“Why do you say that?” I asked, although I completely agreed with her.
“The first guy through the door never even saw the table you threw at him, he was so focused on the agent,” she said. “At least, I think he was. It happened so fast.”
I had seen the same thing and I trusted that even though it seemed fast to her now, as untrained as she was, her werewolf senses would have likely been pretty accurate.
“So, it was just coincidence?” Declan asked, frowning.
“Is that so far a stretch?” I asked.
“With us? I kinda think it is. Omega, were you aware of Agent Calhoun or his attackers at any time before the action started?”
“No,” the shifty watch said. “There are hundreds of active intelligence operations, law enforcement investigations, and criminal activities under way in New York alone. I monitor for anything that impacts Earth’s defense but have been leaving the politics and day-to-day struggle in human hands. My resources are currently focused on seeding the solar system with enough active assets to detect and deter any approaching Vorsook threats.”
Kristin looked a little shocked. “Contrary to popular opinion, he’s not omniscient, just close,” I told her. “The early warning and active defense network he mentioned is hella important.”
Her pretty face scowled and she started to open her mouth but closed it.
“What? Go ahead and ask… it’s okay,” I said.
“How do you put an alarm on the solar system? It’s beyond ginormous!”
“I start with stationary platforms above and below the sun at least in relation to the orbital plane of the planets. Then I put several mother drone units in orbit around each planet, each of which leaves a trail of subunits behind it as the planets continue their path around the sun.”
“But that will take years?” she asked. “Do we have that long?”
“Excellent observation. The answer is that no one knows, so all I can do is build and push systems outward in concentric spheres of detection and protection. We started with Earth itself and its Lagrange Points. From there, the problem grows exponentially.”
“Won’t you end up spread too thin to be effective, at least for defense?” the girl asked.
“What is it you intend to study in college?” Declan asked, impressed.
“Poly sci with a minor in game theory,” she replied.
“It would seem you are on the right path in your education. You are correct, or would be, if our primary defense system was in any way conventional. The warning system is just that—it will alert us to where an incursion is under way.”
“What kind of defense system ignores the unimaginable distances of our solar system?” Kristin wondered.
“The kind that is currently sitting in the passenger seat in front of you,” I said. Declan gave her a little two-fingered salute to his forehead with his left hand, which flashed the new watch in front of me again.
“Someone has new tech,” I said before Kristin could ask her next question.
“It is a nano prototype based on the architecture of both Caeco’s internal units and the Vorsook technology from Philadelphia.”
“And you risk Declan with it?” I asked, suddenly remembering the horrific details of some of the bodies left behind in Philly.
“It is noninvasive for the most part, instead interacting through contact with his skin. The units are under my complete control and constant attention.”
Omega speak for damn right I know how important the kid is.
“It’s similar to having a microdrone on your person,” Declan said. “But way more capable and useful.”
“How can one person, even him, defend the solar system by himself?” Kristin suddenly burst out.
“Who said I was by myself?” Declan asked with a little smile. “You, yourself used the words defense system.”
“But that… it isn’t… you can’t… no one could,” she protested.
I couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped me, which only caused her to look mildly affronted.
I patted her knee, Alpha to pack. “I’m not laughing at your confusion, Kristin. It’s just fun to see people begin to realize what’s actually going on. You asked why our pack is so focused and we told you, but words don’t begin to make sense of it.”
“In AP Physics, we tackled the question of what it would take to light up the moon with laser pointers,” Kristin said, frowning. “Turns out there’s a whole essay online about it. I don’t remember all the details but some of the power numbers were stupid things like petawatts or burning up the world’s oil reserves in like two minutes or something.”
“Your high school education seems to have been excellent, Kristin. Did your instructor explore the power of an average hurricane? Something approximating six hundred trillion joules per second. The volcano under Yellowstone could power all of mankind’s power needs hundreds of times over by itself.”
“You said you were up last night talking with Mount Saint Helens?” our wonder recruit asked. “Is that why?”
“Yes. I am working with elementals all over the world to be able to direct power in any direction it is needed. Think of me as the guy in the gunner’s seat, aiming and firing a giant laser powered by Earth itself.”
“There is no technology for a laser like that,” she protested.
“You are correct insomuch as it relates to the common definition of technology. Even the Vorsook don’t have weapons capable of that. But my father’s Craft uses quantum energy to convert and focus raw earth energy.”
“You’re saying that he, by himself, could light up the moon?”
“Yes, although such an event would needlessly alarm most of the world’s inhabitants. Instead, we’ve been practicing by having him vaporize the orbital debris from the world’s space programs.”
“You’re burning up space junk?” Kristin asked, eyes wide.
“Mostly single targets. Omega identifies the biggest ones and conveys the information to me, and then I have to pick a willing elemental ally nearest to the direct view of the object, decide how to convert and apply its energy, and then deliver an accurate hit. It’s kind of hard.”
Her mouth hung open.
“This nanotech should
