Jesse's Starship (10 page)

The four scrambled out of the rocks and jogged back to the site of the small building. One of the Seals took out his bayonet and began probing the ground. After a few minutes he heard a metal on metal sound. He began digging with his hands and found a pipe a foot under the sand. “I’ve found it.”

“Trace it back to the tank.” The three pulled their bayonets and began following the pipe away from the destroyed building.

E
lle stared at Jess, “Do you honestly think you could, in cold blood, blow up planets?”

“You’re asking the wrong person.”

“How’s that?”

“You should ask the ones that are bent on killing all life on Earth if they’re capable of doing it.”

“I don’t need to ask them; I’ve seen the evidence they can.”

“And what is the only thing to prevent them from doing it to other planets?”

Elle was silent and heard, “I can answer that one; you have to remove the ones doing it.”

“But…”

“Take us back to the destroyed planet.” Jess grabbed Elle by the arm and pulled her over to the viewport and made her look at the planet, “Show us what that planet was like before they killed it.” The hologram appeared and Jess pointed at the large city next to one of the planet’s oceans. “They’re all dead Elle; every one of them along with every animal, plant, and fish. There won’t be another species to develop intelligence on that planet to replace the ones they decided that needed to die. There’s no atmosphere; it’s a dead rock.”

“But they all live in peace.”

“If a nonviolent community close to your home decides you are a danger to them and they send an assassin to kill your family; are they really nonviolent? You need to remember what they did to your mother, with no remorse.”

Elle stared at Jess and lowered her head, “I just…”

“I don’t like it either. But they have to know we mean what we say; I will do it if it comes to proving it.”

“But we are a violent species.”

“So are they. They have the power to stop our violence; they’re just too lazy to do it.”

“What do you mean?”

Jess looked up, “Computer, could you selectively hit targets on a planet’s surface?”

“I can.”

“Could you destroy every weapon on a planet’s surface?”

“I could but there would be loss of life.”

“The one’s manning the weapons would die.”

“That is correct.”

Jess lifted Elle’s head and made her look him in the eyes, “They are not peaceful and they have no value for life other than their own.”

“There’s something happening at your planet.”

Elle and Jess suddenly heard the Q ships above Earth say, “They have fired nuclear missiles at our ships.”

“How were they able to do that?”

“There is an object orbiting the planet that launched them.”

“Did you incur any damage?”

“Of course not.”

“Remove everything circling the planet.”

Jess shook his head, “We have to tell them what’s happening.”

“How can we do that without endangering our ship?”

Jess shook his head and looked at the ceiling. He had to get word to Earth on what was happening.

• • •

Mike walked into the building and asked for Col. Jameson. The Colonel arrived and saw Mike at the security check point, “What are you doing here?”

Mike handed Jameson a document and Jameson read it. He looked up at Mike with shock on his face and Mike stared him in the eyes. Jameson came to attention and said, “How may I be of service, Sir.”

“Gather everyone in this building and have them report to the cafeteria now.”

“Yes Sir.”

Mike went to the cafeteria and punched a number on a wall phone, “I want a map of Phoenix and the surrounding areas out to five hundred miles put on the main display. Please draw a circle showing what areas are within that circle.”

Mike sat down and waited for the buildings occupants to arrive. He thought about the Seal Colonel that had contacted him an hour earlier, “Are you Mike Sanders?”

“I am.”

“Are you the one that saved Wolf Team?”

“Yes.”

“I just spoke to one of my soldiers and he told me that he and two other Seals were ordered to take your wife to a safe house. He says he’s about a hundred miles out in the desert and wanted verification the mission was correctly authorized. I told him to get out of the house and get to cover. I’ve seen an order for an Apache to go out and destroy a safe house. I have to believe it was the house where your wife is being held.”

“Where did the Apache launch?”

“I don’t have that information. However, I’ve lost satellite reception and can’t contact the team.”

“All satellites above Earth have been destroyed. We’re all blind, Captain.”

“How did that happen?”

“I’m sworn to silence on that issue but I think it would be wise for you to pull your men in and have them ready for assignment. Keep this number open if I need to contact you.”

“I will…and thank you.”

“No thanks are needed, Captain. It was the right thing to do.”

• • •

The cafeteria was full and Mike walked up to the center and said, “It looks like everyone in this building is out of a job. Every satellite we had in orbit has been destroyed. Truth be told, every satellite was destroyed; every nation on the planet is now blind. However, you are going to do a search the old fashioned way.” Mike pointed at the monitor and said, “Somewhere out in the middle of the deserts inside that circle is a building. It’s a hundred miles from civilization and you are going to find it; Colonel Jameson.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Assign the aerial maps of that area and have everyone in this room given a section to study. You will go over those maps inch by inch until you find that building; is that clear?”

“Yes Sir.” Jameson turned and began issuing areas to be searched to everyone on the room. Mike took a section as well and sat down with a magnifying glass and began going over it in detail. He prayed Tilly was alive. The pilot had been found that destroyed the building but managed to shoot himself in the head before he could be questioned. Mike decided he would look in to the ones that ordered Tilly’s kidnapping after he searched for Tilly. This wasn’t going to be easy and he fervently hoped he would find her alive. There was no way to know if the Seals and Tilly had got out before the Apache arrived. Mike shook his head; he didn’t know how he would live without Tilly; she is what grounded him. He knew in his heart that General Forester was the only one to communicate with anyone outside the room during the meeting with the President. He was the one that ordered for Tilly to be taken out. Mike decided to wait for one reason; if Tilly was killed, Forester was going to die a slow and painful death. But first things first…

• • •

Jess looked at Elle and she said, “We really don’t know the full capabilities of this ship. I’m starting to come around to the belief that it really is in our control but it’s like being put on the space shuttle and told to fly it home. We just don’t know enough.” Elle paused and then came forward and gave Jess a big hug, “I haven’t had time to thank you for not leaving me behind. Thank you, Jess.”

Jess put his arms around Elle and hugged her. He stepped back and felt his temperature go up. He had never really been hugged by a beautiful woman and he was feeling a rush of different sensations that were completely unfamiliar. Heck, he had never been hugged by any woman, much less one as pretty as Elle. Elle saw his confusion and she tilted her head, “What’s wrong?”

“I’m sorry, Elle; I’ve just never been hugged by a woman before. It’s a new experience for me and I’m not sure what’s happening. However, please put on your helmet.”

Elle smiled as she went over to her chair and placed the helmet on her head. Jess put his on as well and said, “Computer, I’m going to change how we address you.”

“In what way?”

“From this point on, we’re going to call you Peter. Sometimes we may shorten it to Pete; but if you hear that, it means the same thing as computer.”

“Directive acknowledged.”

“Peter, you told me the occupants that have directed you in the past had to pass a course of instruction to be qualified to use you.”

“That is true; do you want to see the course they had to pass?”

“Actually, I was hoping we could study the course and see if you could assist us in learning it faster than normal.”

“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

“Aren’t you able to link directly with our minds when we wear the helmets?”

“Yes.”

“How did the former occupants take the course?”

“They would take it in the Government’s Admiralty Building.”

“Would they mentally link to a computer to take it?”

“No, they would use computers to pull up the material and go through the modules page by page.”

“Have you ever sent information directly into the learning centers of the occupant’s brain?”

“That has never been requested by any of my controllers.”

“Are you different from the computers used by the Government to teach how you function?”

“Those computers do not link to the user’s mind.”

“Let’s try this; I want you to pick a topic from the instruction module on your operation and send it directly to my brain. Do not send it to Elle, just me.”

“Wait a minute; I’m not as critical to the success of this venture as you are?”

“Look, I really don’t think this will harm me but I might need you to take care of me if something happens. I think you would be a lot better at that than I am. Peter, send the module.” Jess suddenly staggered and Elle held him up. Jess shook his head, “Wow, Pete, that was a large module.”

“I directed it to the cerebral cortex; did any of it transfer?”

“Why did you choose the communication module?”

“You just said you needed to contact your planet and tell them what’s happening. I assumed this is the module you would want.”

“Pete, you are smarter than the average bear.”

“You’re comparing me to a cartoon character?”

“It’s really a compliment.”

“I see that in your thoughts.”

“Jess, what happened?”

“I now know all the communication capabilities of our ship. The information he fed me went into my brain and I understand how they communicate over light years.”

“But how is that going to help us?”

Jess smiled and went over to the back pack he had thrown in the corner. He unzipped a pocket on the side and pulled out a cell phone. He looked at Elle and smiled, “I’m going to see if I can place a call.” Elle looked at Jess in shock and wondered what had just happened.

• • •

Mike looked up from the map and rubbed his eyes. Three buildings had been found so far but the helicopters sent out to them found they had not been used for years. He was beginning to worry Tilly wouldn’t be found. His cell phone rang and took it out of his pocket and pressed connect, “This is Mike Sanders.”

“It’s really good to hear your voice.”

“JESS!”

“Mike I can’t talk long. This conversation is being heard by the alien ships above Earth and they’re trying hard to get a line on my location.”

“So you did manage to take a ship?”

“I did; now I’m being chased by the ones that built it. That’s not the important issue; Earth has been slotted to be destroyed.”

“WHAT!?!”

“The civilization that has been abducting humans destroys planets that develop and use nuclear weapons. They give the planet fifty years after the weapon is used to remove them and turn to peace; it that doesn’t happen; the planet is blasted all the way down to its bedrock. All life is killed and the atmosphere blown away.”

“But…”

“I know, they’re eighteen years behind on that schedule but they’ve been removing items of value and since Earth doesn’t have space flight, they didn’t feel the need to rush. The alien that was killed in the desert was the last scheduled flight to the planet. He was supposed to destroy Earth when he completed his visit.”

“Can they really do it?”

“I’ve seen a planet they killed and yes; one of their ships can blow Earth’s surface away.”

“Why haven’t they carried out their plan?”

“They know that if they destroy Earth I will go to their most heavily populated planets and blow them apart. I know they’re listening to this communication and they need to know I will do it.”

“Is there anything we can do to prevent it?”

“I’m not sure if it would make a difference now that I’ve threatened them; however, it’s time we grew up and studied war no more. We must not be a threat to them and there is a chance they would allow us to live.”

“You have to tell this to the President.”

“You tell him; I need to stop this call.”

“When can you call me back?”

“You know what day and time you picked me up?”

“You know I do.”

“I’ll call you then, four weeks from now.”

The call ended and Mike knew he had to leave the map search. He looked at Col. Jameson who was sitting next to him at the map table and knew he had heard every word. “Mike, get out of here; we’ll find Tilly!”

“Thanks Sam.”

Mike rushed out of the building and Sam lifted his cell phone and dialed a number. He spoke quietly and heard, “Are you certain you heard it correctly?”

“I am. Do you want me to continue to prevent the location from being discovered?”

“You need to leave and join us. We need your expertise on the communications center. She is no longer something to concern ourselves about.” Jameson ended the call and reached under the map table and pulled six map pages out he had taped to the table’s bottom and put them on the bottom of the stack that had been searched. He didn’t like what was being done but he knew his duty. He left the building and went to his car. He drove out from the city and was met by a civilian helicopter twenty miles out of town on a deserted highway. The helicopter rose and turned east.

• • •

Hetzel listened to the conversation and wondered how the thief had learned how to manipulate the communication center. There was no way to learn the nuances of that equipment in less than a year. The Chancellor sitting with him listening to the call looked at him and lowered his three shoulders, “How was that creature able to use the system?”