The Hannaria Series Book 1: Out of the Gray

Chapter 4--Alex Verin

Take care, 

Jernard

I reread the message, stunned that it was real. I had dozens of questions that Dad and Mom had always refused to answer. I decided to wait on responding back however and instead set a thumbprint lock on the DMR and shut it. Then I hid it underneath my bed and stared at the ceiling for a minute to think.

Until a few years earlier, I’d heard and repeated what my family said about the Hannarians without question. A small part of me was still like that—tempted to take this message to my father and use it to hurt them. I felt guilty that the thought even occurred to me, but like it or not I had to acknowledge that part of me was there.

The sad thing was Dad would’ve loved me for it—been proud of me—and there had been this void eating away at me for years to gain his approval. I realized however that the Ambassador had meant it when he said he thought I’d turn out different. Otherwise, why take the risk of even trusting me with any information?

The doorbell rang a few seconds later, and I heard Dad greet someone downstairs. I heard them talking as they walked up the stairs and down the hall to Dad’s office, but I didn’t recognize the man’s voice.

“So, did you catch the game last night, Adam?” he asked. “I sent you a stream to let you know I was in town and invited all of you to dinner, but you didn’t pick up.”

“Sorry, I must have missed it.” Dad sounded almost annoyed that the man had a life outside of politics. “I was stuck in the office all night preparing for the debate. If this keeps up, within a few years he’ll start getting anything and everything he wants no matter what I do! I don’t get how you can even be talking about games at a time like—”

“Well, I hope what I have to say will give you some peace of mind,” the man interrupted. “Plus I might be able to pull off getting you a few Super Bowl tickets next year as a gift for all your efforts. Fred and Beverly told me your wife doesn’t like football, but maybe you, Alex, and your father—“

The man’s voice became muffled as they shut the doors to Dad’s office. Trying not to make any noise, I walked over to my bedroom door and opened it. I could hear Mom downstairs watching the news, but just as a reporter mentioned a bombing she changed the channel to a cooking show.

The door to the guest bedroom was open, so I went inside. It shared a bathroom with Dad’s office, and I’d learned by accident that I could overhear his conversations from there. Moving to the door closer to the office, I cracked it open and sat down on the rug in front of the shower since the tile was cold. I wasn’t in the line of sight to see Dad or the other man, but the good thing was they couldn’t see me either.

“—much as that’s an entertaining proposition,” Dad said. “How do you expect to pull it off?”

At first I thought they were still talking about the Super Bowl tickets, and I remembered Dad telling me several times about being leery of people bearing free gifts for no reason. What followed made me realize the subject had changed.

“We already are,” the man said. “In about fifteen minutes, he’s going to be on a transport departing from Baltimore to Lunar 4—coming to the rescue, or so he thinks.”

“What about the woman and the girl? Can they be trusted?”

“That’s the beautiful thing about it,” the man said with a laugh. “They don’t even know what’s going on. He’ll be trying so hard to gain their trust that he won’t have time to focus on anything else. He won’t see this coming, Adam. Once he’s dead, so is the scanner issue. It’ll take centuries for Hannaria to send a replacement—if they even send one at all.”

Dad sighed, and I stood from where I’d been sitting on the rug.

“Well, I guess the only question that remains is where do I come in?” Dad asked. “It sounds like you’re about to do me a very big favor, so I do have to wonder what you want in return?”

“We’re going to need you to be a logical voice in a time of chaos—when the time comes. In the morning, you’ll find all the finances you need for your campaign—not that you need it to win a senate seat, but we just want to help. Be expecting more for your presidential campaign in 2304.”

“But I don’t intend on running for at least another—” Dad started.

“Then you had better start thinking about it,” the man interrupted in a sharp tone, but his voice became smooth again as he continued. “You have talent, Adam. I know you doubt yourself, but it’s only because of who your main opponent has been the past few years. Other than Nathan, I can’t think of anyone else bold enough to hold their own against the Ambassador for this long. It will make this Senate race easy for you. Just stick with us, and you’ll have a great run—and Alex can follow right behind you when he’s older.”

There was a long pause.

“I don’t know what to say other than thank you,” Dad said. I heard his chair squeak as he pushed back from his desk.

“Thank you and Nathan for holding firm for so long,” the man replied. “We would’ve had to step in a long time ago if it wasn’t for both of you stalling things from the political arena—and this plan may not have worked back then. Now I’m confident it will. I need to go back to Arizona tonight, but Dermott will be staying for another week to wrap up some things for me here. He’ll contact you with more details in a few days.”

As I heard them exit, I started to genuinely feel sick. I managed to find my way to the toilet and threw up. For a few minutes, I was afraid to move—afraid to make any more noise than I already had. Then a knock on the door startled me.

“Alex?” Mom asked. “You all right?”

I reached over and unlocked the door, then moved back over to the toilet and threw up again.

“Oh, honey. We’re going to have to take you to the doctor in the morning if this keeps up. What kind of sandwich did you eat?”

“Ham,” I lied. “Can you just help me get back to my room? I feel like I’m going to pass out.”

“Why did you come in here instead of the main bathroom?” she asked as I tried not to lean too much on her. “It was a lot closer.”

“I didn’t want to do this then have Dad’s friend need to go in there,” I said.

“Well, they’re outside talking right now, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Who was he?” I asked.

“Your father didn’t introduce us, so I assume he’s not a friend he wants us to know.”

I was shaking as Mom helped me to my bedroom door, and I leaned one hand on the wall as I made my way to my bed.

“Do you need us to take you to the hospital?” she asked.

“No, not yet,” I said. “If I don’t feel better by tomorrow, then yeah. I think I just need to rest. I’m starting to wonder if this might be the flu instead of food poisoning.”

“Oh, I hope not,” she replied as her eyebrows rose. “Is there anything else I can get you?”

“I just want to sleep and not move.”

When she left, Mom didn’t shut the door—and I didn’t want to even attempt to go over and shut it myself. I reached under my bed, unlocked the DMR, and began typing a reply to the Ambassador’s message as fast as I could.

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