Ancient Birthright (53 page)

“Mom, Dad this is Saigg Garuu, Beldon’s friend. Dad, I think you’re starting to understand why I said you needed to listen to Beldon and Saigg’s story, and see if you could help each other.”

Ginny sidestepped past Saigg and ran into the family room. She returned a few minutes later with a relieved look on her face. “They are all cuddled up sleeping like they’re best friends and have known each other for years.”

“They hit it off really well. Mandy and Dantee wanted me to ask you if Mandy could come for a sleep over. She wants to meet Reedn, my son, who’s the same age as Dantee,” Saigg said with a wry smile.

“Ah...h, I don’t know, where do you live?” asked Ginny trying to make sense of the situation. “You’re not really from Earth...are you?”

“Technically, yes. Just not the Earth you know today. And, well, temporarily we’re living in a facility on the Moon, but once the
Universe Explorer
gets to a parking orbit, they could do their sleep over on it, and stay with my mate Renna and the four younger boys.”

“Oh,” Ginny said breathlessly.

“Now wait a minute. This is ridiculous. No one’s doing a sleep over. Christ, they’re not even human,” Harold Metzler said.

Saigg looked at Beldon. “I’m not human?”

“No, Saigg, I told you before you were a luzzon,” Beldon said with a very deadpan expression as they executed a couple of Three Stooges moves.

“Oh...that’s right, I forget sometimes.”

Josh was holding his sides as he cracked up at the antics of the two friends.

“What’s so funny,” asked a sleep-fogged voice from behind Saigg.

“We were just making a little joke with your dad, Mandy. Sorry we woke you up,” Saigg said. “Is Dantee still sleeping?”

“I’m awake,” Dantee said joining Mandy in the kitchen.

“Why don’t you two girls take Josh out and introduce him to
Janna
while Beldon and I talk to your folks.” Saigg said.

“Okay,” they said in unison as they clasped hands and ran for the door.

Josh looked like he wanted to stay and listen to the discussion between Saigg, Beldon and his parents, but the chance to tour the spaceship and talk to
Janna
won out, and he took off after the girls.

Hours later, the story of the
Universe Explorer
and the exploits of the Dumas family had won Harold Metzler’s approval as worthy of production and broadcast on the Discovery Network. Ginny made a pot of coffee to help keep everyone sharp, and she and her husband had changed into more comfortable blue jeans and sweatshirts.

Saigg tried the brew and declined it, “It must be an acquired taste,” he commented as he refilled his cup with water from the sink.

“How much of a video crew would it take to record the program we’ve talked about?” Beldon asked Harold.

“I would think a couple of cameramen, a production specialist and a couple of recording editors would be the only ones necessary to go on location. The script writing and voiceovers will be handled here in our studios along with the leaders, trailers and promotional spots. If we find we need more boots on the ground, we can always add them later. For right now, the fewer people who know about this project, the better.”

“We should be able to handle that many people without a problem. The sleeping facilities at the Moon installation are rather limited until we get the old living quarters back up and functional,” Beldon said.

“How soon would you want the production team available?” asked Harold.

“As soon as possible. We need to get the
Universe Explorer
in close Earth orbit, so we can get the supplies we need and head back to Danuaa 3. The future survival of the colony there is depending on our return,” Saigg said.

“Could you take the crew tonight, if I can get it assembled and over here?” asked Harold.

Beldon poured himself more coffee. “Sure, we have plenty of room and we need to head back before daylight anyway so your neighbors don’t freak-out,”

“How long do you think you are going to need them? Would two weeks be long enough?” Harold asked as he fished out his cell phone.

Beldon and Saigg looked at each other and nodded yes.

He dialed a number. “Hey, Terry, this is Harold Metzler, how’s it going tonight? Great, it will keep you on your toes. Say, I need a couple of cameramen, a production specialist and a couple of recording editors for a two-week assignment. No, I need you to try to get them together now along with their equipment. The equipment needs to be man-portable and battery-powered. We can’t take a production truck to this location. And Terry, see if you can get single people for this assignment. They will be out of contact with friends and family for at least two weeks, but make sure whoever agrees to go is good. Okay, get them rolling to my house ASAP.”

Harold thumbed off his cell. “Terry says they are tracking a story that the ISS was damaged today and all communications were lost. Optical telescopes are showing the solar panels adrift and at least one body floating near the wreckage.”

“The story is true,” Beldon said. “A powerful laser was fired at one of our ships as it approached Mars. The crew at Kirtland kept firing the laser even after the ISS flew into the beam. They just about cut the station in half.”

“We were coming in for a landing at NRAO when it happened,” Saigg explained. “Colonel Bitman, the commander of NRAO, had us load a medical team and two security officers to assist, and we docked with the one remaining undamaged module of the station. We managed to rescue the majority of the personnel, but they had already sustained severe injuries due to the cold and movement of the station as parts of it were destroyed. We took the people we rescued to the
UE
for treatment. At last report, all were still alive. My son, Reedn, was piloting the rescue ship, and Dantee and her cousin Tuuan were the ones who actually entered the ISS module and recovered the survivors.”

“The part Saigg didn’t tell you was that the last person was trapped behind a fallen equipment panel, and Dantee couldn’t get her out. Saigg entered the module without the proper protective clothing, and lifted the panel off the injured woman. Luckily, his cold-burns were fairly minor,” Beldon said as he pushed up Saigg’s coverall sleeve to show the dressings on his wounds. “We have the entire attack and rescue recorded if you would be interested in seeing it?”

“I’d be very interested.”

“Why don’t we go out to
Janna
and see what the kids are doing. Then we can run the recording for you,” Saigg suggested.

The four chatted like old friends as they strolled across the expansive lawn.

Beldon climbed the entry stairs first and introduced Harold and Ginny to
Janna
.

“What are you kids doing?” Beldon asked as he observed the three in separate command couches working realistic looking controls.

Josh spoke up, “
Janna
was telling us about the problem the
Universe Explorer
has with fuel, and I suggested collecting the junk that’s just floating in space. You know the dead satellites and boosters and other stuff. Most of it is made of aluminum. It would work for fuel for the
Universe Explorer
and clear out a big problem the Earth has every time we launch something new.”

“All the junk’s what caused the problem with getting the people to the
Universe Explorer
today when we had to plot that crazy course to get through the debris orbiting Earth,” Dantee said.

“So we sat down with
Janna
and developed this awesome spaceship simulation program to go collect space junk. The simulated ships are modeled on the small PTOs with limited fuel, so you have to figure out a strategy to collect the most stuff without running into something and without running out of fuel. Dantee is really cleaning up, so far she’s collected almost three times more junk than Mandy and I combined.”

“You have to remember, Josh, Dantee has been flying spaceships since she was less than a year-old. Dantee, Reedn and Tuuan rescued the Russian crew from
Nauka 7,
and they later pulled
Endeavour’s
bacon out of the fire when we didn’t have enough fuel to return to Earth or rendezvous with the
Universe Explorer
,” Beldon said.

“I knew there was a reason she was so good,” Josh said.

“Josh, I have been tracking the games as you three have played them,”
Janna
said. “Dantee has remained almost level in her skills and learning while you and Mandy have made magnificent gains in strategy and orbital mechanics. A few more days of practice and both of you would be able to pilot a real ship to perform the tasks I’ve simulated for you.”

“
Janna
, would it be possible to provide this game on the Internet, so others could play it?” Beldon asked.

“One of the smart ships would have to provide the background orbital object processing unless it were turned over to the main computers on the Moon. The connection to the Internet as a frontend interface would be fairly simple, but the game display and control stations would not be anywhere near as realistic as what I’ve provided for the children,”
Janna
said. “A truck is approaching your driveway Mr. Metzler.”

“It’s probably the film crew. I’ll go meet them and bring them back here.”

“I’ll come along and help carry equipment,” Beldon said.

“Sorry kids, I need to prepare for departure. We’ll have to play space junk collector some other time.”
Janna
turned off the large display screens.

“I can help carry stuff, too,” Josh said as he climbed out of his couch and trotted down the stairs to join his father and Beldon.

“
Janna
, before we leave, we want to show the recording of the attack on the International Space Station and the interior recordings of the rescue. Would you please position comfortable chairs for viewing the events on a large VH display? We will need seating for everyone here plus those who just arrived in the truck,” Saigg said.

High backed semi-reclined seats grew from the floor of the ship. The back row of seats was raised above the front row by about twelve inches.

People began climbing the access stairs. Beldon led the way and talked over his shoulder to those behind him the entire time as he climbed the stairs and entered the cabin. He had the film crew so caught up in the project they were assigned to do, that they had all gotten into the cabin before anyone noticed Saigg and Dantee.

Beldon made introductions, and Harold added a few additional comments about what he wanted from the documentary and the children’s programs that would be used to introduce the
Universe Explorer
and its crew to the people of Earth.

Saigg stepped forward and said, “Before we leave, we promised to show Mr. and Mrs. Metzler a recording of the events that occurred earlier today with the International Space Station. If everyone would take a seat, I’ll have
Janna
display the recording.”

Because the recording was in real time, it took almost two hours to display the entire thing. It was now four A.M., and a slight glow could be seen in the sky to the east.

“It will be light in a very short time, we need to leave. Harold, Ginny, you are welcome to come with us, but we will not be able to return you until tomorrow night,” Beldon told the family.

“We can go with you to the Moon?” Harold asked. He looked at Ginny and grinned. “I don’t have anything that pressing at the office tomorrow, and I think we can take the kids out of school for a day to get to go on a field trip to the Moon. You said you had Internet access, so I can contact my office in a few hours and let them know I’m taking the day off. We’ll need to call the school and report the kid’s absence when the office opens. Let me go turn off the lights and lock the house. Ginny, do you have any appointments scheduled today?”

“No, nothing.”

“
Janna
, I need a command couch and two copilot couches,” Dantee said.

“They are growing as we speak, Command Prime.”

The three couches formed at the front of the cabin. Dantee took her place in the middle while Mandy took the couch to the right, and Josh sat in the one to the left.

Harold ran back up the steps and took the empty seat behind the three pilots.

“
Janna
, are you ready?”

“Ready for liftoff, Command Prime.”

“Copilots are you ready?”

“Yes, Prime,” was repeated from each side.

“Passengers, are you ready for departure?”

A rippled course of ‘yes’ answered.

The 360-degree view screens came to life and showed the Earth slowly dropping away, and then shifting to the side as
Janna
picked up speed and changed course for the Moon. Dantee made a slight course alteration and minutes later, they sped past the remains of the International Space Station. “ETA to Moon base is sixty-eight minutes, since we are on the side of the Earth pointed away from the moon,” Dantee reported to the subdued passengers.

Harold leaned over and took Ginny’s hand. He gave it a squeeze as he turned to her and smiled.

Chapter-63

“Todd, quit fidgeting and get on with the briefing.”

“Sorry, Mr. President. As you know, the replacement of the Joint Chiefs is almost complete. All have been replaced with only the Chairman remaining from the old guard. The shakeup of the top echelon of all of the armed forces has caused chaos throughout the ranks. The troops in the Afghan theater are getting their heads handed to them on a platter. We’ve had ten times the causalities since the purge of the top officers started. No one is willing to give a command for fear of being the next one tapped on the shoulder and told to resign his or her commission. Iraq is even worse. The Air Force readiness rating is the lowest in history with over half the fleet grounded due to maintenance problems or personnel shortages. NORAD is working with a skeleton staff and is hinting at no longer being mission ready.

“Enlistments have dropped to near zero and most basic training bases will begin RIFing staff after the current wave of trainee’s graduate. Within six months, the U.S. will no longer have a viable military and will be essentially undefended unless drastic measures are taken.”