floor to take a break and get a couple of drinks. The music was incredibly loud, so we just shared a fun easy smile as we sipped our drinks, and she sat close enough to brush up against me whenever she moved.

  I put my arm around her, and she leaned into me with a soft smile, it felt right. I had no idea where it was going, or where it would end, but I was definitely enjoying the ride. I had hopes it would be more than just a fling, for the first time in four years, but it was too early, and the future was too cloudy, for more than that.

  I was also glad the weekend had started, it was Friday night, and outside of starting the second copy run of eighteen ships late Saturday evening, when the first one finished, I planned on doing very little work. We’d had weekends off before of course, but in an installation buried beneath a mountain there wasn’t all that much to do for entertainment.

  I felt another mage nearby and turned my head in that direction, by the bar, and I saw her right away, her dark blue eyes bored into mine from across the room.

  Jemma? What the hell, was she following us?

  Diana noticed the change in atmosphere, and she stiffened against me as she followed my gaze. She frowned as we shared a look, and she nodded toward the exit. It wasn’t long before we made it to the car, and we got inside.

  “What is that?”

  Diana sighed, “Overzealous security, try to ignore it, we’re both important assets,” she leaned over and kissed my cheek, and when she moved away, she left her hand on my leg.

  There might’ve been some tingling going on.

  I nodded, “Happen often?”

  Diana giggled, “No, I don’t get out much, to be honest. I spent most of the last five years under that dreadful mountain, only the excitement of the work kept me sane. This… whatever this is that’s growing between us, isn’t a problem I don’t think. It’s about our value to the project. She was probably just watching our backs, even if it is a little creepy.”

  I started the car, and pulled out and onto the road, “I did notice she didn’t look all that pleased at the meeting yesterday, when we showed up together after our lunch date.”

  Diana sighed, “I noticed that too. I also don’t care, do you?”

  “No. I… really want to see where this goes, Diana.”

  She smiled, “It’s a horrible idea, and will never work. I’m older than you, and you’re a mage that lives in a different world. I also suspect our project is about to transform. With the data you got… my teams have made a lot of progress, control isn’t a problem already, duplicating the ships, but we’ll be focused on advancements and theory to exceed what the aliens have, while you handle practical applications assuming they don’t just go to fabrication on it and cut you loose early.”

  “I agree, it’s a bad idea and totally doomed to failure. The powers that be could whisk us apart at any time.”

  She smirked, “It’s still early, would you like to join me in my apartment for a drink?”

  I laughed, “I’d love to.”

  So, I did, and it was one of the best nights of my life, or perhaps I should say weekends of my life.

  It was Tuesday midday, and I’d just gotten done setting up the twenty-seven ships to build fifty-four more. I practically stumbled into the small office and made myself a coffee as I sat behind a desk. Assembling eighteen reactors had drained me pretty badly, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so drained magically, and I realized there was no way I’d be able to do that for fifty-four new ships in two and a half days.

  My magic did regenerate quickly, I could do fifteen every two hours, so it would take me eight hours to finish them, which would slow down production. I don’t know why I hadn’t thought that through earlier, but there it was. It would be even worse for the last two batches.

  Unless, I cheated. Sort of. I went into the other hangar, and I took the time to set up a reactor build only on several of the larger scout ships which weren’t in use, enough of them to create two hundred and seventy-three reactors in twelve hours. That way I could assemble ninety a day for the rest of the build, fifteen every two hours, and finish within a few days, which would keep the build at the promised build-rate.

  The trick being without a reactor, the ship couldn’t make copies of itself. Duh.

  I didn’t really want to go to the general and tell him I was a moron and couldn’t make the promised date. The effort would also be manageable, if leaving myself a little weak.

  I took a sip of coffee, satisfied there were no more stumbling blocks to my promised schedule.

  Diana and I were doing well, and both on the same page. Neither of us were players or saw it as a fling, but at the same time the future was too unsure for serious commitments of any kind, and it was still early days. In short, we were taking it as it came and having fun, with the hopes it would keep coming indefinitely. She was… an incredible woman, and we’d been inseparable in our off hours the last few days, neither of us able to get enough of each other’s presence. Despite no promises, there was plenty of passion and nascent affection to go around.

  I also hadn’t slept in my own bed, since last Thursday night.

  As far as we could tell there was no official problem with it, but it was obvious to us both that Jemma saw it as an unwelcome complication in her world, but neither of us cared. That was Jemma’s problem, and I didn’t waste any thoughts on it besides noting it.

  We may have been an unlikely couple, but so far it was working out better than any of my past relationships. Perhaps that was more about me than her, the last couple of months had changed me, made me grow up perhaps, but in the end it took two, so it was definitely an us.

  I shivered, as I felt a sudden change in… potential. I frowned, and pulled out the small cube of entangled particles, that were no longer entangled. Crap, the only way that could happen was if the alien’s side of that connection had been destroyed, likely turned to energy. I tossed it in the trash, and I set off toward the building at a jog.

  I poked my head into Cassie’s office.

  She had on a gray sweater dress today, with black stretchy pants on under it. As usual, she looked like a nubile goddess despite her ancient age, but I barely noticed as she looked up at me in question.

  “The aliens destroyed their end of the quantum entangled connection to the ship. I guess the connections without data coming in made them nervous, I don’t think they could have detected my intrusion with magic, but I won’t say it’s impossible either. It could be all they’ll do, or it could’ve been just a first step.”

  She checked something on the computer.

  “Their ship hasn’t moved yet, but I’ll let the general know. Most likely we’ll stick to the schedule, unless their ship moves in, then we might
leave early to go meet it before it can reach orbit.”

  “Understood. You never did tell me how you wound up working for the government,” I added playfully.

  She deflected, “It’s a long story.”

  I nodded, and then left her be. Can’t say I didn’t try, but I guessed at that point we’d always have a shallow friendly relationship of no substance. She was as private as the inscrutable Jemma, but at least she was friendly, even if I could never really trust her. Her true nature was a mystery, but there was nothing inherently menacing about that, it just made her the boss.

  There was only so many times I was willing to reach out, it was hard being isolated, though I’d found a close friend and now lover in Diana, I was used to having more friends around.

  The price of working on top secret alien projects, I supposed. Of course, I kept in touch with old friends and my sister online, but it wasn’t the same as in person.

  I slowly relaxed over the next few days, as the alien ship continued to linger and hadn’t made any move toward us. Perhaps that was their standard procedure, wait for the other guy to come out and meet them. It even made sense from certain angles, until we had the tech to get out there, we probably weren’t worth talking to, plus it was just polite. Like knocking at the door to the solar system and waiting for us to answer it without getting in our faces. Though I was loath to apply any motivations to aliens without proof, it could be both of those reasons, one of them, or something else entirely that I’d never think of in a million years.

  They were close enough to be seen if we looked in the right direction, but far enough away that it’d take years to get there on a ship with rockets, when it was under a day for the constant acceleration potential of a ship with a reactor, inertial dampers, and an impulse drive. It would take a little over ten hours to get there at a constant sixty gravities of acceleration, which was the maximum acceleration of the ships.