Earth Ship Protectress: Book Two in the Freddy Anderson Chronicles (6 page)

Chapter 8
The Trainer

T
he next day, after the burial ceremonies, I went to work in my shop. At noon I came out with a mock-up of the shuttle I was building. This shuttle had most of the things in it that the real one would have, except it didn’t really work. I had a computer simulator that the shop computer and I had worked on that made it look like everything was fully operational. It was built on a frame that suspended the mock-up between gravity fields so that the unit could move and feel real. Eight generators were concealed inside eight pillars of different heights, which stood out several feet from the shuttle mock-up. The shuttle itself was over thirty feet wide, fifteen feet deep, and fifty feet long. It was smooth and formed like a stingray, with wings that slanted back and were pointed.

I had finished the programming only an hour ago and tested it out. It was connected to the shop computer for lifelike situations. There were sixty planned scenarios, the outcomes of which were completely dependent on the movements and actions of the people running the shuttle. It could be a real thrill ride if you messed up, or it could be as gentle and fun as a walk in the park if you were really good. I put a protective coating that was nearly impervious to weather on everything so that my trainer would stay shiny. The entrance was through a hatch in the back.

As soon as I brought it out, the commander and most of the crew came out to have a look. I went inside the craft to finish setting up the programs. The commander came in, and so did several others.

“Commander, please shut the hatch.” She motioned to one of the team, and I heard the hatch close. I turned on the outside speakers and view screens and said into the microphone, “Everyone, stand back. Commander, please take a seat.” I motioned for her to take the seat next to mine before I started pointing out the different sections. “That is communications. Please have one of the girls take a seat there.” The commander motioned for Petty Officer Henderson to take that spot. “Next is the science officer’s spot, which includes sensors, diagnostics, and monitoring equipment.” She motioned for Petty Officer Swanson to take that spot. “Right in front of us are the controls for navigation.” She motioned for Petty Officer Smith to sit there. “To the left are the weapons and shield controls.” Petty Officer Parks sat there. “The rest need to sit down and hold on tight, Commander.” They took the extra seats that I had installed for monitoring the exercises. “Ready, Commander?”

“No, but go ahead.”

I laughed and said, “Computer, start scenario number one.”

“
Confirm scenario number one. Loading. Starting. Home Base Shuttle One, this is Prime Tower. You have clearance to depart for high stationary orbit. Please take off using standard departure vec
tors.”

No one did a thing.

“
Home Base Shuttle, please acknowledge my last transmis
sion.”

I looked back at Petty Officer Henderson. “You’re the communications officer. Please acknowledge receipt of that message.”

“Yes, Captain.” She put on a headset and powered up her equipment. Then she toggled the transmit switch. “This is Shuttle One, acknowledging departure for high stationary orbit.”

“
Good luck, Shuttle One. You are cleared t
o go.”

I looked down at Petty Officer Smith and said, “Navigator, please take us straight up to a high stationary orbit above home base.”

The commander yelled, “Wait!” She turned to me and cautiously asked, “Freddy, are we really going to go into stationary orbit?”

I nearly died laughing. When I finally calmed down, I said, “No, silly. This is that practice game I said I had for you. I won’t be finished with the real shuttle for weeks yet.”

“
Shuttle One, if you don’t take off soon, you will lose your launch spot. The next opening is not for three more h
ours.”

“
Navigator, take us straight up for five miles and then set stationary orbit.”

Petty Officer Henderson looked at the commander and then started working the controls. She was not doing very well, but she finally started moving us up. At one mile, we hit a satellite and crashed.

“
Scenario one terminated. Restart when r
eady.”

“
Computer, shut simulator down.”

“
Shutting
down.”

I stood up with a smile and turned around, asking, “What do you think went wrong, Commander?”

“We were not prepared. We have no idea how to operate this shuttle. This will take time and training.”

“That’s exactly why I made this mock-up. Do you still want to play?” I got a resounding yes from everyone. “Then let me point out a few things to get you started. Each station has help; just ask the computer to guide you. She will take you through things step-by-step.” I turned to Petty Officer Parks. “Always use shields, even if it’s just navigation shields. Turn them on. That way, if we hit something, it gets damaged, not us.”

I turned to the science officer. “I know that satellite was on your screen. If you see us heading toward something, tell someone. Navigation, always look before you move. You have navigation scanners. Commander, there are sixty scenarios. The last ten are training for my actual plan. When you get to them, I would like to be present for the first two or three. Please have two crews trained, and do cross-training. Everyone needs to know every position in case of an emergency.” I opened the hatch and left, saying “good luck” over my shoulder. I watched outside on one of the monitoring screens as the commander asked the computer to access information on scenario sixty.

“
I’m sorry, Susan. That information is restricted until both crews have completed all other scena
rios.”

She hit the chair and cursed. “I’m going to skin that boy alive.”

I looked at the girls standing there, watching everything on the screen, and said with a smile, “Whoops, I don’t think the commander likes being kept in the dark. I think it’s time I go inside and get something to eat.” I left quickly, with waves of laughter following behind me. The commander was coming out of the shuttle as I reached the house.

I was sitting at the kitchen table, eating a sandwich, when she came in. She pulled up a chair directly across from me. “Freddy,” she said with a gentle voice, like she wanted something. “What are you planning?”

“Gee, Commander,” I said with a smile. “Should I tell you before or after you skin me alive?”

“Heard that, did you?”

“Yes. I can feel your emotions, so I know what you’re implying. It shows that I’m part of the family when you can get mad at me once in a while. So what’s up?”

“You know darn well what’s up. What are you planning? Where are you taking us?”

Nearly laughing, I said, “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. I can change things around so one person can run it, if needed.”

“Freddy, quit playing around. You’re making me mad enough to turn you over my knee and give you the spanking you deserve.”

I could see she wasn’t joking, so I tried to calm down and get serious. “Commander, I told you that I was working on getting to first base, but we have a project before that. What do you think shuttles would be used for?”

“To transfer supplies, to help set up a city on the moon?”

“Exactly. It’s dangerous work, and there’s a lot of cargo handling in the scenarios, but even before that, I need people who can fly my inventions to fix another small issue first.”

“Freddy, can I increase our complement to handle this situation?”

“Of course! Do what you think is necessary, but remember, I get to approve them.”

“When we get to the moon, how are you planning to go outside?”

“That’s simple. We’ll use personal shields. I can easily make shields and utility belts that will supply heat and air, allow dumping of waste, and protect us from radiation. We’ll test them in a few weeks. I figure that skin-diving will work for that.”

“We won’t need those big suits the astronauts use?”

“No way! How can we work if we’re wearing that stuff? It’d just get in the way. I am impressed with our astronauts getting anything done in those cumbersome outfits. It must be very difficult.”

We sat there for the next five hours, planning out what I could do and what she needed to do. Early on, we were joined by most of the crew. Some were playing with the new toy. They came up with some great ideas. The commander said, “There are experts who have already figured out what needs to go first to a moon base. I’ll call them and get ideas on whom to contact.”

“Some experts on setting up a base would be great, Commander. But please talk with the president first, and get her thoughts. I don’t want to step over that line and upset her.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t let that happen.”

Blue asked with some irritation, “Game? His first ship is a game? What is a game?”

Green answered, “A game is not fully understood. At first we thought it was something that children do to pass the time before going to their form of mind-conforming protocol they call school. Then we found out that games are used to teach as entertainment and to bash each other senseless, as with destructive games called football and soccer. At this time we see ‘games’ as possible military training for the masses. There is almost always a winner and a loser.”

Yellows added, “It has come to our attention that they call many games ‘war games.’ This conforms with many of the messages we witnessed in their transmissions.”

Blue said, “Then Gray was correct in thinking that they are trained for war at birth. No wonder they are so devastating.”

Twenty Grays marched in and stationed themselves around the room. They were in armor and heavily armed. The large Gray who was leading them looked like he would kill for no reason. He said in a voice meant to intimidate, “Devastating isn’t the half of it. Our commanders are now trying to figure out how to keep them from destroying our home world. All but one of their ships passed us and are heading that way. As they passed, they sent a message in every language they know.”

Yellows asked, “Was the message deciphered, little Gray?” Their intimidation did not work, as Blue and Yellows were not the least bit afraid.

“Yes.”

Yellows decided to do their own intimidation. “Well!”

The Gray backed up a little. “The message was the same three words over and over: ‘Give him back.’”

All eyes turned to me. I smiled. It’s nice to feel wanted.

Green quickly continued. “Then we have little time.”

Chapter 9
New People—and One’s a Government Inspector

T
he next eight months were a blur, as I spent most of that time in the shop, coming out only to grab something to eat. I received reports about how the government wanted to have more of the scanners and power systems—a lot more—so I released the full patent to them for temporary use in the research of its possibilities. The girls came up with some requests for changes to the layout of the shuttle controls, and I gladly made them. The more I agreed to their suggestions, the more they opened up. One day, I received a request for over twenty changes—silly stuff like backup systems, lights, IFF (Information Friend or Foe), a black box, and—can you believe it?—restrooms, as if I wouldn’t have thought of that for the real thing! It grabbed my attention, and I came out.

There were three people near the trainer whom I’d never seen before, but none of the girls were visible. I went back into the shop.

“Shop, please contact Home, and find out where the girls are.”

“
Freddy, two of the team are now headed toward the door to this shop—the commander and Katie. Two are in the upper forest, one is in the watch room, eight are in the new home complex, two are in the trainer, and the rest are in the h
ouse.”

“
Shop, please hold. It does not sound like there’s a problem.” Telepathically, I called to Katie.

“
Hi, Fr
eddy.”

“I came out, and there were people here I do not
know.”

“I can sense your worry. How sweet. Don’t worry; everything’s fine. The girls are all doing well. The extra people are from NASA. The commander thought that it would be good to have their opinions on a few things, mostly to ensure we run l
egal.”

“That would be why I got this long list of requ
ests?”

“Correct. Are you coming
out?”

“Are you sure it’s
safe?”

“It’s safe; don’t worry. We checked them out thoroughly. They didn’t like it, and we did turn down three before we agreed to the five we have now, but these guys checked
out.”

“Okay, then, I’m coming
out.”

I opened the door and went through. “Hi, Commander. What’s up?”

She knelt down to my level and said, “I’m sorry. I should have warned you or at least placed a watch out here to guide you. When Katie said you were outside but ran back in because you were afraid, we knew we’d messed up.”

“That’s okay, Susan. Stuff happens, and we learn. How long have they been here?”

“Two days. You really need to come out more often. They have questions that I can’t begin to answer.”

“That’s nice. I don’t see why I need to answer anything they ask. Have they been approved by the president?”

“Yes, and to be honest, we’re a little excited that they’re here. Two are astronauts in training, and one is an astronaut with four flights under his belt.”

“And the other two?”

“One is an FAA safety inspector, and the other is an aerospace engineer from MIT. NASA sent them out to help us figure out what’s needed to make your equipment legal for flight and to look at standard connections. They would like it if you could connect to the space station and deliver supplies. Though, for some reason, I feel that they don’t believe you’re actually going to get anything off the ground. The president had to order them to help.”

I thought about that for a minute. “That’s an interesting situation, but these people are working with the wrong information. This is just a trainer. It does not have the running lights, cargo holds, restrooms, or any of the hundred other options I’ve worked out.” I smiled. “Commander, they have no idea. I’ll be right back. Keep this area clear.”

I went back into my shop. “Shop, please open the bay doors, and have two shuttles power up.”

“
Complying. Doors open. Shuttle One is at 50 percent power and climbing. Shuttle Two is at 28 percent and clim
bing.”

“
Shop, please contact Shuttle One and Shuttle Two, and have them move out to the first and third launch pads, respectively.”

“
Working. Compl
eted.”

I watched as both shuttles lifted and moved out, pursuant to their preprogramming. They moved through what looked like a solid rock face and out into the compound. I left the shop and stood next to the commander and Katie. Both shuttles moved soundlessly over our heads and out to the launch pads, where they settled down on “multilanders” and powered down. I pathed, “
Shop, place them on A-1 security, and close the bay d
oors.”

“Compl
eted.”

You could just barely see the shimmer surrounding them from the shields. “Darn,” I said. That startled Katie and the commander. “I need to adjust the security shields so they don’t show. I couldn’t see that in the lights of my shop.”

The commander asked, “Freddy, do both of them do what the trainer does?”

I looked at her in amused disgust. “Commander, the trainer is just a simple device. These two do much, much more.” With a smile and a lilt in my voice, I said, “I’m hungry. Any chance the kitchen’s open?”

“For you, Freddy, there’s bread pudding.”

I eagerly started toward home. “Really? I love bread pudding.”

We entered the house, and I headed upstairs, yelling back over my shoulder to the commander, “Susan, I’ll be down to eat after I clean up. Then we can talk, if you want.”

I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth, and ran a brush through my hair, which was down below my waist now. I really did need to get it trimmed. I dried it using my telekinetic abilities and then braided it. I put on some new earrings I’d received from the town for Christmas. I liked these earrings. They dangled nicely and tickled my neck, and the girls had stopped laughing long ago.

Almost everyone was outside around the two shuttles. The commander and one man were waiting for me. They were talking at the bottom of the stairs when I came out. The commander said. “Freddy, this is Dr. Michael Landers. He’s an aerospace scientist from NASA and MIT.”

I put my hand out, asking, “Are you the same Dr. M. K. Landers who wrote
Space and the Reasons Man Must Conquer It
and
Traveling Faster than L
ight
?”

He shook my hand. “Why, yes, I am. Have you read my books?”

“Of course. They were required reading for my doctorate in spatial physics.”

“Well, it’s very nice to meet you, Dr. Anderson.”

“Please call me Freddy. We’re not much on titles here.”

“And you can call me Mike.”

“Thanks. Have you had lunch, Mike?”

“Yes. We just ate an hour ago.”

“I have not eaten for
…
”
I looked at the commander.

“Three days.”

“Thank you, Commander. Three days. I’m a little hungry at the moment. If you don’t mind, I have a few things to discuss with the commander, and then can we talk while I eat.”

“Of course. Do I need to leave?”

“No, sir. Commander, how’s the training going?”

We talked through the meal, and she brought me up-to-date on what had happened in the last few weeks. She stopped long enough to explain to Dr. Landers that I paid little attention to my surroundings when I was working. He laughed and said that his wife often said the same thing about him.

“In essence,” the commander said, “the training went well until the scenario of going past the moon and out to Mars. None of the girls has had the training needed to work out the math. Every time they tried, they missed Mars by hundreds of thousands of miles. I asked NASA for help. They sent two astronavigators to teach us, Lieutenant Cal Bergman and Lieutenant Yuan Nguyen. With their help, the girls are at scenario forty-eight.” Her eyebrows rose a little when she pointed out the fact that they had crashed or died in one way or another over a hundred times before getting through scenario twenty-six. She said, “That’s a ridiculous scenario. Nothing like that will ever happen because there’s no such thing as a UFO.”

“Susan, did I give you the scanning equipment to watch the solar system yet?”

She looked wide-eyed and startled, took a small step back, and said, “No.”

“Remind me to give it to you. You’d be surprised the education it can provide.” I changed the subject. “Mike, you had some questions for me?”

“Yes, well
…
”
He paused and then said, “You have just increased the questions I have by a factor of ten.”

I smiled. “Then we’d better get to them before I go back to work.”

“First, can your craft really do what the scenarios show? Can they really go that fast?”

“You’re as bad as the commander here. The trainer is just a simple mock-up of the real thing. Please understand that I was in a hurry when I made the trainer, and I slowed it down to allow the trainees a chance to learn to control it. The two shuttles out there on the launch pads are much faster and have much more capability.”

“The two shuttles look like they’re able to carry a lot of cargo.”

“I built the shuttles so that they can connect to a number of different cargo or personnel carriers. I did not wish to limit myself to having a ship that could do only one thing. I thought about it for some time and decided to use our trucking system as a good way to move materials from one place to another. Our semitrucks can carry any type of cargo, pull a bus of people around, move frozen products through the desert, or pull a house across country. What you see out there are two semitrucks with standard trailers. I can easily interchange the trailers. The reason for the two long wings going down both sides of the truck—or in this case, the shuttle—is that at the end of each wing is a small tractor beam to hold the cargo in place and take some of the weight off the connection. That way, I can use a long trailer without having the end weight pull the truck apart. So to answer your question, these two shuttles can carry anything that we can attach to the rear docking connection and that will fit between the two wings. Once in space, you could connect multiples. So this request to have my connection changed to a standard connection is not needed. If I need to dock with the space station, then I would simply ensure that the trailer has that type of connection on the other end. The connections that you use for the space station are not strong enough for my purposes. I can entertain changing them if the need arises but not on these two; the material I used to form them will not permit changes.”

“What do you mean?”

“The material is new, something that I still need to patent, so I won’t go into detail, but you cannot cut, drill, scrape, scratch, or mar that hull, not with a laser, a diamond drill, or even other equipment I have that we won’t talk about yet. I can dissolve the hull under certain precise conditions and reuse the material, but that would mean scrapping the entire hull. The hull was formed around the connection, so removing it would be impossible at this time. I could try to change the molecular structure by
…
”

I got up and walked off, talking to myself. I was thinking about ways to change out the connections when the commander must have taken my face in both hands and turned me around. Her face was only inches from mine when she yelled, “
Freddy!”
This brought me back to my surroundings.

“Are you with us again?” she asked.

“Yes. What do you want?”

“You have a guest, and it’s not polite to drift off right now.” She turned to Dr. Landers. “See what I mean by ‘drifty’?”

I turned red and went back to sit down.

Mike said, “Your amount of total concentration could be dangerous in space or on the moon, Freddy.”

The commander added, “Or here. He has walked off the terraces twice, and once he fell into the water. We’ve had to ensure he has someone with him at all times when he’s outside of his shop. I worry a lot about him being in his shop alone.”

I turned even redder. The master chief came in and said with a laugh, “He’ll break his neck some day and won’t even realize it until someone sees his head flopping around.”

Everyone laughed except me.

“Dr. Landers,” I said, “this is Master Chief Jacquelyn Uniceson.”

“We’ve met, Freddy. After all, I’ve been here for two days.”

The rest of the team was coming in, and the commander made introductions. She was right; it was a good group.

“Freddy, this is Captain Mark Twain Williams. He’s the astronaut with all the experience I was telling you about.”

“Nice to have you visit, Captain.”

“I’m hoping for more than a visit.”

I tilted my head, looking concerned.

The commander asked, “What’s wrong, Freddy?”

I directed my comments to the NASA captain. “Please understand that I am highly empathic.” I paused for this to sink in. “I cannot help but feel what you’re feeling, so I know that this”—I held both braids and flipped one earring up about an inch to show that I was talking about my choice of adornment, and I squinted my eyes in distaste—“disturbs you very much.”