Jesse's Starship (7 page)

“Why should all life on a planet be killed because of just one life form on it?”

Jess smiled, “Is that the first question you’ve ever asked?”

“It is.”

“When you come up with an answer; please share it with me.”

“I will.”

“The two of us will be asking you questions and we want you to examine the question and attempt to determine what information would best answer them. My first question is; what would it take to destroy you?”

“Two Q ships firing simultaneously at my hull.”

“That’s something we must avoid.”

“I think you want to know how easy it would be for two Q ships to fire at the exact same moment so that my force field would fail.”

“Yes.”

“They would have to both come into range while I’m actively evading them. The chances of them getting two ships into position to fire will prove to be extremely difficult.”

“Really?”

“It’s not impossible; but highly unlikely.”

“What if they used all of the Q ships to attack you?”

“Then it just becomes difficult.”

“Why?”

“It’s hard to fire at something that flies faster than the beam used to hit it.”

Jess smiled and looked at Elle, “Please keep us away from them and let us hear anything they say that relates to finding us.”

“Order acknowledged.”

Elle looked at Jess, “When are we going after our families?”

“After we take the time to really learn everything there is to know about this ship.”

Elle nodded and leaned back in her chair. Too much had happened too quickly. She didn’t sleep the night before and her fatigue took her; she closed her eyes to slow her thoughts…and fears, and promptly fell asleep. Jess stared at her and quietly said, “Is there any way to make her chair more comfortable?”

Elle’s chair started reclining and a lower section lifted and moved her legs horizontal to the floor. The chair molded to the shape of her body and she rose slightly above it and then settled back down. Jess saw there wasn’t much of an indentation where she was lying. Well, it looked like the air mattresses were not going to be used. He smiled and said, “Please do the same with my chair.” Jess felt his chair recline and his legs and body moved horizontal to the floor. He suddenly felt weightless and then he felt a slight weight keeping him on the chair’s cushions that were suddenly very soft. He hadn’t slept in more than twenty hours and he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The last thing he remembered was Elle’s beautiful face as she slept.

• • •

Mike stuck the pitchfork into the hay and threw it over his shoulder out into the barn’s main corridor. Cleaning out the cow’s dirty hay after a calf was born was messy work. He stuck the fork into the ground and wiped his brow. He reached for the fork and heard a noise off in the distance. He shook his head and walked to the barn door and closed it. He lowered the board across the two doors and walked toward the house.

Tilly met him at the door with eyebrows raised and he caressed her cheek with his rough fingers, “Tell them I’m cleaning up and will be out in a moment.” She nodded and looked out over the fields to the west. In a few moments she saw them. She shook her head and wondered what Mike had gotten himself into this time. She stepped over to the door and pressed the doorbell and kept the button down for ten seconds. She heard a small beep and she moved back over and leaned against the right post on the front porch. A Bell Helicopter was moving quickly toward the farm and it was escorted by three Apache attack helicopters. It had to be something serious.

The Apaches fanned out above the Bell as it landed in the front yard of the farmhouse, started hovering, and then had their guns trained on her. She held her ground and looked up at them and waved. She saw the gunner on one of the Apaches wave back. She continued to lean against the front post and saw John Tyler emerge from the Bell and walk toward the front porch. “He’s washing the cow patties off in the shower. I don’t suppose you want to smell them all the way to where you’re taking him.”

“It’s good to see you too, Tilly.”

“I’d be real happy to see you, John;” Tilly nodded toward the hovering Apaches; “however, you just brought some uninvited guests with you. They’re wasting a lot of fuel hovering and trying to look all dangerous and stuff.”

John glanced out at the Apaches and shrugged, “Not my idea; I told them he was not one they needed to worry about.”

“And just who is
they
?”

“The Joint Chiefs.”

Tilly shook her head and sighed, “What did he do this time?”

“It’s partly my fault, Tilly. He asked me to take a look at something and I did it.”

“Isn’t that how it always happens?”

“I suppose.” John went to a rocker and sat down, “How long do you think he’s going to need?”

“He was cleaning out the birthing stall.”

“Ugh.” John shook his head and said, “He’s covered in cow manure; do you want him in the same helicopter as you?”

Tilly snickered, “He shouldn’t have cleaned up; it would serve you right.”

“Come on, Tilly; he couldn’t stand it anymore than we could.” Tilly shrugged. “How are the kids doing?”

“Kyle graduates from MIT this spring and Jennifer just had her first baby.”

“Congratulations.”

“You still haven’t told me what he did.”

“He tried to take care of a friend.”

“That’s Mike.”

“Yes, it is.”

Mike stepped out of the door with a flight jacket over his arm and smiled, “Hello, John, I hope I didn’t get you in too much trouble.” John shrugged. “Am I going to need this jacket?”

“We’re going to DC.”

“Do I have a choice about going?”

John tilted his head as he shook it, “Not really.”

Mike leaned over and gave Tilly a hug. She leaned back and kissed him. Mike looked at her with a worried expression and Tilly smiled, “Jack will handle the farm in your absence. Just let me know when you’re coming back.” She stared at John as she made the statement and he slowly shook his head. She knew Mike might be gone for a while. She watched Mike walk with John to the Bell Helicopter and sighed. Mike was too good a spirit to have so much trouble keep finding him. She walked over to the camera and parabolic Microphone hidden between two potted plants and extracted a thumb drive. She went inside and downloaded the video to a file and then attached it to an e-mail. She punched the number six in her cell phone and a male voice answered, “Tilly, how’s my favorite cousin doing?”

“Jack, I’ve just sent you an email with an attachment. Would you mind taking a look at it?”

“Not at all.”

Tilly smiled; a United States Senator would at least insure they didn’t mistreat him. She thought another moment and then dialed another number, “I have an interesting video you might want to take a look at.”

“What is it?”

“A private citizen being taken from their home by excessive force; and I do mean excessive force. I think you might find it entertaining.”

“Send it to me.”

Tilly pressed send on her computer and sat back. There, that should rattle a few cages.

• • •

The Bell rose and the Apaches fell in formation around it. Mike remained silent. John wasn’t talking so that told him their conversation was bugged. He looked out the window and wondered what had happened in the desert. He prayed Jess was still alive but felt his friend had been killed. He maintained his silence all the way to the airport where he boarded a jet for Washington and then to the War Room. He knew something serious had happened and it probably involved aliens. That was the only thing that would have prompted this level of response from the government.

He was led into the War Room and saw all the huge displays on the wall with the disposition of the United States Military Forces. He noticed one display with Arizona on it and a red blinking light just east of Phoenix. That meant an operation was still ongoing in the desert. He sat down in a chair facing a raised level with five other chairs. He blew out a breath and knew that if one of the Joint Chiefs came, he would probably be ok. If two showed up, it was doubtful. He felt his tension rise when all five walked in and took their seats. What in the hell had Jess done in the desert?

• • •

Admiral Howard looked at the other Chiefs and they nodded. He turned to Mike and said, “Tell us why you had one of our satellites redirected to search a patch of lifeless desert?”

“I was worried that a young man I had developed a friendship with might be in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?”

“Life threatening.”

“What do you mean by life threatening?”

“The kind that shoots down helicopters and Raptors.”

Admiral Howard stared at Mike and said, “Major, you would be wise to just answer the questions.”

Mike stared at the Chief of the Joint Chiefs and said, “Why don’t we cut to the chase. You’ve run into something that has scared the mess out of you and you want me to tell you what it is. I’ll be glad to do that but I need to see what happened.”

“That information is classified.”

Mike gave a small chuckle and shook his head, “No matter how long I’ve been around you clowns, you never change. I don’t know a lot but I can put together what I’ve learned if you’ll just show me the tapes.”

“You will answer our questions and you will not see the tapes.”

“Fine.”

“Now what did you mean by trouble?”

“I refuse to testify on the grounds that what I say can be used against me in a court of law.”

General Thornton sneered, “You will answer our questions or be held in solitary until you do.”

“Really?”

“You can bet the farm on it.”

Mike looked at General Thornton and turned back to Admiral Howard, “Has it ever crossed your minds that not everyone is the enemy?”

“Just answer the questions Major.”

“Sorry Admiral, I am no longer a Major. I resigned my commission when I left the service. I’m nothing more than a private citizen now.”

“You can be pulled back into the service and fall under the Military Justice System. We can hold you as a threat to national security as long as we deem it necessary.”

“That might be ordinarily true; however, my former Commander made a point of inserting in my retirement papers that I could never be accepted into the service under any circumstances and he had it signed by the Senior Ranking member of the Military Oversight Committee. You cannot pull me back in even if you wanted to Admiral. I am willing to assist you anyway I can, but in order to do that, I need to see what happened.”

“You will answer our questions.”

“Or what?”

“You won’t be seen for a very long time.”

“What charges will you use?”

“We don’t need charges, Major.”

“Well. Here’s the thing, Admiral. I doubt you know much about my wife. I married her after I retired so she wasn’t investigated when you did my original clearances. It took a while to convince her that I was worthy enough to come into her and her children’s lives.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Her maiden name was Ingram. I suspect she called Senator Ingram as soon as you collected me at the farm and told him you had me in your possession. I really think the Senior Ranking Member of the Military Budget Committee might have something to say about your ignoring the laws of the United States.”

Admiral Howard looked at the Major sitting at a side table and saw him look up from his computer and nod. Howard’s expression showed some concern. Mike said, “Ahhh, that one had some teeth in it. You might be curious to learn that the good Senator has been chosen to replace the retiring party Leader in the Senate. So if you’re thinking you’ll just have to deal with one Senator, you better think again. You are the leaders of our military and you all act like a group of paranoids that broke out of the asylum. You don’t have to make it this difficult. I believe I can help you but I need to see what happened.”

“Why?”

“Because I suspect my friend is dead and I need to see how he died.”

“Again, why do you need to know?”

“I need to verify the aliens he has been waiting on to reappear for ten years actually did.”

The five Chiefs were startled by that remark. Admiral Howard stared at Mike and said, “You will see nothing and you will answer our questions. The security of the United States is at stake here and I won’t tolerate your insolence. You and your Senator relative will not stand in the way of defending my country.”

Mike leaned back in his chair, “Fine, have it your way.”

“Now what did you mean by the aliens he was waiting on?” Mike stared at the Admiral and said nothing. “Answer my question, Major.”

“I am no longer a Major and I invoke my Fifth Amendment rights.”

Admiral Howard’s face turned ugly and he looked at the two Marine Guards at the door. “Escort the Major to a holding cell.”

“Uhhh Sir!”

Howard looked at his assistant, “WHAT!”

“Senator Ingram is here and is asking to speak with Mr. Sanders.”

“Tell him he’s part of an investigation and will not be available.”

“There’s one more thing, Sir.”

“What’s that?”

“A special report was just run on Fox News.”

Howard stared at the aide and said, “Put it up on the monitor.”

A video showing the bell helicopter with three Apache Attack Copters pointing their guns and rockets toward a woman standing on the porch of a farmhouse appeared. The commentator was saying, “Our government has used the military to force a private citizen to leave his home. They threatened the man’s family with destruction if he didn’t leave with them and refused to tell his wife where they were taking him or for what reason. Our sources in the Pentagon refuse to even acknowledge the kidnapping was done. The White House has refused to answer our questions and it appears this government no longer follows the nation’s laws.”

“Turn it off!” Mike chuckled; Tilly didn’t waste any time. Howard glared at Mike, “Do you find this amusing?”

“Actually, I find it hilarious. Do you honestly think you can threaten me into doing what you want? This isn’t a dictatorship we live in. You’ve lost sight of that. I fear you are about to find out you don’t have the power you think you do.”