Jesse's Starship (29 page)

“You have a deal.”

“Jess, you can’t do this!”

“Pete, you’ve seen how he feels about his wife haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Where is she going to be?”

“You’re right. I didn’t think this through.”

Suddenly the handset beeped, “Sanders.”

“Mike, they’ve killed General Branton.”

“WHAT!?!”

“They made their attack when he left the pentagon.”

“Get the President on the line.”

• • •

General Branton sat in his armored Limo and read the reports on the mobilization of Soviet and Chinese forces. The limo jerked to a stop as two cars in front of the Limo had a crash; one had rear ended the other. He looked to the right and saw his car was blocked by traffic in the right lane and the curb to the left was too high to go over. Suddenly, he saw the drivers of the two cars next to the limo jump out and run away. He looked for the drivers of the two cars that had the accident and they were gone.

He looked to the left into the park next to his limo and saw a man step out from behind a tree and raise a missile launcher to his shoulder. He rushed to the right door and managed to get it open when the missile struck the limo and exploded it. It punched through the bullet proof glass and the explosion was contained inside the car. The explosion ripped through the bottom of the limo and flipped it over the cars parked next to it. Everyone inside died in an instant.

• • •

“Mike, this hurts us; we’ve lost the only one who can lead our military forces. I don’t know who I can promote that I can trust.”

“Mr. President, contact the General Commanding the Red River Ordinance Facility; I know he was working with General Branton; you can trust him. Major Blackwell can bring him up to speed.”

“I might get some blowback on promoting a Brigadier General.”

“By the time that happens, this will all be settled.”

“Are you saying they’re making their move?”

“They are, Sir. I’ll fill you in later. We need the General on board now.”

“I’ll contact him now and send a jet to pick him up.”

J
ess and Elle looked down on the planet and watched it rotate below them. Tilly was mesmerized by the view, “I never thought I’d see this. It’s beautiful.”

Jess smiled, “That it is.”

“Jess.”

“Yes, Pete.”

“The two Q ships are moving closer to the planet. I think they’ve detected the massive movement on the surface.”

“Connect me with Hetzel.”

Tilly looked at Elle, “Who is Hetzel?”

“The one tasked with destroying Earth.”

“Oh.”

“Have you decided to accept my offer?”

“No, but I have a counter offer.”

“I’m afraid you are not in a position to make a counter offer.”

“Actually, I’m in a position to do just that.”

“Is that so?”

“The two Q ships you’ve left at my planet are starting to move in. You should ask them to leave us now.”

“Why would you reveal your location?”

“There have been some changes done to the ship I’m in and you should know about them before I’m forced to do something I really don’t want to do.”

“What is that?”

“Destroy both of those ships and kill any others that show up here.”

Hetzel was silent for a moment and suddenly fifteen Q ships appeared outside the moon’s orbit.

Jess shook his head, “Tell me how many you want to die before you believe me.”

“What do you mean?”

“No, I’m not going to destroy your planets; I don’t need to do that as long as I can defend my own.”

“You’ve been straight forward in your discussions before; however, one Q ship cannot take on more than one.”

“Computer, please tell Hetzel what you are now capable of doing.”

“I now have the capability of destroying every Q ship in your fleet.”

Hetzel stared at Jess on his display. “Let’s just assume you think you are being honest; just how am I going to believe you?”

Jess shook his head, “Why does it always have to come down to a demonstration that leads to loss of life?”

Hetzel looked at Jess and said, “Let’s keep this simple. If you can remove the two ships close to the planet, “I’ll consider what you’ve said.”

Jess stared at Hetzel and looked up, “Computer, can we just damage those two ships without killing the ones on board.”

“They will need to put a suit on; they’ll lose their environmental systems.”

“Hetzel, will you request the ones on those two ships to put on a suit.”

Hetzel heard the computer and he was starting to feel his tension rise. He looked off screen and spoke. He waited two minutes and said, “They are now suited up. How are you able to see them; according to their sensors, you are not in that planetary system.”

“We are two hundred yards from them at this moment. Computer, disable those ships.”

Hetzel watched his display being sent from one of the fifteen Q ships holding station at the moon. Two beams shot out of empty space and both Q Ships at the planet were rocked and their force fields came down. “We’ve been hit through the tail, we lost power!”

Hetzel jerked his head back to Jess. Jess said, “I will disable every Q ship here if they don’t leave immediately.”

“What about the two damaged ships?”

“Send a ship in to tow them away. I’ll have them in my sites and if their weapons show any power I will blow them apart.”

“What offer are you making?”

“We are going to try and remove every weapon on my planet and force our species to live without them. We hope that in time, they will adapt that as a way of life. I’ll need you to stay away from us as we adapt to this change.”

Hetzel stared at Jess and leaned back in his chair. “I will order my ships to leave; however, I don’t have the authority to accept this. I will have to take it to my leaders.”

“Then come in and take those ships; I’ll await your answer.”

“We have your family.”

“And I have the location of your main governing planet if you do anything to harm them. I would really think twice before you do something really stupid.”

“If you leave; we could destroy this planet.”

“How would you know if I’m gone? Do you see me now?”

Hetzel stared at his main display and said, “I’ll take this to my government.” Thirteen Q ships disappeared and two of them appeared next to the two damaged ships. They extended their fields and the four ships disappeared. Jess sighed and leaned back.

Tilly looked at him, “You don’t think they’ll accept it.”

“Most paranoids wouldn’t.”

“You think they’re paranoid?”

“Their face is in the dictionary under the term.”

Tilly shook her head, “Right next to theirs is a face of a General.”

Jess and Elle could only nod and pray their families were left alone.

Jeanette looked at Jess and shook her head, “If you have the power to destroy them and remove them as a threat, you’re crazy not to do it!”

Jess looked at Jeanette sitting in a chair away from them. “I guess that’s always your answer; kill whoever threatens you.”

“You’re damn right it is.”

“Even if trillions have to die?”

“The numbers don’t matter if they threaten our existence.”

Jess looked up, “Hetzel.”

“Yes.”

“Will you send one of your ships back to an orbit outside the moon and pick up a package for delivery to the Holding Facility.”

“Why?”

“It’s one of our more violent members. I’m tired of listening to her whining.”

“I’ll dispatch one now.”

“Pete, will you drop her off.”

Jeanette started screaming as she lifted off the couch and floated out of the bridge. She was placed in a small capsule and ejected from the bay. She was picked up ten minutes later and the Q ship disappeared. Jess looked at the pickup and said, “I’m so weary of that thought process.”

Elle shook her head, “Do you think she’ll be a danger to our families?”

“You saw the monitors.”

“I did; what of it?”

“They have stunners in them. She won’t be causing any trouble. They’ve learned how to control their prisoners.”

Elle tilted her head, “I hope you’re right.”

“I hope she learns something.”

“I don’t think there’s much of a chance for that to happen.”

Tilly shook her head, “Before you can lose arrogance; you must first learn humility.”

Jess nodded, “They can teach that lesson. Let’s hope she learns.”

Elle sighed, “She’ll learn or they’ll remove her. It’s going to be her choice.”

• • •

The Medusa looked at Mamba, “Colonel, where is my daughter?”

“Sir, I have ten AWACs crossing the state and they have not picked up the signal from her tracker.”

“Is it possible she has been taken out of the state?”

“No Sir.”

“You sound pretty certain about that.”

“We know what time her car left the base. We have someone at every airport in the state with a device to detect her tracker. Nothing has shown up.”

“What have you learned about the ones that took her?”

“We have not found any data on them…yet.”

“Colonel, if something has happened to her; you will pay for it.”

“I understand, Sir. Do you have any suggestions on what else I can do?”

“I suspect, if you find that Major, you will find my daughter.”

“He has not appeared on any of the AWACs’ look down radars. If he’s here in the Southwest, they will see him if he moves. So far, nothing has shown up.”

“If we still had satellite coverage…”

“I know, Sir. I’m doing all I can.”

“My statement still stands, Mamba; find her.”

“Yes Sir.”

• • •

The President looked at the Russian President and the Chinese Premier. The Russian was shaking his head, “You expect me to believe this?”

“I honestly don’t care; you’ll have all the proof you’ll need in three days. If you doubt what I’m telling you, find out the current locations of the fifth and tenth armored divisions. I’d make inquires in such a way that you’re not caught doing it.”

“Why?”

“I suspect your military leaders that are planning this have their subordinates in your own personal staff.”

The Premier looked at the President, “I have seen a large number of my forces are moving. The Generals tell me that they suspect an uprising and they want to be able to control it.”

“Have they offered intelligence to back up that assertion?”

“They have.”

“Is there enough data to call for the number of units being moved?”

The Premier hesitated, “No, there is not.”

The Russian looked at the Premier, “Are you sure about this?”

“I am.”

The Russian looked at the President, “What can we do about this?”

“Nothing.”

“You can’t be serious!”

“Whether or not you want to believe it; we have lost control of our countries. They will be launching a nuclear missile at each of the cities our governments are located. They will then sweep in and take control.”

“We could go public and announce their plans.”

“They will then call for you to be arrested due to your insanity and it will still happen.”

“I have forces that are loyal to me!”

“Contact one of the Generals leading those forces.”

“What?”

“Make the call.”

The Russian picked up the handset from his desk and said, “Get General Kanogh on the line.”

The President waited and after a moment he heard, “Sir, the General has taken ill and is in the hospital. His assistant says he has severe appendicitis and will be operated on later today.”

The President hung up and called three more Generals and all of them were in the hospital. He looked at the President, “Something is going on.”

“I suspect you should leave your office now.”

“Why?”

“The one’s leading this rebellion now knows about the calls you just made. I suspect you will become ill momentarily.”

The President’s face turned white and he went to a door at the rear of the room and disappeared. The Chinese Premier looked at the President, “What are you going to do?”

“I’ve scheduled a speech to the United Nations three days from now.”

“What are you going to say?”

“You should listen in and tell me what you think.”

“I will.”

The President hoped Sanders was right; millions were going to die if he was wrong.

• • •

“Sir.”

“Yes, have you found my daughter?”

“Not yet; however, the President has scheduled a speech at the United Nations at the exact same time of our launch.”

“We need to have him eliminated. Launch a missile at New York as well.”

“Are you sure about that? The stock exchanges are there and the nation’s wealth will be destroyed if they’re blasted.”

“Wealth is no longer an issue. Everyone will serve the same master and no one can buy their way out of it.”

“Yes Sir; I’ll send the order.”

• • •

Hetzel arrive at the Governing Planet and contacted the Assembly’s Leader. He explained what happened and the Leader went crazy with rage, “You didn’t attack them!?!”

“No Leader, I did not.”

“You will report to the Council immediately.”

“Yes, Leader.” Hetzel landed outside the Assembly’s building and was met by four guards with raised blasters. A Neman Advocate was with them and he walked up to Hetzel, “The Leader has accused you of treason and is calling for your execution. By law, you will not be allowed to speak unless you are directly spoken to by the Leader or a member of the council. I will have to defend you and I need to know what’s going on.”

“It appears the one who took one of our Q ships has managed to somehow improve it to the point where it can destroy all the others in our fleet.”

“You can’t be serious?”

“I doubted it; but he presented evidence that proved it.”

“You could have all attacked together and managed to get off a shot at that planet.”

“Possibly.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Hetzel sighed, “That being asked me a question the last time that I spoke to it.”

“So?”

“I couldn’t answer it.”

“What was the question?” Hetzel told him. The Advocate stared at him and after a moment shook his head.