Ana

CH 30

“Well, she’s not working for them anymore, and besides, she’s still my friend, and I think she can be a big help to us.”

Tom leaned backward and tried to deflate his emotions. He knew Heidi could be very valuable to them if she choose to help so he needed to try and work this out.

“I know this isn’t a good time to hit you with this, however, you’re going to have to decide whether or not you’re going to help us because we need to make decisions that will affect the future of mankind. You can be a part of that.”

“I will not help you bring down the U.S. government or the CIA, regardless of what may have happened,” Heidi said defiantly.

“I’m not asking you to. We need your help in finding the path that is best for everyone. But, if you continue to think of yourself as a CIA agent, I’ll have to wipe your memory and send you back to them.”

What he didn’t tell her was that Ana could modify memories as well so that Heidi would end up providing false information to her interrogators. He had only brushed the surface concerning the abilities Ana had with respect to the human body and needed to spend a lot more time studying that aspect as soon as he could.

Naomi gave him a stern look. “Tom, we don’t need to resort to threats, especially not today. Heidi is the strongest and most mature person I know, but right now she needs time to grieve.”

Tom sighed and looked into Naomi’s sad face. She was right of course.

“I’m sorry. We can talk about this later when you’re up to it.”

With that, he left to give the girls time alone. Heidi needed time to sort out her new place in life as did he and Naomi.

***

Much later, Tom returned to the command room to get back to work on the final details of his new plan. The boldness of the scheme worried him but he felt only drastic actions on his part could prevent untold troubles for his family once his association with Heidi was discovered.

He found Heidi and Naomi off to one side chatting when he entered the command room and they motioned for him to join them. Naomi had on an unusual outfit made of shear blue fabric that snaked around her slender body with no visible means of staying attached and the impression it gave was that it might fall off at any moment. His plan suddenly took a back seat in his awareness as he moved for a closer look. He was amazed by how she kept finding ways to use the Traveler’s technology that he had never even imagined. The effect of the thin fabric she wore was more erotic than if she were fully naked. He couldn’t hear what the girls were whispering to themselves about as he approached, but he was glad to see Heidi wasn’t giving him hateful looks.

“Hi Sweetie, you have this all worked out yet?” Naomi gave him a hug and an open mouth kiss that made him wish they were alone.

After they separated, he said, “I think so. I may be able to convince the powers-that-be on Earth that it would be unwise to bother us or our families.”

“What do you have in mind?” Heidi asked, her arms crossed and her lips a thin line on her face. “You’re not thinking of attacking anyone are you?”

Tom took Naomi’s hand and steered her toward the main projector. “No, but I am going to shake them up quite a bit. After all, they really have no way to reach us here. What can they do, throw space probes at us?”

“If they can launch probes at the moon, they can nuke it,” Heidi said.

“Ana assures me that she can prevent any earth ship from reaching the moon and I really don’t think it will come to that. Let me show you what I’ve came up with and see what you think the government’s reaction will be based on your experience.