VENETIA: Preparations

Chapter thirty-four

After Jim and Antiope disappeared from the limelight in Hawaii, no one but
military crews saw them and knew something about who they were. After the Lincoln,
Jim's visits only involved an hour or two. On some days Jim refitted as many as four
submarines. Once finished with the sea based arsenal, Jim had to work on the land based
weapons. His retreat was located not far from Pikes Peak, Colorado. Colonel James and
Lt. Colonel Antiope would transit to and from the various scattered command centers for
training and indoctrination of Air Force officers. He was outfitting the new jets with a
powerful laser cannon which could fire a tightly focused high energy beam well over one
million miles. New software was being made available to fighter flight control to allow
synchronization of laser cannon fire as Idiot tracked each jet. Idiot would establish a
closed loop wireless link with the fighter's navigational control system when the pilot
released the jet to automatic control. Idiot would signal the pilot when his jet was within a
firing region. Idiot would have a two-fold reason for striking at the fleet's flagship in local
space. First of all, the portal will have been destroyed. Secondly the fleet will have been
physically located and Idiot will be able to get a lock on all the fleet's ships. Several small
drones would then be released to keep a plot on these ships as they continued on their way
through space. From that moment on, Idiot would be tracking each and every one of the
Venetian ships. The aircraft would be used to illuminate the fleet ships as the missiles that
had been launched locked in on them. Once a fleet cruiser was illuminated, the fleet
cruiser knew it was being targeted. Even though the laser could do no major damage to
the ship, the missile with the payload headed in that direction would. Control of the
missile would then be extremely precise because the laser would give Idiot a very stable
location of the target. Once under laser lock, it would be impossible for the target to
disengage itself due to the dynamic nature of the laser feedback. Idiot could track much
faster than its target could move. Enough warning could be given before the fleet's
destruction for them to reconsider the assault. The Air Force was totally amazed at the
dynamic targeting feature he had introduced in the missiles. The missile could be
programmed and reprogrammed indefinitely in flight. Jim reminded the generals that
Genie was performing the coordination, and as such don't expect to keep this technology.
Jim was somewhat secretive about his missile modifications.

Air Force command had a good grasp on Jim's strategies. A few land based
ICBM's were retrofitted as well. Antiope loved those trips, because she would get to see
some more of the beautiful land. For the next few weeks, Jim and Antiope flew all over
America under strictest secrecy. Antiope would always insist on flying herself and she
loved her helicopter. Jim had made some modifications to make it a little less noisy. He
allowed the Air Force to copy his technique.

Jim was ready for her to strike at the satellites. Jim's surprise for Isis would be the
fact that he didn't need the satellites at all to see her ships. Like fleas on the pack of
wolves, his drones would tell him all he needed to know. He would have a response for
her with the destruction of her flagship.

With its new arsenal very rapidly developed and implemented, the US Air Force
and Navy felt ready to take on the Venetians all by themselves, with a little help from
Idiot, while Jim watched. The President was not very technically minded, and it was very
easy for the Pentagon to coordinate the activity secretly under her very nose.

After the Test, no more information was released publicly. Every now and then,
the public would lose faith and wonder if Jim had abandoned them, but Jim would always
make that gold so that Antiope could buy more stock. Antiope found that she had a
knack for the market and she really enjoyed making millions by looking for bargains.
Antiope plainly instructed Jim that she had absolutely no desire to go back in time,
besides...she was pregnant...with twins. Jim advised her that she was going to have to
make a lot to pay Isis for the Class I stud service that she had received. Antiope punched
Jim out, while he rolled around laughing. "Well you better go fetch Helen, stud, because I
don't need you any more, and I'm making plenty of money on my own now." By now Jim
was really laughing. "Good!" He said, "I like my women hard to get and independent,
just like you." With that he approached Antiope and they passionately embraced each
other and played quite actively. Antiope loved Jim dearly and she never wanted to face
Isis again.

Antiope wanted her children to live on Earth. She asked Jim what were the
possibilities. Jim advised her that it would be better if he could arrange for peace between
the two worlds. That way the children could receive a Venetian education but still enjoy
earth's pleasures. "This is not our world, Antiope. We must go back to Xanadu. I shall
always have to go back to Xanadu. Xanadu is our home. Be not afraid of Isis, your
children shall be very special to the Venetian race, and I am most certain they will be
accepted as the Venetian ambassadors to earth after you have retired. This is your new
royal position, so designate I. If you would like to, you may call the President at any time
and tell her, but you should wait until after I've dealt with Isis."

"Jim, you don't have to do anything. Don't you have control of your future?"

Antiope was not very happy with the thought of Jim going back to Artemis and
resuming his role as the Consort of Isis, but she understood that was a necessary condition
if peace were ever to be established between the two worlds. She may give up earth, but
never Jim. Then again, she never knew what was going through his mind and he was
somewhat unpredictable, and she had his son. Jim didn't have any sons yet. Most
certainly he wouldn't be quite as pure blooded as Jim, but it did qualify her for Sophia's
position as high priestess if she so desired and she would be second only to Isis in rank.
Jim reminded her not to sweat the load and that she had it made whether on earth or
Artemis. He called for John to see how he was doing.

John informed Jim that he was scouting Florida waters, and reminded him that
there was only seventy two hours left before Isis was likely to return. He had some strong
leads and was enjoying watching the ladies in Ft. Lauderdale. He was currently
investigating a suspicious network of charter boats. He advised Jim that he may need
some assistance, but it would be more prudent to destroy the other portal first. He also
told Jim that he felt the other cruiser was somewhere off the coast of Florida.

"What do you think, Antiope?" asked Jim. "It seems, I'm going to have to go into
action soon. We've managed to keep our location secure. Where would you prefer to stay
for the next 96 hours?"

"And I suppose, I don't get to use Genie at all while you're gone, and John is going
to be busy as well?"

"That's correct."

"And I'll be one of the top three on her hit parade?"

"That's correct."

"I want to hide."

"I can set you up on the Flying Dutchman."

"I've tried that one before with no success."

"You can stay here in the mountains. We've kept this location secret."

"I don't know Jim. I've been seeing strangers in the hills now and then, and I'm
sure we've been spotted several times. With you around, I don't feel threatened. Alone,
I'll be looking at everyone with suspicion."

"Come on Antiope, you're being too timid. This is our land. Why don't you hunt
the strangers who trespass on your land. Make a game of it."

"OK! I'll be lonely and I don't want to sit by myself with this war going on all
about with me sitting on the sidelines."

"OK Antiope. What do you want?"

"Well, Jim, Isis is still looking for a submarine. John is obviously not using his Box
as a submarine if he's checking the women out at Ft. Lauderdale. I think it would feel
better if I were on the Abraham Lincoln with Commander Rickover and his crew."

"Excellent idea, Antiope. I am sure the crew would be more than happy to
accommodate you. And I want to stay informed on your progress. I'll have John's two
'jarheads' be your personal guards."

Lazarus Cain

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