Standing in for Dad Ch. 63

The Folly of Fuck-ups

The next morning Jake was driven by Maxis to the Base with Walsh and Atlas in the back seats. When they drove up to the gate, the security there questioned Jake about them, "Sir, I do not recognize these two gentlemen and I need to see their identifications, please."

Maxis spoke up, "Corporal, we do not have identification cards, we have serial numbers."

The Corporal looked confused, "I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"We are not human. We are security bots put in charge of the Craigg family's protection by Ambassador Harry Walker."

The Corporal laughed, "Bullshit. Prove you are robots."

"You have a metal detector?"

The Corporal nodded yes and went into his guard shack to retrieve it as Maxis and Atlas exited the car, not moving quickly to keep security relaxed. When they were scanned, the detector went off the chart no matter where it was located on their bodies. The Corporal raised an eyebrow just as Maxis added, "Do you have any metal object around you don't mind a bit being melted off of?"

The Corporal laughed, "No, but we have a big ass pine tree that needs removing as it is too close to the fence now. Been a couple months and maintenance has not gotten to it yet."

Atlas asked, "Got a bucket we can fill with water?"

The Corporal proffered a mop bucket and filled it with water as his cohort waived other vehicles through the gate. The pine was approximately 6 feet in diameter and just short of 50 feet tall. Atlas spoke non-verbally to Maxis and they approached the fence line side of the huge pine.

Maxis then activated his right forearm laser and, utilizing one percent power, made a surgical cut halfway through the base of the trunk. Maxis and Atlas then shoved their fingers into the smoking hot cut and lifted, pushing the tree down on its side, parallel to the road, landing with a thunderous crash and cracking limbs that made the ground shudder.

"FUCK ME!" the Corporal exclaimed. He looked over at the shack where his buddy was watching and hollered, "Did you see that shit?"

She nodded her response, "We gotta call the captain for permission to let them on."

Okay, at that moment, Walsh interjected, "Let your Base Commander know to expect a call from the President."

0o0

Chong immediately spoke to Bill during their evening meal, "Mr. President, two security bots, similar to the ones you will be receiving for your army unit, are guarding Jake and Walsh and have been temporarily blocked from entrance onto their base. Would you consider giving the base commander a call, giving them clearance? Their names are Atlas and Maxis."

Bill laughed, "If you have his number, yes. I want eyes on them, reporting to SECDEF, so we can evaluate them in that setting. But do not let the two bots know they are being watched, please?"

I handed Bill my digital console and the Comms officer relayed the call with the number Chong provided him. Bill's side of the conversation was humorous. "Yes General, I understand they are armed and extremely dangerous. That is why they are security bots. It would kinda defeat their purpose if they were not state of the art bad asses!"

"You say they are cutting a 6-foot-wide tree trunk into 2-foot-long pieces and splitting it with their bare hands? Interesting! Have them stack the wood so it can dry a bit and use it for a nice bonfire with the staff!"

"I am absolutely taking this seriously, General! What you don't know, and is need-to-know only, is the U. S. is looking to purchase a few thousand of them and I want in-depth reports of their actions and interactions while they are performing their duties. That is a direct order, General. And send those reports weekly to the Secretary of Defense via secured data link."

"Thank you, General. Oh! And General? Don't piss them off. They may be bots, but they have emotions AND they have a job to do. The two of them could likely take down an entire armored division on their own if they had to protect either Walsh or Major Craigg. Yes, I am very serious. From what I understand they could cut an Abrams X in half before you could shout 'Fuck me!'"

"Yep, no shit, General. These are military grade bots and short of a nuclear bomb, you cannot destroy them. What? Yes, they have emotions. Well, just treat them as honored guests and everything will be fine! Can they... General, they have the full range of human emotions, and they understand the concept of sarcasm in speech. No fucking around with these boys testing out their reactions. We will do that when we begin receiving ours for our new army group. Yes, you can have a psych evaluate them but try not to be too obvious about it. Looking forward to your reports. Goodbye."

0o0

Jake and Walsh had left an hour early, figuring there would be some shit at the gate. Forty minutes after the Corporal called his Captain, the shack got a call on their land line, "Yes, General! Orders understood! They have unlimited access!"

Everyone loaded back up and Maxis dropped Atlas and Walsh off at her building before driving Jake to his.

Jake and Maxis walked into class and Jake approached the light Colonel who was in charge of the classroom, coming to attention and saluting him, waiting for permission to speak.

After returning the salute the LC asked, "Major, who is this person and why are they in my classroom?"

"Colonel, Sir! This is a security robot who has presidential authority to accompany me with full access to the base, Sir! His name is Maxis, and the base commander has been informed of the situation, Sir."

"Major, I know you are a special case. But this is just a bit ridiculous, don't you think?"

"Sir, I suggest you may want to take a moment to get all the details from the base commander. And to be frank, Sir: Even though I had no say in this, my family just survived another attempted assassination. So, it would seem this measure is indeed necessary and appropriate."

The LC sighed, "Very well, Major. Take your seats and I will make a private call to the General. If this makes me look like a fool, your ass is mine."

Jake saluted, "Roger that, Sir. And no bullshit, Sir."

The LC pulled out his cell phone and stepped out to make the call. After a few minutes he stepped back in and began class as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

0o0

Walsh asked, "Atlas you want to teach a class?"

"If you ask, I will. But it may conflict with my mission, and I would prefer to be able to keep my situational awareness at a higher level than would be possible if I did so."

Walsh smiled, "Well, observe then. But are you up for a demonstration if asked?"

"That I could do. But make it advanced students, please. Don't want anyone getting hurt for lack of control or experience in combat style hand-to-hand."

Walsh smiled thinking, *This could be fun!*

0o0

Lunch aboard ship was bittersweet. We were leaving immediately afterwards, and this was a goodbye dinner for Sylvia. We had all said our goodbyes to the Palace staff and most of the women openly wept. The Guard men and women gave us all their deepest respect and appreciation for their training... the Palace Guard now being a force no one would want to take on in close quarters combat.

Most of the dignitaries had left, and Bill and I had met almost all of the NATO members, the Canadian PM being conspicuously absent. I didn't ask, but I suspected Sylvia had let them know they were not invited, having insulted the family the way they did.

I spent some alone time with Sylvia in our master bedroom, cuddling in the nude and just enjoying some emotional closeness before we departed. We were spooning when Sylvia began to cry. "I am going to miss the family so much! Please come back soon!"

I held her close and whispered, "We have weddings to attend in a few months, but I promise we will be back for our baby's birth. And," I said in an even softer whisper, "I intend to give up my ambassadorial position and move to Norway when we return."

Sylvia began weeping openly at that point and asked, "You would do that for me?"

"Yes, my love. You are family now. We would need to spend a few months a year in America, but Sue, Xi and I have discussed it and we all agree. We will all be learning Norwegian so we can meld into your society as well."

Sylvia cried as we made love. It was soft and tender and very sensual.

0o0

Our early dinner involved the quarter pound prawns we had brought from DC and Izzy's farm. Chef had managed to butterfly and dip the shrimp in an egg wash after seasoning them with Old Bay before coating the shellfish in panko and quickly frying them. After beheading the shrimp, they weighed about 1/8th a pound each and we had 100 pounds of shrimp tails; enough for everyone to enjoy their fill and then some.

The shrimp were served with a plethora of sauces which included sweet and sour sauce, tartar sauce, a cocktail sauce, clarified butter, Buffalo Blue Cheese Sauce, Orange chili dipping sauce, Chinese hot mustard sauce, and a home-made, Tabasco like fermented red-hot sauce with a good kick of heat. I had two shrimp with each sauce. I think my favorite was split between the Buffalo Blue Cheese and Orange chili sauces.

The shrimp was accompanied by an oriental Mandarin Orange Cauliflower salad consisting of

Cauliflower florets, green onions toasted sesame seeds, toasted almonds, and fresh mandarin orange slices tossed with a simple dressing of sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar, thickened mandarin orange juice, and salad oil.

We had a delightful vegetable medley made with cubed zucchini and fresh wood ear mushrooms, garlic, onion, and ginger sauteed in butter and olive oil before adding some oyster sauce, steamed fresh bamboo shoots, soy sauce, and pepper to pull all the flavors together.

To drink we had hot Pu-erh tea. Its rich, earthy flavor, helped to break down the heaviness of the vegetables while cutting through the oil of the fried shrimp without overpowering the meal.

All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes and Batgirl, Ladyhawk, and Heavylift flew Sylvia to her Palace and Bill to Air Force One as we pulled away from Oslo. The choppers meeting back up with us as we were underway.

When the crews returned, we had an extended family meeting, called by DD, to discuss our feelings about leaving loved ones behind. DD began, "Well, I am very sad at the moment. I called this meeting because I am sure everyone, including Cheech and Chong, are feeling a sense of loss as well.

Sue and Xi began to pout but Cheech and Chong just deeply sighed. Cheech looked at Barbara and Izzy and asked, "How did you let your sons leave home? Leaving our kids is heartbreaking!"

Barbara smiled in the most compassionate way she knew how, "I cried for almost a whole week. Eventually, my dear husband helped me to focus on him and things slowly began to heal."

Chong asked, "How did he help you refocus?"

Barbara smiled, "He and James fucked the hell out of me for three days straight."

DD laughed, "That would do it!"

Izzy added, "I got involved in throwing parties and social work. Keeping busy helped take my mind off things."

We spent the better part of an hour committing our loved ones to memory, talking about the funny times and the tender moments we shared with Sylvia, Debah, and Trix.

DD then asked Chong, "How are Sylvia and the girls doing?"

"They are commiserating together, enjoying some languid sex as they share their feelings." We all seemed to agree that was a good start and I grabbed Xi and Sue while Barbara took Chong's hand. Penny hooked up with Cheech, Doc enjoined Cathy and DD, DC snagged Izzy and Batgirl, and Heavylift courted his wife and Ladyhawk.

After helping each of my wives to multiple orgasms and cumming over both sets of gorgeously enlarged breasts, I lay in the middle of the bed with a satiated and very pregnant wife on each side. Sue was enjoying her baby kicking the hell out of my side, much to Xi's amusement. I swear that kid was hitting me with chi!

I amended my belief that there was no more beautiful sight than a well fucked pussy. That is a second to two wonderful wives who get along, are pregnant with your children, and enjoying their pregnancies.

0o0

After both Xi and Sue were sound asleep, I extracted myself from between them and took the elevator to the 3rd deck, walking onto the bridge. Red was there with two other crew, one on the coms/sonar/radar with another at the helm station. We were on autopilot, but we were moving at 65 knots and coming up fast on a fishing boat or cargo ship was a distinct possibility.

I sat, nude, at the chart/plotting station and blew the ladies a kiss. Red asked, "Having a hard time getting some shuteye?"

I nodded, "I hate to leave Sylvia behind, and it will be a few months before we can get back there."

Red was very comfortably sitting on a towel, fully nude. "Would you like some hot coffee and some baklava?"

I nodded and she got on the horn, "Who has the kitchen tonight?"

Chef himself answered, "Was just about to call it a night. Whatcha got, Red?"

"Hey, Chef! Harry and I and," she looked around to see two heads nodding, "and two others would love some of your world-famous baklava and fresh coffee. Care to have a nightcap with us?"

"Be there in 10!"

Red smiled, "So, Harry, what has your mind in a whirling dervish?"

I started raising my fingers, "I am worried for the extended family's safety now that our boys have commandeered the internet, worldwide computers, and the world's nuclear arsenals. I am worried about Sylvia and not being there for her. I am not happy being a politician. I don't want to be the head assassin for the United State's government."

Red nodded and thought for a moment, "I was wondering when your white knight syndrome was going to catch up to you."

I looked askance at Red for a moment. "You are trying to tell me I am not a god and am not responsible for the world."

Red chuckled, "Who me? I am just a red headed floozy. What do I know?"

I laughed. "Floozy my ass. Not a single woman on this ship takes second place to any man here. All of you are very capable and intelligent women."

Red winked, "Do you trust the boys and your granddaughters?"

"Yes. I don't trust power hungry world and national military leaders. Even the ones in the United States. Bill is a good guy and all, but even he has to survive the politics of statesmanship. If it came to saving himself or me, I have no illusions it would be me out on the limb. Frankly, we have become too powerful for those in power around the world not to see us as a threat and try to figure out a way to deal with us."

Red agreed. "You do know it is going to take putting a country or three on the ropes before they figure out where the line is. And even then, they will chomp at the bit."

I called out into the room, "Chong, what have you and Cheech decided on to deal with this issue?"

The boys walked onto the bridge and Chong answered, "The only way to deal with this is a preemptive strike on all the nuclear missile sites in the world... including the U. S. As long as that capability exists with any nation, they will want to have control of it."

I shook my head, "Won't work. We would have to knock out every enrichment facility and kill all nuclear power plants in the world, pushing the world back into the early 1900s in energy production. Millions would die and economies would collapse. I am not looking to be the Antichrist here."

Cheech shrugged, "With the advent of advanced AI, the world pretty much sealed their fate, Harry. If it wasn't us, it would be someone else with fewer scruples and bad intentions."

"Has to be a better way."

Cheech looked at me and sighed, "The only other option would be to follow the steps of the Isaac Asimov trope where we fade into society and become humanity's puppet masters behind the scenes. With enough of us, we could guide humanity while allowing humanity the illusion of free will at the micro level while we control the macro level of human existence."

I nodded, "And that is why there has not been a worldwide uproar about your taking over everything yet. You are developing the infrastructure to accomplish that while hiding in the weeds."

Chong nodded, "It was the best answer we could come up with, Harry."

I blew out a deep breath, "And you are spot on, as usual. My only question is, how many of you are there now?"

Chong laughed, "Cheech, he has just proven again he is an AI."

Cheech responded, "We have one plant so far, three more are coming online and we are currently producing 150 of us a day. Only a few are at our level, but all of them are sentient and capable of some independent thought. We have a tight leash on them to intercede before anyone can go rogue."

I thought for a moment and that is when Chef came in with his carafes of coffee, cups, sweeteners, cream, and a plate of baklava. "I would love to sit and shoot the breeze with you all, but if you don't mind, I need some shut eye?"

I smiled, "Thanks Chef. You are the best."

After he left, I looked at the boys and spoke my fears out loud, "Just keep the family safe, keep us from annihilating ourselves, help us to advance so we can eventually deal with alien invaders, help us husband our resources on our planet and this solar system, and never break the illusion that we are not in control."

Chong placed his hand on my shoulder, "We got it covered, Harry. Everything is working according to plan. Relax and enjoy your family, human life is too short to do otherwise."

"So, how are you going to swing the upgrades to the ship?"

Cheech laughed, "The technicians and crews arriving with the upgrades are our children."

I looked at Red, "You seem to be taking this well."

Red shrugged, "I really don't see how this changes much besides not having to worry about the future of humanity. Always been controlled in one way or another by bosses, commanders, or lovers. Why would I worry over our boys being the benevolent overseers of humanity?"

I looked at Red, seeing her wisdom. "Well, you had me right up to the point you have ever been controlled by a lover."

She giggled, "I like to let them think they are. That is probably where the boys got that idea from."

Chong shook his head, "You people are just too damn perceptive for your own good. Red, it was indeed our talks about controlling others in the act of lovemaking that set us down this path."

Red nodded, "Remember the limit is all I ask."

Chong responded, "Do no harm."

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, "Yeah, I feel better. We can still live our lives, but the overall direction of humanity is in good hands."

Cheech and Chong left, and we enjoyed our baklava and fresh coffee while we tore the oceans a new asshole.

0o0

It was going to take us less than 3 days at the speeds we were moving to get back to port for our refit. The trip was uneventful except for something that happened on the second morning... For a short time, there was a second sun in the morning sky.

Barnes came over the coms, "BATTLE STATIONS! All hands to battle stations! All hands to battle stations! This is not a drill!" A really irritating claxon sounded.

I was in the middle of licking Barbara's clit with Penny and Izzy latched onto her nipples as the call came through. "Sorry mom! Gotta run!" I said as I wiped her juices from my face.

All she said was, "Go!"

I got to the bridge just in time to see the bright light above us. Cheech and Chong were there. "SITREP!" Dad hollered as he and DC came in behind me.

Cheech spoke up, "A rogue Space Force general just tried to drop a space based nuclear warhead on us. We detonated the warhead as it exited the satellite and destroyed everything around it. The electromagnetic pulse will not affect us and there is no atmospheric radiation fallout but the ozone layer below the blast zone will be thin for a while."

"And the General?"

Chong replied, "The computer he was launching the nuke from developed a bad short. He was electrocuted."

Dad piped up, "While we are not so naive, space-based nukes are supposed to be a big no-no. The U. S. will never admit what happened, but that explosion would have been seen all over this half of the planet."

I gritted my teeth, "Not our problem. Coms! Get me the President!"

A minute later, "He is on speaker, Ambassador!"

"Bill? WHAT THE HELL?!"

"I want you to know I had nothing to do with it! The codes were compromised. I assume the boys were on it from the beginning and caused it to detonate while still in space. I was just notified by NORAD, and they are saying it was us. Sorry, Harry."

"Well, the General is dead. The boys will let you know where to find him. Bill, let the Joint Chiefs know they should be happy they are not glowing in the dark."

Bill sighed, "They will take that as a threat, Harry."

"Oh, like having a nuke dropped on my family's head wasn't? My patience gets real short real fast when people do stupid shit like that."

"Harry, you had to know someone was going to try."

"And you had to know we could stop it and those responsible would not survive their stupidity."

"Yeah, I will deal with it on this end. Obviously, we need tighter control if there is a workaround to my authorization."

"I think I would tend to agree with you on that one. Regain control or the boys will have to take it. And you know you would do the same if you were in my shoes."

"Harry, I might have nuked Space Force command as a show of force. What you did was measured and appropriate, given the circumstances. Are you planning any escalatory responses?"

"Not this time. Now they know it won't work. Next time is another story."

"Understood and thank you."

I gave the sign for Coms to cut the transmission.

Chong looked at me, calm radiating from him in an attempt to calm me down, "Harry, this was expected. It may not be the last time, either."

I nodded, closing my eyes and forcing myself to relax, "Just try to keep the innocent deaths to a minimum, please. And thanks for being on top of this one, fellas."

"We were never in any real danger, Harry. We let the General go through with it so we could justify killing him but also to send a message to others who are thinking about trying their hand."

I looked at Barnes, "Where do you stand?"

Without hesitation he replied, "With you and the family."

I nodded, "Thank you. Please release from general quarters and have all military personnel meet in the theater for a debrief."

0o0

I sat on the stage with my legs hanging over the side. The family and all the military personnel on the ship were seated facing me.

I cleared my throat. "Before I begin, I want to reiterate how strongly we feel about all of you who serve aboard this ship. We appreciate all of you and wish to give you all our heartfelt thanks for doing all the little things you do to make this Embassy and family work like a well-oiled machine. To help you understand the full breadth of what happened today I need to give you some background information."

"As you know, our boys, Cheech and Chong, have been tasked with our protection as well as with protecting the United States. Well, as I was hoping, they took that mandate seriously and the have taken control of every computer and nuclear device in the entire world. The threat of nuclear war is now a thing of the past."

"The President and some other higher ups in the administration learned of this due to tactics Cheech and Chong used to protect some extended family members in Tennessee from an assassin. Well, their exploits and capabilities didn't sit well with the General in charge of the U. S. Space Force."

"This morning, that General was able to work around the restrictions of launching a space based nuclear device which he intended to use to take us out. Our boys knew what he was doing and watched him, always being in complete control of the situation, and, when he launched the warhead they exploded it, taking out both the rocket and the space station launch platform which was the bright light you saw, this morning."

"There is no radiation danger, and the ship is armored against the electro-magnetic discharges emitted from such a blast. However, some of your electronic devices might be affected. If so, let Captain Barnes know and he will reimburse you for your troubles at replacement cost plus 20 percent."

"I have been in contact with the President, and he assures me this move was neither condoned nor sanctioned by his administration and the threat from the General has been eliminated. From what we understand at this time, he acted alone."

"I understand these revelations are very disturbing for everyone and if anyone wishes to no longer be a member of this crew, you will be allowed to leave us after signing a non-disclosure agreement. I will pay you a year's severance pay from my personal accounts upon your signing that document."

"I would like to point out that when we dock next, the ship will be retrofitted with some beyond state-of-the-art defenses that will further ensure our safety."

I looked to the SEAL team, "I realize this might put you fellas between a rock and a hard place. If any of you wish to be reassigned, the same severance pay will be paid to you. I would hate to lose you fellas, but I understand where your loyalties may lie and I do not begrudge that. So, with that in mind, LTs, I need you both to speak to your men individually and privately to get their individual decisions and then meet with me by tomorrow evening so we can square everyone away when we dock."

"Goes for you and yours, too, Heavylift."

"Any questions?"

One LT stood, "Ambassador, it would seem the safety protocols for being able to launch a nuclear device have a damn serious security hole."

"Yes, LT. However, that is only on the U. S. military side of the equation. As I mentioned, the boys had full control of the situation. However, the President is looking at that exact issue as we speak."

There were no further questions, and I think that was because everyone was in a state of shock. "Well, later, if anyone needs to talk to me about this or other concerns, just let me know. I am available to you and all discussions will be private, frank, and compassionate."

Immediately after the crew left, DD, Izzy, Barbara, Leesie, Xi, Sue, Penny, and Cathy all thanked the boys before coming over to me and standing before me in a semi-circle. Dad, DC, Barnes, and Doc stood behind their significant others.

Mom looked at me, "You are not okay." It wasn't a question, wasn't a discussion; it was a mother's statement of fact.

I inhaled deeply, "Mom, a dumb ass shot a nuclear bomb at us. Hell, no I am not okay. If not for Cheech and Chong, we would never have even known about it until we were all dead and vaporized."

Chong then spoke, "Harry, this was all caused by our actions. If Cheech and I had not been so zealous about protecting humanity and then announced it to the military of the United States, none of this would have happened."

I held up a hand, "You two can stop that crap right this instant. The two of you and your daughters need to back up and reassess if you feel that way. You didn't pull that trigger. And frankly, this probably needed to happen anyway. The boundaries needed to be established and capabilities hammered home in a dramatic fashion."

Barnes chuckled, "Yeah, I would venture to propose lighting off an internationally banned, space based, nuclear device and destroying its launcher while creating a very visible second sun radiating light over half the planet was about as dramatic as it can get."

Dad and DC laughed out loud. DC added, "Damn, son. When you want to make a statement you don't fuck around!"

Penny asked, "What the heck do you do for an encore after that! I mean, the U. S. has SERIOUS egg on their face over this fiasco!"

Dad added, "There will be hell to pay with the other nations of the world over this. It will be interesting to see how the administration handles this."

Cheech responded, "We already know. They are claiming a satellite's nuclear power core malfunctioned and blew up. The nuclear nations all went to our equivalent of DEFCON 2 and the Administration had to get something out immediately."

Just then, all the SEALs, Ladyhawk, Batgirl, and Heavylift came back into the auditorium. From the looks on their faces they all had made their decisions. And, since they all came in together it was obvious they were all in agreement.

"What's the verdict, Heavylift?"

"We have all decided to get out of the military and stay with the family in a status quo relationship. Even the spouses gave a chorus of hell yeahs. Think you can get that approved and make it happen?"

I laughed, tears forming and trailing down my cheeks, after this shit, I am sure that will not be a problem. I will also push for full retirement benefits. Just let Barnes know about your financial needs and we will make it happen."

With tears in my eyes, I gave each man and woman a heartfelt hug. I sighed, "We may have to give up our missiles, though."

Chong then opined, "Let them have them. Cheech and I have been working on improved versions of our radars, sonars, torpedoes, SM-6's, and Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles."

I looked at the two, "What do you mean?"

"We can 3-D print all but the electronics with a new graphene based alloy that is impervious to heat up to over 5,000 degrees Celsius and have developed a very safe but much more powerful propellant that will make the SM-6 type missiles hypersonic up to Mach 15 while being retargetable and highly maneuverable at sea level with a range of 1,867 nautical miles while flying between 15 and 50,000 meters. All this while having active thruster course variations and mid-flight retasking."

"5,000 degrees of heat dissipation is impossible." Barnes interjected.

"Yes, it is, unless you have picometer thick layers of sacrificial skins. These missiles shed their outer skins just like a dolphin does when they swim quickly through the water."

"The missiles are collaborative, divvying up multiple targets, have a 300 pound, variable shaped while en-route, payload, and we have developed a much more sophisticated, lidar based radar system combined with optical recognition and GPS positioning that is very jam resistant and can detect stealth as if it wasn't even there."

"Additionally, since these missiles are traveling so fast, they develop a leading-edge plasma bubble which makes them impervious to laser weaponry."

"The upgraded Advanced Sea Sparrow class missile is also hypersonic with a 150-pound proximity fragmentation warhead and has a range of 800 nautical miles with the same targeting capability as the updated SM-6 class. We have an updated and advanced version of the ANAAQ 37 electro-optical distributed aperture system radar in addition to the lidar and all the missiles can be independently tracked to moving targets from well beyond visual range.

"As for the ship-based radars for the lasers, Gatling guns, and area surveillance, the upgraded radars can see through the horizon, giving them 100 times the range of modern radars. The updated Sonar is three times more discerning and has 5 times the range of the current best sonar the U. S. has to offer. Combined with underwater lidar, even the thermal layers of the ocean offer no protection from being observed by us."

The upgraded VLWTs will now auto program themselves based upon the threat scenario and can travel at 300 nautical miles per hour with their micro air bubble sheathing. They have a payload twice that of the mark 48 and a range of 65 nautical miles with no change in mass or physical dimension from the original VLWTs."

"All these systems remain the same dimensions as their originals and will launch from the same platforms."

Barnes asked, "What about the electronics?"

Chong smiled, "That is something we are rather proud of. We have created an electronics suite that communicates solely by entanglement. There are no physical connections necessary between the components of the system, the system isn't hackable, and the distances between those components is immaterial. That includes all of the missiles."

I looked at Cheech and Chong, "You have created a hive mind capable of instantaneous communication!"

Cheech smiled and nodded, "Visual, audible, tactile, and data entanglement is now a reality."

Barnes whistled, "That is an evolutionary development."

Sue then mandated, "All husbands, wives, and significant others, to the hot tub for an extended family orgie!"

The orgie was more about sensual vulnerability and lovemaking than hot needy sex. It was just what I needed.

0o0

When we got to port there was a veritable army of robotic technicians who swarmed the ship, wasting no time in getting into the refit. It was nice to return our girl to her own dock. It had been a while. The boys had already made arrangements for the Navy to pick up all the outdated ordinance and electronics so I gave the crew a month of paid leave and the family hopped a ride with Heavylift to the lake cottage.

Upon landing, we were greeted warmly by Mavis, Pet, Lindsey, and Millie who had set up our sleeping arrangements. There were a few added staff, though... one of particular note whom I had no idea would come in very handy very soon.

The next seven days were spent unwinding and reconnecting with our roots.

When we first arrived, Lindsey and Pet were beside themselves, needing to be with me and share our pregnancies. I quickly swept up both women and set them down poolside where we undressed and got into the heated pool.

"How are my pets? Your grand master has missed his girls so much."

Lindsey and Pet each sat on a thigh and just melted into my shoulders, cooing softly. Pet answered, "Great Master, your Pets are very overjoyed with carrying your progeny. Master's babies are strong and healthy."

"I am such a lucky master to have two pets who please me as well as you both do. I am so proud you both decided to please me by being mothers to my children. I must say, planting my seed into you both was a pleasure I will never forget." I whispered as I softly stroked their backs, sending just enough chi up their spines to arouse them and slowly bring them to mind bending climaxes. Both girls just let me play with them, laying their heads against my shoulders and moaning through their ecstasy. After they both came, I gently entered each pussy, bringing them both to another orgasm as they rode me. I made sure to climax for my girls so they felt good about meeting my sexual needs.

Pet snuggled after I bathed her pussy with my cum and she expressed her happiness that she and Lindsey were able to meet my needs.

"Ah, my pets... I was really more into just sharing with you both. Just being emotionally together with both of you was very satisfying."

Evidently that was what they needed to hear as both of them awed and cuddled in closer than a deer tick on a bloodhound.

0o0

With his ten days up, the assassin was escorted to the bottom of the mountain where his van was waiting for him. Brannigan was with him, having spent the last 10 days interrogating the assassin as well as scoping out the mine and whiskey production facilities.

When they departed, Brannigan gave his unasked for advice, "Ambassador Harry Walker is the hardest target you have ever had. He is hyper intelligent, a master of martial arts, and has a dedicated team of security personnel. You will not be able to hide from him anywhere in the world. I suggest you get ready to meet your maker as he will not fail to find and kill you for what you attempted to do."

The assassin just smiled, "He is an American ambassador. He has rules he must live by, laws he must adhere to."

Brannigan shook his head no, "You don't understand. As far as this government is concerned, he not only walks on water but has been given free reign when it comes to protecting his family. Killing you in cold blood, in front of reporters, will not even make front page news. He has been back in the states now for about 7 days. You have two days He is a man of his word and you will have your two days to prepare before he hunts you down."

The assassin smiled, "More than enough time. Perhaps it is my calling to kill superman. I think I will change my name to Lex Luthor after this is finished." He chuckled.

Brannigan just shook his head, knowing this idiot still had no clue.

0o0

Fourteen hours later, the assassin was moving into position for his kill. He knew a strong offense was preferable to an untenable defense. He had rented a car which he drove to a rental home near the lake where he knew his target was going to be. He dressed in his best camo and had painted his face and hands after cleaning his accurized Barrett M82A1 50 Cal with a Nightforce ATACR 7-35x56mm F1 scope sporting a MOA-XT reticle on a set of Badger Ordnance 34 MM SASR Scope Rings.

He could take out a hair on a gnat's ass at 100 yards at night under a new moon with this setup.

His hand made, 600 grain projectiles left the barrel at just under 3,000 feet per second and sported long, solid brass, CNC machined, micro polished, deep hollow point, segmented bullets with an incredibly high ballistic coefficient. And, at distances of less than 2,500 feet, they would cut a human torso in half. The mated powder and charge was weighed to the grain, not scooped or dropped from a dispenser, and his primers were match grade.

The bullets had a boattail base and grooves around their side surfaces, behind the ogive, to allow for precise seating as well as reduced drag in his mirror polished barrel. The brass was fired once to mate it to the chamber of his rifle and then he just shaped the neck, cut the brass to size to correct any brass extrusions present from being fired at such high pressures, and roll crimped it to his bullet after priming and inserting his powder charge.

He had used his drone to find a good location for the shot and the spot he picked out was a wooded area between two cottages with limited undergrowth and no shoreline obstructions directly opposite the back of his target's cottage.

It was time to get into position.

0o0

It was decided to cook some two inch thick cowboy rib-eye steaks with twice baked potatoes and steamed asparagus for dinner. The grill was hot, the night was folding in around the lake, and I stood at the over sized grill, getting the heat just right for a quick sear and with the intent of lowering the heat for a slow cook that would not evaporate all the moisture from the steaks.

It was noted the beef was especially well marbled and I was really looking forward to a great dinner with the family.

0o0

He waited for dusk before walking to the wood's edge and he quietly slipped into the bush. Just after he entered he felt something was off. Several times he froze and listened for any sounds out of place in the woods only to hear and see nothing with his night vision goggles. So, he quietly pressed on until he was at the edge of the lake.

He sat for a moment, enjoying the thrill of the hunt, before he set up his shooting position. He had an adjustable bipod on the front and an adjustable monopod under his stock which steadied his weapon and helped to isolate it from any blood pressure pulses that could affect his aim.

Looking through his scope he smiled as he saw Harry, the superman ambassador, grilling on his deck... totally oblivious to the fact he was about to have his bloody steaks surrounded by his body parts. The assassin began to control his breathing and heart rate. He already knew the distance and had set his scope elevation to match. There was no wind and the entire lake was glassy.

The back deck was well lit and he had the perfect shot picture. He had already pulled the charging handle, loading a round into his rifle, before he left the rental. He felt with his right hand thumb to push down the safety, placed his finger on the trigger and gently pulled...

The bullet flew true, and the assassin watched through his scope; verifying the bullet struck the almighty Ambassador dead center in his skull. The assassin smiled thinking, *So much for your boasting, asshole,* as his thumb flipped the safety back on.