Remembering my life  Chapter 1

Remembering my life Chapter 1


I was born May 5, 1940, and my name is Samuel Lee Grey. I enjoyed learning new languages and could speak and understand seven by the time I graduated from high school. My father had been a veteran of World War II and came to believe a man should be able to defend himself. Because he did, I was taught Marshal Arts at an early age.

By the time I entered the Army I was an expert in the arts. I also practiced the Japanese art of Kendo. Like most boys of that age, I was taught how to use a rifle and enjoyed hunting with my father. I was what he called a natural with a rifle and rarely ever missed.

When I was twenty, I decided to join the Army. I had dreams of serving my country and this was how I was going to do it. From the start I was singled out, first for Airborne training and then a sergeant major talked me into joining the Special Forces. I was a know nothing private and worked hard to keep the sergeants happy. When I got orders for Vietnam I did not even know where it was.

We were supposed to be advisors to the South Vietnamese soldiers were not allowed to return fire, even if we were fired at. On my first patrol we were skirting a small unsecured area when automatic fire raked the patrol. Sgt Jones was in front of me and as I dove for the ground, I saw his body jerk several times. By the time I reached him, he was dead.

That was the beginning of the war for me and during my first year I went from a private to a Sergeant First Class. I was only supposed to be there for a year, but I was asked to stay with a new group that was just forming. It was another three months before anything happened and when it did, it was not pleasant.

The whole chain of command for the company been killed in a month and before I knew what was happening, I was asked to accept a battlefield commission. I stepped into the bunker where Colonel Peters and Major Sims were talking and came to attention, “You wanted to see me Sir?”

The Colonel smiled as he looked at me, “Yes Sam. Harry and I have been talking and I made a couple of calls to the General. We want you to accept a battle field commission.”

I blinked and looked from the Colonel to the Major, “A commission?”

The Colonel grinned, “It’s not like you haven’t already been doing the job.”

I smiled back, “As long as I don’t have to wear the damn shoot me bars.”

They both laughed and the Colonel picked up a pair of gold lieutenant bars. He handed them to me, “You can leave them off when you’re in the brush.”

Six tours of combat later, the war was over. I was a Major and while many officers were asked to leave the services, I was asked to become a courier for the State Department. Courier was their way of saying black ops. When I retired after twenty years, it was as a full colonel.

I had met a woman and fallen in love. She taught electrical engineering in a southern California university. For the next twenty-five years we lived and loved each other although we never had any children. I spent my time attending any classes that drew my attention. Ellie had insisted I have a night to myself, so she arraigned a poker night with several of the more prominent professors.

Ellie died five years ago, and I was lost. I stayed in our house and lived day to day. When I was diagnosed with cancer and given only six months to live, I was almost relieved. There I was seventy years old and dying of cancer. My friends did not feel that way though and talked me into cancer therapy.
Visit in the hospital

I was three months into the therapy and sick and tired, mostly sick. I was in the hospital for a few days and the constant attention of the nurses was driving me crazy. When Jasper came in, I was ready to start planning an escape. He was twenty years younger than I. Jasper was a professor of bio engineering and was working to create something he called nanites.

Every Monday at our poker games we talked about what we were working on and got fresh ideas from each other. Jasper worked to create the self-replicating nanites. Henry was trying to create something to do with time. George was working on a new means of energy. Jasper looked worried as he sat down beside me, “Hey Sam, chased any nurses lately?”

I glared at him, “Funny Jasper.”

He grinned and looked away. We talked about a few things and then he looked at me, “I think I have a problem Sam.”

He knew what I had been before I retired. I looked at the way he was sitting and tried to sit up more, he moved closer and helped me. I leaned back and sighed, “Tell me.”

He smiled as he looked at his feet and then he frowned, “The company that is paying for my research wants all my notes.”

I kept looking at him and he finally looked up, “I thought my nanites would be used to help people. All these people want is a way to make money… Well, that and to use my nanites to make some type of super soldier.”

I nodded, “Go public.”

He looked away, “I thought of that… They… threatened me.”

I thought about it and sighed, “You have everything in your head. Destroy your notes and they can’t touch you.”

He grinned, “Ten years of work and you want me to just destroy it?”

I grinned back him, “If it’s in your head, then you won’t be destroying it.”

He nodded and sat back, “You know that might work.”

We talked some more and then he left. It was close to midnight when someone come into the room. I thought it was just another nurse. I already had an IV in my arm and felt a cool rush before feeling suddenly lethargic.

I opened my eyes to see Jasper hooking up two huge IVs. When he finished, he put his hand on my shoulder, “I am sorry Sam. They did not see things your way. They are shutting me down and taking everything. I destroyed my notes, but they said they could reverse engineer my prototypes, so… so I am putting them in you. Keep them safe and watch your back.”

I watched as he sat down and stared at the two IVs. It took almost a half hour and then Jasper unhooked the IVs and looked at me before walking out. I woke to a shattering explosion that rattled the window. It was still early morning and I hit the call button. I felt strangely alive and watched as a young nurse came in, “What was that explosion?”

She was frowning, “We do not know. It came from the direction of the campus.”

I frowned and reached to pull the IV out, “Get my clothes please.”

She was at my side in an instant, “Stop that!”

I looked at her as she tried to push the IV back in my arm, “Nurse, either get my clothes or stay out of my way.”

I pushed her away and sat up. I pulled all the leads off and slid out of bed. I was a little surprised at the loss of pain I usually felt. I turned toward the closet as the nurse left to find someone to help stop me. I pulled that damn hospital gown over my head and reached into the closet for my pants.

I was buttoning up my shirt when the nurse returned with a doctor and an orderly. I only glanced at them, “I’m checking out, if you have a problem with that, I’m sure my lawyer will explain it in more detail.”

The doctor wanted to check me, but I only ignored him as I left. I had already arranged for the hospital to be paid by my insurance, so I only stopped at the administration desk to check out. The taxi dropped me at my house just off campus. I looked down the street at the crowd of fire engines and police officers. They were all in front of what looked like Jasper’s house.

I hesitated and then walked down the street. George and his wife were standing on the sidewalk as I came up. He looked at me and Shelly gasped, “Sam! You are supposed to be in the hospital!”

I smiled and then looked at the burned-out front of Jasper’s house, “Any word on Jasper?”

George shook his head, “Dead. His body was thrown out almost to the street.”

I looked at him, “Are you sure it was him?”

He nodded, “Shelly and I were one of the first to reach him.”

I nodded and looked at the ruins, “Anyone know what happened?”

One of the other neighbors cleared her throat, “I heard one of the firemen say something about a gas leak.”

I looked at the house and knew better. I had seen many high explosives used and thought it might have been a shaped charge, (a big one). I turned away and walked slowly back towards my house. As soon as I closed the door, I knew someone was in the house. I stood still and waited.

Beside the front door was an old telephone stand. I quietly opened it and took out the 45 I kept there. I had made it and the only thing different about it was the fact that it used caseless ammo. I held it behind my leg and a minute later a young guy in a suit stepped out of my kitchen, “Nice and quiet old man.”

He was wearing gloves and from the way he was moving I knew this wasn’t a social call, “What do you want?”

He smiled and spread his hands a little as he walked slowly towards me, “I just want to talk.”

I moved the pistol around so he could see it and he stopped, “You don’t want to do that.”

I grinned, “Son, I was killing people before your mother was born. You just keep your hands where I can see them and you might live to see another day.”

He licked his lips, “We want your friend’s notes and anything else he might have left here.”

I shook my head, “You are an idiot. Jasper came to me in the hospital yesterday and told me what you wanted. I told him to destroy everything. Since he had it in his head you fucked up.”

He glared, “He wouldn’t have destroyed it!”

I grinned, “Go look in his lab, I bet you find all the ashes. Jasper was always old school and refused to leave notes in a computer.”

He glared and looked around and I knew what was coming, he was trying to decide how to kill me. I pointed my pistol at his head, “Go ahead and try.”

He hesitated, and I carefully moved sideways. When I was clear of the door I waved the gun, “leave. If I ever see you again, you are dead.”

He moved slowly to the door and opened it, “we will be back.”

To be continued