CHAPTER 2: THE MESSAGE
Twenty-three years later. Near Ogden, Utah ?
The rain pounded the 2040 BMW with gigantic droplets of water. It seemed as if the heavens had opened. The storm dumped so much water that large puddles began to form on the road, like small lakes scattered to-and-fro throughout the asphalt. The glossy, black luxury car, however, managed to maintain a constant speed and its control as it sped north on Interstate 15 from Salt Lake City.
"Computer ? when the car reaches the guard post, stop."
"Yes, Mr. Palmer."
As Kevin Palmer's car drove toward the guard post at Hill Air Force Base near Ogden, Utah, he contemplated all of the benefits his smart processor had brought to the world. Every industry from car manufacturers to home appliance companies had invested in his little chip. Everything with a computer system from a cell phone to an airplane was now voice interactive. Also, it seemed that nearly every person in the world that could afford it now had an interactive robot in their possession, doing all kinds of work. As a result, the smart processor had made Kevin Palmer one of the richest men in the world, but he still wasn't happy. All of the money in the world couldn't replace what he had lost.
"So, Dad, what kind of trouble did Jake get himself into now?" said a voice from the passenger side seat.
Kevin turned and looked at his blonde twenty-year-old daughter. "Now, Ashley, when you see him, don't give him a hard time."
Ashley looked at Kevin with her piercing baby blues and gave him a smile, flashing her perfectly aligned white teeth. "Oh, you know me, Dad."
"Yes, I do know you, and I know that you're going to give him a hard time. You two have been at each other's throats since you were kids. But promise me this time that you won't ride him about getting into trouble again."
"But it's fun," said Ashley, sticking out her bottom lip.
Kevin gave Ashley a stern look and said, "Promise me."
"All right, I'll try," said Ashley, obviously disappointed.
Another voice came from the backseat. "Hey, Dad, is Jake going to get kicked out of the Air Force this time?"
"Computer ? Auto-drive."
"Yes, Mr. Palmer," replied the car's computer.
Kevin turned his seat to face his son. Kevin adored his fourteen-year-old son. Adam reminded Kevin so much of Adrian in looks and personality. "I don't know, son. That's what this meeting is for."
"I hope he didn't do anything stupid this time," replied Adam, who was thoroughly involved with his interactive, holographic video game.
"Me too," said Kevin. He gave Adam a smile and turned his seat around to face the dark road. The rain was coming down harder now. It looked as if sheets of water were being poured over the car, and Kevin turned the wipers to their highest speed.
Adam spoke up again, "Because if he did, I'm going to kick his butt. And, when I'm through with him, Ashley won't need to give him a hard time."
All three laughed.
Kevin was astonished at how much Adam looked up to Jake, even though Jake hadn't always been the best role model.
"Mr. Palmer. The guard post is one hundred feet ahead. The vehicle is preparing to stop," echoed the vehicle's computer.
"Very well," replied Kevin.
The BMW pulled up to the guard post at Hill Air Force Base and stopped. Kevin lowered the window. A guard in his mid-twenties, dressed in green fatigues, walked up to the car. "What is the nature of your business, sir?"
Kevin looked up at the guard. "I'm Kevin Palmer. I have an appointment with Colonel Jepson."
The guard pointed ahead. "Yes, the colonel has been expecting you. Drive ahead about one hundred yards. Take the first left. You will see the base administration building on your right. The colonel's office is on the first floor. Let his secretary know who you are."
"Thank you," Kevin said as he rolled up the window.
Ashley turned to look at Adam. "Hey, Adam."
Adam, still absorbed in his video game, answered. "What?"
"I'll bet you fifty bucks Jake gets court marshaled this time."
Adam looked up, gave Ashley a dirty look, and said, "Shut up!"
"Hey you two, knock it off," said Kevin while turning the steering wheel left.
The BMW stopped in front of the administration building. All three got out of the car and walked into the building. Once inside, Kevin noticed a short, dark-haired secretary dressed in a navy blue uniform, working at her desk. She looked up. "Mr. Palmer, I presume," she said as she stood up to shake Kevin's hand.
"You presume right."
The secretary gave Kevin a warm smile and pointed to her right. "Your children can wait in the waiting room over there."
Adam looked to where the secretary pointed. "Cool! I can finish my game!" he said as he trotted to the waiting area.
Ashley rolled her eyes and sighed as she followed Adam.
"If you will follow me, Mr. Palmer, Colonel Jepson would like to speak with you alone."
The secretary turned and led Kevin down a narrow hallway with administration offices on the left and the right. As Kevin walked past the different offices, officers looked up and seemed to recognize him. Kevin could tell they knew what was going on because they followed him out of their offices and began to talk to one another.
The secretary stopped at the door at the end of the hallway. Kevin could hear voices inside the door. The secretary knocked and opened the door. "Colonel, Mr. Palmer is here."
"Good. Let him in," said the colonel.
Kevin walked past the secretary and noticed Jake sitting hunched over in one of the chairs in front of the colonel's desk, still in his flight suit. Jake looked as if he had been through the ringer. His chestnut hair, which was longer than standard military cut, was ruffled on top of his head. As Jake glanced at Kevin, Kevin noticed that Jake's eyes had changed from their normal shade of bright blue to a darker shade of gray.
Colonel Jepson was a tall, slim man with white hair and in his late fifties, not much younger than Kevin was. He walked around his desk with his right hand extended. "Ah, Mr. Palmer, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Please, call me Kevin, Colonel Jepson," Kevin said, shaking the colonel's hand.
"Okay, and you can call me Alex."
Colonel Jepson turned and looked at Jake. "That will be all, Lieutenant. You're dismissed."
Jake stood up and saluted. "Yes, sir."
Jake didn't even look at Kevin as he walked past him. Kevin grabbed Jake's arm and felt the toned muscles within tighten. "You can wait with your brother and sister in the waiting room."
"You mean my cousins," Jake said as he jerked his arm away without looking at Kevin.
Kevin shook his head and looked down as Jake walked out of the room.
"Have a seat, Kevin."
"Thank you."
The colonel walked back around his desk and sat down. "What was that all about?"
"What?" Kevin said with a confused look.
"That thing about Jake calling his brother and sister his 'cousins.'"
"Oh, that. Ashley and Adam are his sister and brother by adoption. But ever since his mom ? uh, his aunt died last year, he has been referring to them as his cousins and me as his uncle. He used to call me 'Dad.'"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know your wife had passed away. I haven't had a chance to get to know Jake in the two months he has been here at Hill, other than his discipline issues. He never mentioned anything about his aunt passing away."
"There's no need to apologize, Alex. Diane and I adopted Jake soon after his dad disappeared on the Mars I mission."
"Ah yes, Adrian. I knew Adrian. I was in the same graduating class with him at the Air Force Academy. He was a good man and a great pilot."
"Yes, he was." It pained Kevin to talk about Adrian. Oh, how he missed him. "Jake was devastated when he learned that his dad had disappeared. Diane and I didn't have any children at the time, and we loved Jake like a son, so we adopted him. Soon he started calling Diane 'Mom' and me 'Dad.' But it was Di
ane that Jake grew the closest to. Diane was his mother."
Kevin watched as Alex sat back in his chair and genuinely listened to Kevin. The colonel spoke again. "If you don't mind me asking, Kevin, how did Diane die?"
"Diane was diagnosed with a brain tumor three years ago. I did everything I could for her." Kevin didn't know why he was telling a stranger such intimate details, but he felt a connection to this colonel. He continued, trying not to show his emotion, "I took her to the best doctors and the best clinics in the world, but it was no use. She finally succumbed to the cancer last year."
"Wait a minute. Didn't that doctor in Florida discover the cure for cancer about a year ago?" Alex asked.
Kevin tried to hold back the tears. "Dr. Christianson, you mean."
"Yeah, him."
"He discovered the cure two months after Diane passed away."
Alex leaned forward, placed his elbows on his desk with his hands under his chin and said, "I'm sorry, Kevin. Please forgive me. I don't mean to play psychologist here, but I'm just trying to figure Jake out. Jake could probably be a major by now, but with his discipline problems, he has held himself back. He's probably the most talented pilot I have ever seen and has great potential as a leader in the Air Force."
Kevin gave Alex a puzzled look. "Jake? We're talking about Jake, aren't we?"
Alex laughed. "Yes, we're talking about Jake." Alex turned to his computer. "Computer ? retrieve all discipline records for Lieutenant Jake S. Palmer." Alex turned to look at Kevin. "Your invention is amazing. I remember when we had to punch all of this stuff into a keyboard."
Kevin felt a little embarrassed.
"Discipline record for Lieutenant Jake S. Palmer retrieved, Colonel Jepson," the computer replied.
Alex looked at the information on his screen. "Hmm. ? This is interesting."
"What?" Kevin asked.
Alex turned the computer screen to face Kevin. "Look here, Kevin. Prior to last year, Jake had a spotless record and high recommendations from every superior officer he had. Now, look at his record for the past year. He's been in six fights, arrested three times for disorderly conduct due to drinking, and of course, yesterday's incident ? hitting a superior officer. Obviously, all of this is a result of Jake grieving from your wife's death. I've given Jake a leave of absence for a while. I'm not going to press charges. I suggest you take Jake home and let him work through this."
It hit Kevin like a lightning bolt. He felt horrible. Why hadn't he realized it before? Had he been that selfish, so involved with his own life and grief that he had failed to see the pain Jake was in? Jake was crying for help, and he was ignoring him.