The Quantum Connection

'I never thought of that, but of course he could be. After all, he is one of the most powerful men on the planet,' Anson said.

'Well,' I started. 'Just get me close and Mike will let me know.' The President could be compromised. He wasn't an abductee yet or Mike would know. It was a good sign at least that he was not an abductee, but that didn't mean he wasn't an isolatee. We would find out soon.

CHAPTER 19

'It is nice to meet you too, Ambassador Svobodny, and congratulations on your new assignment,' I told the ambassador in Russian as I shook his hand. He sized me up and didn't seem to disapprove.

'Thank you, Mr. Montana. My daughter speaks very highly of you. She tells me that you rescued her from some very unsavory individuals and to that I owe you my gratitude.' He smiled at me and I was immediately nervous. Had Tatiana told him about the Grays?

Don't worry, Stevie. I told him that you rescued me from some frat boys at a party while I was away at school and that you and I whupped them all. Tatiana's perfect Southern dialect resounded in my head.

'I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, sir. It was my gain to meet Tatiana. She is . . . amazing,' I said, again in Russian.

'Your Russian is perfect, Mr. Montana. Where did you learn it?'

'It's something I've been studying recently. Tatiana is helping me with Russian and I am helping her with English.' It wasn't all a lie. I would have never thought to learn Russian if she hadn't been on the Grays' ship with me and, Tatiana probably wouldn't have learned English either.

'Is that right?' He switched to English. 'Tatiana speaks English now?' He raised an eyebrow at his daughter as if to see if she understood him.

'Yes, Father. I understand you quite well and can speak English very well,' she said with a Russian accent. I guess it was better not to give all of her talents away.

Tatiana's father showed us around the United Nations and the city. I had never been to New York. It had been months since the abduction and since I had actually been back on Earth. The sights, sounds, and smells of New York City should have been overwhelming for me, right? They weren't, really. I don't know if I was more focused on the alien attackers or meeting Tatiana's father or if my new enhanced persona just handled the stimuli better. But I barely paid attention to the city.

The President was supposed to address the United Nations Security Council about the meteor impacts and future planetary defense-spending requirements later that evening. It was our plan to get me close enough to test the President for isolateeism.

Tabitha was certain that she could have gotten me in to meet the President but we didn't want to raise suspicion with security. My previous failed clearance might have raised some questions and now that I was hanging out with the W-squared crowd all of a sudden somebody in the right 'need to know' circle might get curious. It was easier to go through Tatiana's connections since we didn't want to tip our hand to anybody with power who might be an isolatee just yet.

I know that you are thinking, what about Tatiana? She is an isolatee and we are carrying her around with us and telling her everything. She was an abductee—but not any longer! And we're all watching her closely. Mikhail is always with her. She is watching herself. No evil force has ever taken over her mind as far as we can tell. We aren't sure what else to do. What would you do? Besides that, you try to keep Tatiana from doing something she wants to do. Tell me before you try, because I want to be out of the solar system that day.

We spent the better part of the day in the back of a limousine driving around the city looking at this and that. Ambassador Svobodny took us to a swanky restaurant that must have been very expensive, but it didn't seem to impede his effort to order everything on the menu.

'Mr. Ambassador, I want to thank you for showing me such a great time today,' I told him. Tatiana smiled at me from across the table and derailed my train of thought for a second.

'Father, must Steven continue with this Mr. Ambassador nonsense all evening?' she said in Russian.

'Of course not, my dear. Steven, in private feel free to call me Pyotir,' he replied.

'Great, thanks, I will,' I told him. I felt Tatiana's foot rub up against my leg gently and I caught a devious look in her eye as her foot traveled further up my leg. Startled, at first, I was mostly nervous: Tatiana, what are you doing?

Nothing, what do you mean? She raised her left eyebrow at me as she took a sip of wine.

Uh, okay, but you are distracting me. 

And your point is. 

But your father might . . . 

Oh pooh! That was all she said, but she didn't stop with the foot thing. It made me even more nervous than I had been.

'Daddy, if you will entertain Steven for a moment, I will excuse myself.'

'Sure, darling, everything is fine?'

'Oh yes, just going to the lady's room.'

'Very well,' he said, and she kissed him on the cheek.

Once Tatiana was clear of earshot I told him that she definitely was headstrong and had a mind of her own.

'Just like her mother, that one. She is one hellstorm if she doesn't get her way. She always has been.' He chuckled with a deep belly laugh and his large stomach jiggled a bit. His political guardedness relaxed for a