Legend of Oria 1: Initial Contact (15 page)

When Oria returned to his seat next to Karen she whispered in his ear “That was impressive.  Where did you learn your physics?”

Oria whispered back “In grade school with a little extra homework”

“Yeah sure, I don't know of any school where they teach what you just presented.” 

“That doesn't surprise me.  I'm sure that you're not familiar with the educational institutions that I attended.”

Karen felt somewhat annoyed by Oria’s evasiveness.  “And why is that?”

“That's not something I can answer now.”

“Oh right, more of that classified stuff.”

“Something like that”

Karen hated Oria’s continued evasiveness.  There was no way that she was going to let this matter die that easily.  Karen was determined to find out more about Oria.  In addition, Karen was obligated to report to General Bronson on the symposium and that now included Oria.  She was certain that Bronson would order her to find out more about Oria.  Then she remembered her plans to go with some friends to the beach this weekend.  She was hoping this matter with Oria wouldn't ruin her plans. 

Karen was trying to think of a way to keep in contact with Oria after the symposium.  Then a wicked thought struck her.  The Capitals were in a playoff game against the Red Wings that night.  She recalled that Bronson had somehow obtained tickets out of one of his budgets and was not going to be able to use them.  Just maybe she could get them, see the game, and keep in contact with Oria at the same time. 

As the symposium started to break up she whispered to Oria “Oria, do you have any plans tonight?  I may be able to get my hands on some good seats for tonight’s Caps playoff game.”

“Um, what’s a Caps playoff game and I was hoping that we could do
something together?”

Karen quickly explained to Oria about the Washington Capitals and the hockey game.  Oria slightly understood and wanted to see the game.  Oria was glad he had met Karen.  When he found out that she worked at the Pentagon, he saw an opportunity to further his mission.  As he got to know her better, he started to like her as well.  Oria knew that he would have to be careful about his affection for her.  He did not need any romantic entanglements.

Karen interrupted Oria's thoughts and asked him to wait while she changed into casual clothes in the hotel restroom.  She had some casual clothes in the gym bag that she'd hauled around all afternoon.

Karen left Oria in the conference room to fend off the avalanche of people descending on him.  She figured that the crowd would detain Oria for at least 15 minutes providing her plenty of time to call the General and change out of her uniform.  She entered the ladies room and pulled out the secure cell phone that all STAR Hawk pilots were required to carry.  Karen called the General on his emergency line.

After the usual formalities of passing the screening test by the General's over eager exec, Karen finally got through and was actually able to speak directly with General Bronson.

“Hello General, I am glad I was able to contact you so quickly.  The symposium had some real surprises beyond anything that we could have expected.”

Bronson was annoyed at her phone call.  He barked back “This better be good Major, continue.”

“Dr. Caldwell did present information that we would consider sensitive.  That was no real surprise.  The surprise, which also will most likely make the news, came from a member of the audience.”

“Hold that thought Major; I have to take this other call.”

General Bronson put Karen on hold and switched to his longtime friend from GeoTechnology, Dr. Peter Franklin.

“Hi Peter, it's good to hear from you again.”

“Yes Stewart, I'll cut right to the chase.  It's been an interesting evening tonight.  Dr. Caldwell allowed someone from the audience to interrupt her presentation.  This person shocked everyone with concepts beyond current scientific thinking on laser technology and generally well accepted scientific principles.  This was not some fantasy thinking on his part.  He showed theoretical proofs and then used Caldwell's own laser device to demonstrate his proofs.  I believe every scientist in the audience was convinced including me.  Stewart, you know that I’m not one prone to exaggerations.  The stranger, Oria, presented material that could move science ahead thousands of years.”

“Do you know anything about this stranger?”

“Not much other than he came to the symposium with that sexy major of yours.”

“Really!”

“It looked like they just met and if you ask me, they looked pretty friendly.”

Bronson’s mind was racing.  The news was exciting and now he wondered where Major Brown fit in this story.  He needed to get Peter off the phone, get back to Major Karen Brown and find out just what was going on.  “Peter thanks for the info.  What else do you have in mind beyond just feeding me some information?”

“General, I would like you to sponsor a small research project to get to the heart of this information and I'd like to start tonight.”

“Very well, have a proposal for what you want to do on my desk by noon tomorrow.”

Bronson and Franklin exchanged a few personal comments and then the general returned to Karen.  Karen had been waiting a long 10 minutes to break her news to the General.   She used the time to better collect her thoughts and prepare her brief to Bronson.

“Okay Major, where were we?”

“At the symposium today a gentleman from the audience raised a few pointed questions to Dr. Caldwell.  She attempted to mock him by calling him up front to illustrate his theories.  Her strategy backfired.”

“This person, Oria I believe, presented new revelations in physical theories.”

“Yes sir. You already know?”

“Yes Major.  I also know that Oria came with you to the symposium.  You’re not my only source of information, finish your report”.

Karen felt the sting from the General's put down.  She had hoped to be the first person to break the news.  “Yes sir.  I'll start from the beginning.  I went to the bookstore to pick up a copy of Dr. Caldwell's book.  While there, I met Oria and had coffee with him.  His full name is Oria
Stoneax.  He interrupted the presentation during a question and answer period with several pointed questions revealing flaws in Caldwell's presentation and in Einstein's theory of relativity.  This upset Caldwell.”

“I imagine so”, in his thoughts he added, “It would have been fun to see her upset.”  There was no love lost between Dr. Caldwell and General Bronson.  The two had clashed many times over what should be considered classified and what should be made available to the public.

Karen could tell from the tone in the General's voice that he was enjoying hearing how Oria nailed Caldwell at the symposium.  She decided to take advantage of his rivalry with Caldwell and replied “Yes sir, she sort of made fun of Oria by inviting him up front and to publicly illustrate his claims challenging established scientific thought.”

“Major I believe that must have been an interesting sight.  Please tell me what Oria said that has prompted several people to call me tonight.”

“Yes sir, Oria walked to the front of the room, used the white board, presented his theories, and pointed out flaws in Einstein's theories.  The reaction from those in the room including the snippety Dr. Caldwell was sheer amazement”.

Bronson interrupted Karen and tried to get her to move more quickly, “Major, do we have concepts to test?”

“Yes sir and more.  Oria presented concepts that are centuries beyond our technology.  He opened the door to a new form of energy that is not constrained by the speed of light.  In addition, he modified Dr. Caldwell's laser and actually demonstrated several of his theories.  He used a material that he claims can withstand a nuclear blast.”

Bronson had been successful at getting Karen thrown off from her prepared words.  He always liked getting her riled to the point where she would start to ramble. 

“What exactly are you telling me Major?”

“I believe Oria only showed us the tip of the iceberg of what he knows.  Even at that, what he showed us could revolutionize our war capabilities.  Imagine aircraft that could withstand a nuclear blast or a space-based laser with the power to wipe out an entire city or maybe even a planet.  Oria kept alluding to an energy source that is more powerful than atomic energy and in greater supply than water.”

“Major, this is beginning to sound like a fairy tale.  If I didn't know you, I'd say that you've flipped.”

“Sir, may I have permission to speak frankly?”

“Go ahead Major, you've taken the story this far.”

“Sir, if you call your friends at GeoTechnology, I believe that you will hear the same story.”

“Major, the phone call I just took was from Peter Franklin at GeoTechnology.”  Bronson paused for a moment.  He was waiting to see if Karen stuck with her story.

“Sir, I know how this sounds.  If I hadn't been at that conference, I would not believe it either.”

“Major, I believe you.  Dr. Franklin essentially told me the same story.  However, it does sound farfetched.  Hearing it twice from independent sources reaffirms what you've told me.”

“General, Dr. Franklin tried to corner Oria at the Symposium.  He seemed quite impressed with both the material used to shield the armored plate and the power of the laser. I don't know if they caught up with him.”

“It appears they may have exchanged some words.  Major, I need you to keep in touch with this stranger, Oria.”

“Yes sir, I’m heading to a Caps game with him.  I'll see what else that I
can find out.  Oh by the way, are those tickets still available?  I don't have tickets yet and fear the game may be sold out.  After all, it is a playoff game.”

Bronson chuckled “I knew you had an ulterior motive.  I'll ask my exec to put your name on a couple tickets.”

“Thanks, General.”

“Major, thanks for keeping me in the loop.  It is important that you get close to Oria and find out who he is and whom he works for.  I don't believe in coincidences.”

“Neither do I sir.  It has been a little too convenient.”

“Major, I'll assign some agents to Oria and set up a meeting with GeoTechnology.  We don't want this technology getting into the wrong hands.  You'll need to cancel your flight training tomorrow and potentially your plans to go to the beach.  Your primary mission is to find out as much about Oria as possible and Karen, please be careful.  Oria may appear nice, but we don’t know who he really is or his true mission.”

“Yes sir.  You can count on me.”

“I’m counting on it, Major.  It seems that fate has chosen you for this mission whether I like it or not.”

Karen's mind was in a whirlwind.  She was excited about her new mission yet somewhat disappointed that she might not be able to connect with several of her STAR Hawk buddies at Ocean City.  Karen and her friends had rented a 14
th
floor condo overlooking the ocean. 

Karen hurried and changed out of her uniform into some jeans and a T-shirt.  She hoped Oria was still there and the two of them could continue on to the hockey game.  As she approached the conference room, she saw two men in casual clothing that looked out of place.  It appeared that they might be tailing Oria.  She wondered how the General could have gotten agents in place so fast.  Little did she know that they were Nanticokes from Oria’s tribe, assigned by Jack Stone to assist Oria and keep an eye on him.

Washington DC - Capital's Hockey game

Karen led Oria out of the Hilton and to the subway for a ride over to the Verizon Center.  As they approached the subway station, Oria sensed someone was following them.  He used the glass storefronts on the way to the station to spy on their tail.  In one of the panes, Oria saw the reflection of two men walking with a gait typical of Nanticokes.  He discreetly turned and glanced at them.  The two men gave Oria their tribal sign that he had a friendly tail.  Oria smiled to himself and thought Linda had been true to her word and had enlisted the help of Jack Stone.

Karen and Oria made it to the Farragut North subway station and up to one of the ticketing machines.  Oria watched Karen insert a $10 bill into the machine, push a button, and receive a small card.  He duplicated her actions and then followed her through one of the system’s turnstiles and down an escalator to the train platform.  There was a long narrow deck between two tracks.  As they stepped off the escalator onto the deck, Karen said, “I think we want the track on the right headed towards Silver Spring.”

Oria responded, “Alright, this is your territory, not mine.”

The lights on the train platform started flashing, signaling the imminent arrival of a train.   Within seconds, a train whisked into the station and the doors opened.  Karen led Oria into the first car of the train.  As normal for this time of night, there was standing room only.

The crowd forced a slight separation between Oria and Karen.  As the crowd forced them apart, Karen vainly tried to tell Oria to get out at Gallery Place.  He didn't seem to hear her.  The two men who she thought Bronson had sent were between her and Oria.  They managed to get right next to Oria.  Karen was fuming hot at the two men.  They were supposed to discreetly tail Oria, not separate her from him.  She would have a conversation with their commanding officer later.