America One: War of the Worlds (51 page)
Read America One: War of the Worlds Online
Authors: T I Wade
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #Science Fiction & Fantasy, #Science Fiction, #High Tech, #Hard Science Fiction, #Space Exploration
In return, Ryan’s last wish was to be buried with his family on the other side of the Retreat’s cemetery, not the side Jonesy and the rest of his society’s members would be buried in the future.
Noble
VIN and Suzi were younger than most of the others, and enjoyed many years of traveling the waters of the world.
The Noble family was entwined to the Jones family by marriage, and that lasted far into the future. VIN often remembered his younger years and often Suzi was told of the antics he and his partner got up to before they became astronauts. Suzi baked her famous chocolate cake whenever neighbors came over and now named her cake “Rose’s Chocolate Cake”. It had taken her a long time to get over the death of her best friend on
America One
.
VIN and Suzi enjoyed fishing with Jonesy and Maggie and tied up at all their old watering holes and haunts like the Seychelles to reminisce about the old days.
Thanks to VIN and two more visits into space, much of the work of the future was begun, and then left to a very specialized group of younger astronauts
After a decade of nonstop space flight after VIN, even Mars and Saturn took it easy and moved in close to them on the island.
VIN and Jonesy always knew with a smile why all their grandsons were so busy. They did really miss them, but life’s too good to worry about all the youngsters’ futures. They were already doing far better than they ever had. Also, the grandkids always visited them when they visited Earth.
VIN and Suzi Noble had never asked for much, had enjoyed their work, had many stories to tell their great grandchildren, and enjoyed every day together for the rest of their lives.
Astermine’s Secret Society (ASS)
For many of the crew the story didn’t end there. Friendships and alliances had always blossomed on the long space voyages, and often many topics were discussed that would have been discussed on planet Earth.
Many of the early discussions had to do with the consumption or production of alcohol. During the days that Ryan, or the astronaut’s wives ordered a dry ship on the long space journeys, Astermine’s Secret Society strengthened.
First, it was called the “Allegiance of Space Travelers”, then “The Odyssey Society”, then “The Drinker’s Code” when they secretly met in Ryan’s office aboard
America One
, the same office Captain Pete and Dr. Nancy nursed back to Earth. Thanks to ASS there were always secret stashes of luxury food and drink for secret meetings in the office. Dr. Nancy did thank ASS’s Chairman, once only for their lives. They wouldn’t have made it if Captain Pete wasn’t a knowledgeable member and knew what was hidden where.
Nobody really knew who actually formed the society first, but all the blame was put on one man. In the beginning less than a handful of the crew knew about “The Club” as it was often called.
Most of the crew on the Bridge of
America One
certainly didn’t know about this secret society of space travelers, and only when the solar system got its communications back did this organization really flourish.
Initial meetings were often toasted with forbidden alcohol in the ship’s engine rooms. Then when Mr. Rose joined as an active member, much to the surprise of many, many meetings were then held in his office. Here they tapped the new brews, and monthly production. Taste meeting were held to better the production quality, and Suzi never knew that many of the people around her belonged to this forbidden type of society.
The members were of different nationalities and tribes. There were tall and short members, and each one took the secret oath, never to give up on the others in the group.
Suzi often had thoughts that her husband could belong to a group like this. He was caught with others in the office one time when Kathy Richmond banned alcohol for months aboard the mother ship. What put Suzi off the scent, was that Ryan himself was caught, and he would never belong to any club, or immature boy’s thing!
Maggie often discussed their husband’s plight and childish misdeeds with her girlfriends. Suzi often mentioned that anything was possible with this bunch of misfits, but Maggie never knew about the society. Nor did any of the other wives, or many of the male astronauts.
Allen Saunders or Michael Pitt were never members, but Mars Noble was a member before he was even old enough to drink, thanks to his then girlfriend Saturn who as the only female member of the society, was the gofer at the time.
Vitalily was the third initial member of the group, Dave Black was next who brought young Max Von Braun into the fold, who finally persuaded Mr. Rose who was offered a lifetime honorary membership, which the man gracefully accepted. Others also became important members. Dr. Smidt took years, but he finally joined after a raucous party at The Martian Club Retreat one very late night when the rest of the crew were asleep. Martin Brusk was the only non-space traveler member, and he was invited due to his enjoying a few with the club members secretively one night at the Pig’s Snout. One of the more interesting members was Roo, who became an honorary board member once he partook in alcoholic beverages. He became the Society’s third chairman many years later and thanks to him the society continued long after the underground retirement of many of its initial members. His son took the Astermine’s Secret Society into the next century as Fourth Chairman further than his father had done. But again that is another story.
VIN, the second member, enlisted the Captain of the mother ship, and youngest member of the group ever to be part of the Society, his grandson at the age of seven. Little Mikey Noble had a lifetime of success working inside the secret society and became its second Chairman once its one and only honorary chairman finally stepped down once he had organized the new solar system and had really retired.
Thanks to ASS’s first chairman, The Sammy Davis Junior Bar and Grill was a rousing success in Base Nevada, and with its one-piece 50-foot Redwood bar counter.
The Martian Club retreat was purchased from Ryan for one U.S. dollar. The very successful massive 300 seat “Sinatra Club” with its 60-foot Redwood bar counter in Mattville I was organized by the Mattville’s new mayor. So was the very expensive 25-foot “Fruit and Juice Bar” in Mattville III’s medical center organized by the traveling suppliers Mars and Saturn Noble, and it didn’t sell juice.
The Ceres Bar and Grill was one of the Society’s best investments, and millions were made from the thirsty asteroid miners who spent much of their earnings in this establishment.
These are only the beginnings of a hundred famous stops around the solar system. They flourished and became the “steps” around the solar system. Even real aliens and even a space shark or to were said to drink in them now and again.
Liquid supplies, casino machines, dancing girls, and anything space travelers wanted were shipped in very modern secret space ships made in California by a very famous motor car and spaceship company. Cargoes of up to 40 tons flew into and between the society’s establishments, and at all times cargoes of 40 tons of gold or Rare Earth metals were shipped back to earth in ships far faster than Astermine had ever had.
Sometimes three flights could be achieved to Mars each Opposition and many more to Ceres where the miners were really thirsty, and badly in need of entertainment.
Astermine’s Secret Society gave back to Astermine in many ways. There were always secret supplies stashed away on long voyages by its members, for its members. The cemetery at The Martian Club Retreat was a giving, benevolent part of the society, and strangely enough the resting place of all of its members, and many non-members. Even the society’s only Earth Member was buried in the cemetery years later.
Much is still secret what this very powerful solar system-spread society did over time, its foundations, its simple decree, its growth, its famous members, and how Astermine’s Secret Society ran the entire solar system for centuries to come, but that is another story.
Books by the Author
The Book of Tolan Series (Adult Reading)
Banking, Beer & Robert the Bruce —Hardcover and eBook
Easy Come Easy Go —Hardcover and eBook
It Could Happen —eBook draft format only
AMERICA ONE
Series (General Reading)
AMERICA ONE
—eBook, Paperback and Audiobook
AMERICA ONE
II, The Launch —eBook, Paperback and Audiobook
AMERICA ONE
III, The Odyssey
—
eBook and Paperback
AMERICA ONE
IV, Return to Earth —eBook and Paperback
AMERICA ONE
V, NextGen —eBook
AMERICA ONE
VI,
NextGen II—eBook (May 2014)
AMERICA ONE
VII,
War of the Worlds—eBook (September 2014)
INVASION USA Series (General Reading)
INVASION USA I: The End of Modern Civilization —eBook and Paperback
INVASION USA II: The Battle for New York —eBook and Paperback
INVASION USA III: The Battle for Survival —eBook and Paperback
INVASION USA IV: The Battle for Houston … The Aftermath —eBook and Paperback
The Banker’s Club (Teenagers and Adults)
The Banker’s Club I: Defaults —eBook
The Banker’s Club II: Acquisitions —eBook (February 2014-15)
The Banker’s Club III: Withdrawals —eBook (April 2014-15)
About the Author
T I WADE was born in Bromley, Kent, England, in 1954.
His father, a banker, was promoted with his international bank to Africa, and the young family moved to Africa in 1956.
The author grew up in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and his life there is humorously described in his novel, EASY COME EASY GO, Volume II of the Book of Tolan series. Once he had completed his mandatory military commitments, at 21 he left Africa to mature in Europe.
He enjoyed Europe and lived in three countries, England, Germany and Portugal, for 15 years before returning to Africa, Cape Town, in 1989.
Here the author owned and ran a restaurant, a coffee manufacturing and retail business, flew a Cessna 210 around desolate southern Africa and finally got married in 1992.
Due to the upheavals of the political turmoil in South Africa, the Wade family of three moved to the United States in 1996. Park City, Utah, was where his writing career began.
To date, T I Wade has written fifteen novels.
The author, his wife and two teenage children currently live 20 miles south of Raleigh, North Carolina.
Table of Contents
Chapter 2 The Briefing and Return to Earth.
Chapter 3 Ryan Richmond Takes Over Command of Astermine Co.
Chapter 5 Mission Four to Mars
Chapter 12 Earth and America Three
Chapter 13 Israel, Mars Attacked and New Engines
Chapter 14 A New Revelation or Two
Chapter 15 War of the Worlds—Act One
Chapter 16 War of the Worlds—Act Two
Chapter 17 The Other Half of Mattville
Chapter 18 War of the Worlds–Act Three
Chapter 20 War of the Worlds—Act Four—Ceres
Chapter 21 One Giant Leap for Mankind
Epilogue The Martian Club Retreat