Escape to Earth 1: Running From Fate (29 page)

“An asteroid hit earth and the dinosaurs were extinguished. Right, mankind has the weapons that could not only bring extinction down on every person on the planet but also every other life form except for microbes. The only solution to this is to truly make Earth One World where all of us live with common goals to make our home a better place to live for all human beings. A place where everyone can pursue their destiny without the intrusion of those that have motivations to control other humans. If we are to survive as a species, we must come together and learn how to live together in a supporting, caring, and peaceful society. We have to start looking at ourselves as mankind instead of European, American, Chinese, Russian, or any other label we use to describe ourselves. We have to build a world for all of us to live on and provide fertile ground for us to follow our dreams. This is something all of us should think about and focus on doing those things that will bring us all together. Failure to do this could lead to us following the dinosaurs into extinction. Thank you for your time and attention.”

The students listened to Jinks and at the end gave him a standing ovation. Most of them walked to the front and picked up the hand-outs. The girl, who had questioned Salud, said loudly, “Where are you going next?”

Jinks looked at her and Salud shouted, “Our next stop is MIT tomorrow night at seven P.M. The girl picked up her books to leave.

Jinks said, “Why do you ask?”

The girl turned around, “I have some friends that need to hear this. Boston isn’t too far to drive.” Jinks nodded and watched her walk out. He looked at Salud, who said, “I don’t know where you get off saying you’re not a speaker. You scared the bejesus out of me with your presentation.”

“But it’s true!”

“And the ones here tonight could hear it in your voice. I expect a much larger audience tomorrow night.”

“Why?”

“Because I’m returning home. I’ve already received hundreds of emails from former students saying they’re excited at seeing me again.”

“Maybe you want to handle the entire presentation?”

“No chance. I can’t do what you did tonight. Let’s pack up and get out of here.”

Jinks loaded up the material and put them on a cart. He pushed it up the aisle to the exit and saw four students waiting. They grabbed some of the boxes and helped them take them to the van. Jinks smiled at them, “Thank you for your help. We really appreciate it.”

A young man with horn-rimmed glasses said, “What are you planning to do about this?”

Jinks tilted his head, “I’m sorry, what do you mean?”

The young man nodded at the three other students and said, “We want to join you in making ONE WORLD a reality. How do we do it?”

Salud stepped up and said, “We intend to have a school where we teach and create the things that need to be done to make it happen.”

“How could we go to this school and would it interfere with our class schedules here?”

“We intend to have our first classes taught a year from this June. If you’re really interested, don’t schedule any summer classes.”

“How do we sign up?”

Salud pulled out four business cards and handed one to each of the students, “Email the website and request an application. Once you complete it, email it back and we’ll notify you if you’re accepted.”

“Why wouldn’t we be accepted?”

Salud smiled and touched the young man on his forehead and then on his chest, “It’s not what’s up here but what’s in here that will determine if you’re selected. Make sure you tell us in your essay why you want to be there.”

The young man stared at her and nodded. The young girl who had asked about the next presentation walked up from the shadows, “May I have one of those cards, please.” Salud smiled and handed it to her. She looked at the card, “You know, it’s not that I want to see ONE WORLD to prevent world destruction; I think the world would be a beautiful place if it could happen.”

Salud looked at the other four and smiled as she touched her chest, “Like I said, it’s what’s in here.” Jinks watched them and began to wonder if Lukas was right. These students looked intense.

• • •

“Sir, you’re not going to believe this.”

Jim looked up from his desk at his personal secretary, “What is that, Martha?”

“General Jekins is making a presentation at MIT tonight.”

Jim leaned back in his chair, “Say what?”

“Yes. He and Dr. Vazquez made one last night at UConn and he’s giving it again tonight.”

“What’s the topic?”

“ONE WORLD.”

Jim stared at her and she said, “I just learned about it so I don’t know what it means but I thought you might want to know.”

“Get me a helicopter.”

“Are you going?”

“Yes, I am. I need to talk with the good General, anyway. I genuinely hope he’s not revealing any top secrets during his talk. That could get him arrested.”

“I’ll have the helicopter here in an hour.”

“I’ll not leave until five. I have a meeting with the surveillance team.”

“Five it is, Sir. The chopper will be waiting on the roof.”

Jim swiveled his chair and looked out of his window. The cherry trees were blooming in Washington and they made a beautiful foreground to the Washington Monument in the distance. “What was Jinks up to? He decided not to contact General Amerson; he’d do that after he saw what Jekins was saying. If he mentioned one word about the aliens…well…he’d have some marines close by to make an arrest if necessary.”

• • •

“Are you sure about this launch?”

“The French have agreed to send it up with their next payload.”

“Will the thing fit?”

“Yes, it’s actually quite small. The technology is really simple once one understands the principles. If it works, we’ll announce it to the world.”

“And if it doesn’t?”

“Just another satellite failure. Oh well!”

“When is it scheduled?”

“We have more than enough time to get the circuits miniaturized. December of 2017 will be a great Christmas gift for the human race.”

“If it works.” The scientist smiled; there was always that tiny issue.

• • •

The presentation at MIT went far beyond Jinks’ wildest expectations. He was given a standing ovation and Salud let it continue as Jinks stood at the podium embarrassed by the ovation. Jim listened to the presentation in the audience and didn’t like what he was hearing. This crazy notion of doing away with national boundaries and borders was sheer insanity. The world would never come together; this was all a pipe dream. He saw Salud raise her arms for the audience to be quiet and when the noise had disappeared, he stood up and yelled, “GENERAL JEKINS, AREN’T YOU BEING HYPOCRITICAL STANDING THERE TALKING ABOUT PEACE WHEN YOU’VE DONE MORE THAN YOUR SHARE OF KILLING IN THE NAME OF A COUNTRY!”

The entire auditorium was shocked into silence. The students all stared at the man in a blue suit who had stood and made the accusation. A student sitting near him shouted, “Is this true?”

Jim nodded and yelled, “You’re looking at a former Navy Seal who led numerous actions in Iraq and a General in the United States Air Force. Oh yes, he has blood on his hands.”

Everyone in the audience turned toward the stage and Jinks stood up. Salud said, “I’ll handle this.” Her voice could be heard over the microphone and the huge gathering starting murmurings among themselves. They heard Steve Jekins say, “You will not! He was talking to me.” Salud didn’t want to pass the microphone to Jinks; there was no telling what he was going to say and the entire venture could be irreparably harmed if he wasn’t careful.

He looked her in the eyes and she saw his resolve. She knew if she fought him for control of the microphone that it would be seen as an attempt to hide the truth. She reluctantly passed him the microphone. Jinks took the microphone and walked down the steps and into the audience until he was standing next to the row Jim was seated. Jim was worried. He knew who Jekins was and that he was no match for the former Seal. Jinks lifted the microphone and said, “I believe if you’re going to confront someone it is common courtesy to do it while looking them in the eye. Jinks looked around and said, “What this gentleman said is absolutely true. I fought in Iraq and Afghanistan. My team was called upon to go out and carry out missions planned by my leaders and their commanders.” Jinks looked at Jim, “He’s right about me having done more than my share of killing. I’ve seen up close the depravity of what humans can to other humans.”

Jinks looked at Jim, “But this man is saying that anyone who has ever participated in war is eliminated from ever discussing it because they are tainted by the experience.” The auditorium was as quiet as a tomb. “I would suggest to you that it is those people that have participated in it that are the most qualified to discuss it. I’ve seen just how violent our species is capable of being to each other and until you actually see that violence directed at you, you really don’t understand what man is capable of being.” Jinks paused, “The warriors I fought against in the wars had much more in common with me than differences. They want to love and be loved. They want to raise a family in a loving environment where they will be safe from danger. They want to feed and clothe them and make life as good as they can for the ones they love.” Jinks looked around the room and said, “All of you want the same things. I can tell you that unless we create ONE WORLD where all of us are striving to meet those needs and help others as well as ourselves, we are moving toward an extinction that will be brought on by our differences. I would like to think that there is another way.”

Jinks walked out of the audience, back up to the stage, and looked at them before handing the microphone back to Salud, “I make no apologies for what I’ve done in the name of my country. I will also not apologize for the things I’m doing for all of mankind.” He handed her the microphone and the auditorium exploded in cheers. Jim knew what Jinks said was spoken rather simplistically without great technique. But it was spoken in such a way that everyone who heard him knew it was coming directly from his heart. It moved them.

• • •

Tommy Clarke looked at his cameraman, “Please tell me you got all that?” The cameraman nodded and Tommy kissed him on the mouth. This was what he needed to get his ticket punched to a TV anchor’s job. He looked at his cameraman and said, “Thank you so much for telling me about this.”

The cameraman leaned over and yelled in Tommy’s ear so he could hear, “An old girlfriend who goes to UConn called me and told me about it.”

Tommy nodded and stared at the two standing on the stage bowing to the adulations being given to them by the crowd. He went to the back wall and looked at the schedule of events. Tomorrow it would be Harvard and then Boston College. He stared at the former General and knew he was a believer. If the reaction of the audience was any indication, there were several thousand more converts joining him tonight. ONE WORLD; what a concept.

Salud tried to bring silence but finally gave up and she took Jinks’ hand and led him back into the audience to shake hands with the crowd. She passed out more than eight hundred cards before the night was over.

• • •

Jim stood up to go and as he stepped in the aisle and turned to go, he ran into a young woman. He said, “Excuse me!” The woman didn’t move and Jim looked up at her face…his heart froze…it was Sarah. His mouth fell open and he reached for his belt. His pager was gone. Sarah held it up in front of his face and smiled, “You really are getting careless, Jim. All of your backup is now unavailable for you.”

“Sarah, I didn’t…”

“Yes you did and denying it only pisses me off more!”

“What do you want?”

Sarah tossed him the pager, “Endanger us again and I won’t be giving it back.” Sarah smiled sweetly at him, “Have a nice day.” She stepped out of his way and he took two steps past her. He turned to tell her that he had a lot more clout than she did…but she was gone. He tried his best to find her and she was nowhere to be seen. He turned to go and bumped into Sarah again, “Don’t get so full of yourself that you start to think you’re invincible.” He stared at her and began to feel nervous. Changing the locks won’t slow the truly determined down. Taa, Taa.”

Jim froze. He had changed the locks on his house three days ago. He called his wife and when she answered he said, “Go and check the front door.”

“Hold on.” He waited and after a few moments he heard her say, “That’s odd. Both the front and back doors were unlocked. I was certain I locked them earlier.”

Jim knew that Sarah couldn’t have unlocked the doors to his house and be here with him. That meant that just getting rid of her wouldn’t remove the danger to him. He turned around and saw Sarah watching him. He stared at her and after a moment nodded. Sarah turned and walked away.

If the General wanted to go after Jinks, he could do it without him. He was done with chasing ghosts on that island. Sarah was one of his best-trained assassins and he had no desire to get her upset with him. McIntosh was enough. He got one bite and missed; that would be his only effort. He walked out of the auditorium and thought about what Jinks had said. He didn’t want to agree with him but he was forced to admit that his vision did resonate at a level below his consciousness. It was a shame it just wasn’t practical or possible. He climbed into the helicopter and immediately put the talk behind him. There were more important issues to handle. Getting the nuclear missiles of three superpowers organized was going to take time. Now the new bodies had to be completed with the thrusters before the new targeting system could become operational. So much to do; so little time.

Chapter Eighteen

“Jinks, where do we stand with Gold Stars?”

“We’ve given twelve hundred wrist units.”

“And they’ve bonded with the ship they’ll be flying?”

“They have. For the moment, they’re home working and spreading the gospel about One World.”

“It’s my understanding that the Chinese have outlawed the movement.”

“They have but they’ve made no arrests, yet. You know how it is; the Chinese outlaw a behavior and then don’t enforce the law until something serious happens or they wake up in a bad mood one day. The Gold Stars are not doing anything to draw attention. I can’t say the same for the Silver Stars; they are motivated to make a scene and don’t appear to be deterred by the possible consequences.”