Starting from Scratch by Bruce George Read Free Book Online Page A

didn’t want to see the woman again.
But, he had to respect the judgment of his officer, especially when
she was family.
    OK. Bring her to the conference room. I’ll have
coffee and some food waiting for her. Be sure to see that the
others receive food and drink as well.
    Yes sir and thank you.
    Ten minutes later, Mary walked into the conference
room, with Dr. Fulwiler on her heels. Mike stood up and offered her
his hand saying, “Doctor, I apologize for being so abrupt with you
earlier. I was wrong to be so rude.”
    She smiled and shook his hand. “General, no one
enjoys being spoken to in that manner, but I suppose you had to say
something to get me to pay attention.”
    Mike had deliberately chosen the conference room,
instead of his office, so that they could converse in an atmosphere
of equality. Sitting behind his desk might have seemed as though he
was flaunting his alleged superiority.
    He offered her a chair next to him and said, “Ma’am,
I’m afraid I’ve had a habit of shooting my mouth off, without
considering other people’s feelings. It’s a flaw I don’t seem to be
able to correct. I regret it, but that’s just how I am.”
    As she sat down, she looked him straight in the eye
and said, “I, too, have that flaw. So we were both in the wrong. If
we’re going to be working together, we’d better learn how to
communicate without screaming, or one of us is going to be
injured.”
    He chuckled as he nodded and asked, “Dr. Fulwiler,
would you like some coffee. We’ve finally been able to have the
food replicator get it right, and we have cream and sugar, if you’d
like.”
    With a hesitant smile, she told him, “Cream and
sugar, please, although I really shouldn’t because I’m a diabetic.
But I really feel a need for the coffee and I want to enjoy it, not
just use it as a salve for my fatigue.”
    A hole opened in the table and a tray with a pitcher
of coffee appeared, along with the additions she had requested. She
seemed impressed by that, but kept her thoughts to herself. He
poured a cup for them both, cream and sugar for her, black for
him.
    Then he explained a lovely new reality to her.
    “Well then, Doctor, you’ll be glad to know that you
no longer have diabetes. The med units have cleared that sort of
ailment out of everyone’s systems, along with a variety of other
infirmities, such as cancer and a host of neurological diseases.
I’m not a medical doctor, so I don’t know the details, but I can
have them sent to you later, if you wish.”
    He added, “Oh, and in case you’re wondering, we
aren’t going to rescind any of the medical improvements we’ve made
for any of you. If you decide to remain with us and to help us find
a way to defend the Earth, you will be upgraded to necessary
standards for survival out here; otherwise, we’ll transport you and
your new body back to Earth.
    “However, we will insist that you keep quiet about
our existence. The Earth will learn about what’s going on out here
too soon as it is. But, if we can hold off on that for a while, we
might be able to build a core organization, which would point us
toward an adequate defense of our solar system.”
    She raised an eyebrow and said half jokingly, “I
suppose we would have that portion of our minds erased?”
    He knew that Mary would not have even hinted at that.
So, how in the hell had this woman come to this conclusion?
    She’d been watching him and suddenly, she looked
surprised. “Oh my God, you would do that. I can tell by the look on
your face. That med unit thing can alter our brains.”
    She became angry. “If that damn med unit can change
our minds then why ask for our help. Why not just make us believe
that we want to work for you. We’d be like automatons, or more like
slaves, really.”
    “Doctor, you just answered your own question. You
would be like slaves and we won’t do that to anyone. The people
selected to work with us out here must know the truth of the danger
that the