“I’m sorry. I’m confused and still a little in shock. This whole experience has taken a toll on me. I will admit without your help, I would be dead. I am grateful for what you have done,” Vera said.
“I know it has been a scary couple of days,” Jubal agreed. “You can now stop running and try to relax. You are safe here. Can we get you a drink, something to eat, a shower, a bed, or anything else?”
“Are you sure we are safe here? I kind of liked having the security contractors around.”
Jubal taped on his tablet and held it up for Vera. An aerial view of the property popped on the screen. It cycled through infrared, night vision, and a couple of other modes she did not know. “Everything for almost twenty miles in all directions I own and it is all fenced. There are cameras and motion detectors along the perimeter. A drone is always on overwatch. Anything moves and the AI is notified. If anything is not an animal, I am alerted. In case of attack, I have these.” Jubal pushed another button and a distant hum came closer and closer. Four drones about three feet in diameter flew in the lab moving in unison. Each had a machine gun attached to it with a drum of ammo. Jubal pushed another button and the drones did a maneuver and flew out of the lab in formation. “I assure you I take my privacy and safety seriously.” What he didn’t tell them was it was all powered by a quantum computer hidden deep underground in his private lab.
“I see that. Couldn’t this be hacked?”
“The buildings, drones, cameras, and AI are not connected to the internet. When the internet is used there are multiple partitions and buffers set up. Someone would have to enter a virus directly into the system on-site, bypass my security and make it past the AI before they could affect anything. Anything is possible but accomplishing that is something I’m not sure even I am capable of doing.”
“Ok, where do we start?”
“I would like to examine the horn.”
Vera retrieved the bag carrying the horn in a box from the truck and handed it to Jubal. They all went over to a workbench with a massive electron microscope on it. Jubal tapped on his tablet and red lights shone over the doors. “This building like all the building here is built to be a Faraday cage. The walls under the adobe are solid metal.”
“The horn won’t be tracked when we take it out of the box?” Vera asked.
“That is correct.”
Jubal placed the horn on a pedestal on the bench and focused the camera of the microscope on it. The camera began to move by itself going back and forth mapping the horn. Everyone watched the progress on a large monitor. When finished Jubal handed the women special glasses to put on and he donned a pair. He gently placed the horn back in its metal box and sealed the lid. He then reached into the air and pulled a 3d version of the horn out of the monitor. He turned it in the air examining it. Then he pulled his fingers apart and a small section of the gold inlay enlarged a hundred times. He turned the image and enlarged it again and again and again. Then they all saw it, tiny lines connected with nodes. Jubal followed the small lines as they encircled the horn and went up the gold inlay of the Hebrew words, the Power of Yahweh.
“What are we looking at?” Vera asked.
“Circuits, quark-sized circuits. The horn was created with a science that is beyond our current capabilities.”
“How is that possible?” Vera asked.
“I’m not sure. Tetly show her the video queued up on the monitor over there while I continue my examination.”
Tetly motioned for Vera to follow and sat next to her. She tapped the video and the scene of Joseph cutting down Carlos and Carlos possessing Joseph started playing. Vera looked at Tetly with confusion. “Just watch,” Tetly said.
Vera was confused and horrified by what she saw. After the video was over, she looked over at Tetly, eyebrows raised. “We think it is a possession, like as in demonic possession. This is part of a much larger exorcism. The point is that this snake dagger gives off similar energy to the horn when used.”
“What? Are we dealing with demonic forces?”
Jubal walked over. “I don’t think so. I bet that dagger has circuitry on it like the horn. I think these are all devices made by science. I won’t pretend to understand that black floating blob or how it fits in. These are the kinds of questions we need answered. I have been trying to analyze the words the priest used. Some bring forth a stronger reaction from the possessed than others.”
“This is all incredible. I am not sure how I can help.”
“You brought the horn and body here, so you have already contributed immensely. I feel I can trust you and you can trust me. That is a very special relationship to me and means I can work with you. I believe that my sensors will detect other items where your particular skills in excavation and history will be of great benefit. I offer you the opportunity to join me in uncovering a great mystery of the world.” Jubal held out his hand.
Vera took his hand and Jubal offered his other hand to Tetly. Tetly smiled and held Jubal’s hand. “Now we are three. Hopefully tomorrow we will become four. Dr. Greenwood has accepted my invitation to examine the body.”
“Do you know what he uncovered from the sample?”
“Yes. Do you want to see the findings?”
“Definitely.”
Jubal typed on a keyboard and the notes of Dr. Greenwood appeared on the screen. Vera read and realized they were the geneticist’s private thoughts and ideas about how the sample seemed to have spliced DNA from animals. “Did Dr. Greenwood send you this?” Vera asked.
“No. I took it off his computer. I have all his data.”
“So you stole it?”
“Yep, I’m a hacker. We know people are willing to kill for this. I needed to know what Dr. Greenwood truly thought and if he was someone I could trust bringing into the group.”
“I understand, but it is such an invasion of privacy.”
“I agree, but we are kind of at war with an unknown adversary. You need to understand that I am all in on discovering the truth and will do what is necessary to find it. I promise to not risk your lives without at least letting you know first, but anyone outside the group I will exploit in any way necessary. I’ve had to deal with criminals, steal vehicles, buy guns, hack ATMs, computers, phones, and hospitals, smuggle a crate, and hire mercenaries to get you here.”
“Ok, ok. I get it. This is not how normal people live.”
“It is not how I used to live but it is starting to become the norm since the sounding of the horn. I am doing the best I can.”
“And I’m thankful for that. I would be dead if not for your intervention. It helps me to get all this information out in the open. I understand better now.”
“It’s after 2 pm and we haven't had lunch. Why don’t we go inside and eat?” Tetly said.
“That sounds like a great idea,” Jubal said. He tapped on his tablet to unseal the doors and led the way.
Outside four robotic forklifts waited to enter. Once Jubal, Tetly, and Vera had exited the building the bay doors to the lab opened and the robots got to work delivering and placing equipment. In the far distance, another group of robots were working on constructing a new building.
Vera collected her personal items and Tetly showed her to her room. On the bed were several boxes. “What’s all this?” Vera asked.
“I have no idea. They have your name on them. We should open them.” Tetly handed Vera a pair of scissors from the dresser.
Vera looked over the boxes. They did have her name written on them. She cut the seal to the largest one. The box was full of brand new shirts, shorts, skirts, dresses, and socks. Vera took several items out and put them together into outfits.
“These are cute,” Tetly said.
“I own all these clothes in these exact colors.”
“That’s weird. Open another box.”
The next box was smaller and was all underwear and bras. Some of them were pretty skimpy but most were designed for support and comfort.
Tetly held up a fire engine red thong. “Ok, this just got creepy.”
“Yeah. It’s weird. Again, I own all these items.”
Tetly swung the thong around on her finger. “Really? Do tell.”
Vera blushed. “I was dating and wanted…I don’t know what I wanted. That was probably the problem. We can talk about it later.”
“This should be good. Jubal is going to turn so red,” Tetly said and winked at Vera. “Jubal!”
“What are you doing?” Vera asked, throwing underwear back in the box.
Jubal hurried into the room. “What’s wrong?”
Tetly twirled the red thong in Jubal’s face. “Why did you get Vera sexy thongs?”
Jubal’s cheeks flushed. “What? I don’t know.”
“How do you know what clothes Vera owned?”
“I don’t know. It’s probably from her past ordering history of various online sources.”
“So you snooped into Vera’s shopping habits?” Tetly said before looking at Vera and almost laughing.
“Um. No. Um, Natasha did it.”
“Who the hell is Natasha? Another of your dead friend's sisters?”
“No. She’s the AI I built. She runs everything.”
“Is that the voice I heard when we first got here?”
“Yes. That’s her.”
“Well let’s see what she has to say about this.” Tetly twirls the thong at a camera in the room.
Vera was beyond red and trying to grab the panties from Tetly.
“Natasha explain why the clothes are here?” Jubal said but nothing happened. “Oh, I forgot. Natasha reinstate voice protocol in the house.
“Thank you, TB I missed talking to you.” The voice of the AI was sexy and flirtatious. It also sounded exactly like a real woman's voice. Black Widow’s voice to be exact.
“So what does TB stand for?” Tetly asked.
Jubal started to answer but Natasha got there first. “TB stands for true believer, which is Jubal’s main handle online, truebeliever47, to be exact. I shortened it to TB because I thought it was more intimate.”
Tetly grinned at Jubal. “How intimate is your relationship to TB?”
“I can see, hear and sense everything that happens within every building and vehicle and much of the outdoors. Does that answer your question?”
Tetly had a little shiver. Everywhere? “Answer the question about the clothes.”
“I was tasked to make Vera feel at home here. I researched her buying history online and purchased things that she bought multiple times, rated highly, and featured often in pictures. I had the items delivered and placed them on her bed. There is a selection of clothes, shoes, and toiletries.”
Tetly looked at Jubal. “You didn’t know what was in these boxes?”
“Nope. Did I do something wrong?”
Tetly hugged Jubal. “Nope. Now go finish making us lunch. We got some unpacking and laundry to do.”
“Please place soiled garments in the hampers in the bathrooms and the bathbots will do the laundry,” Natasha said.
“Warm those bathbots up, Nat. We are going to be filling a hamper or two.”
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