Deep Star

by Jerry Ahern

  Michael said, “They won’t, they’ll train, they’ll study and just like in any other Prep School, schedules for coming home are part of the curriculum.”

  “What about their security?” Paul asked.

  “While they are at the Academy, Secret Service agents will go through the training with them. The same team will act as an obtrusive security detail when they go to Mid-Wake,” Michael said. “If you agree to this, I can have it set up within a week or two.”

  “There is another part of this plan,” Michael said, growing serious. “If I am correct and the world is starting to unravel, the five of us are going to be busy with our own activities. We can’t drag our kids into gun battles like we all went through. They’re not ready... yet.”

  Michael continued, “Here are the threats we can identify. Peter Vale is tied to the Democratic Republic of Germany in Europe, an International spy and provocateur. Neo-Nazis, to include those housed in South America that launched the attack on Bellevue, killed Wolfgang man. A bio-weapon in the form of a genetically engineered insect is spreading a more deadly form of the hantavirus. A perceived alliance between members of the KI, and what is possibly a rogue faction of the Russians. Lastly, the alien presence we now have proof of, but no idea what they want or what they are willing to do to get it.”

  “Now,” Michael said, pacing the floor, “here are the resources we can identify. We have an ally in The Keeper that can help root out the rogue KI and identify the Russian. We have good intelligence to continue to track developments in the Neo-Nazi movement. We have launched the first phase of the extermination plan dealing with the bio hazard. We have a captured alien craft and now know how to find it. It is possible,” he said, as he sat down, looking at each of them intently, “even probable that my father has been captured by the aliens, and if that is the case… and if he is still alive… he may be able to help us. At least help us to define the actual threats and refine our responses.”

  Chapter Fifty-Seven

  Shaw opened the door and looked in to see that Delys was awake. Entering, he said, “Hey Beaux, good to see you’re still with us. Any idea who gunned you down?”

  Delys sipped water through a straw and grimaced with pain. “No idea, Tim. Could be a disgruntled husband or someone from one of our old cases. After all, this is the first time I’ve been back in Hawaii since I retired. I’ve been rolling it around in my head the last hour, but... I really don’t have a clue. You getting anything?”

  Shaw shook his head. “No. I didn’t see the shooter; shot came from across the street. Maybe a room window or roof shot, anyway... no witnesses that saw anything. We’re checking traffic and surveillance cameras from the area. I was hoping you might have an idea.” Delys shook his head.

  “Right,” Shaw said. “It was worth a try; if you do think of anything... let the orderly know to give me a call.”

  “I will and thanks Tim; I heard that if you hadn’t plugged the hole... I’d have bled out at the scene.”

  Shaw shrugged. “You woulda done it for me. I’ll keep you posted; I do have some questions that have been bothering me since the other night. If you feel up to it?” It was his turn to help a friend; he could tell Delys was hurting both physically and emotionally. Getting shot does that to a man.

  Delys adjusted in the bed as Shaw pulled a chair closer to the bed and sat down. Delys nodded. “Fire away,” as Shaw fumbled a notebook from his pocket.

  Shaw looked at the notebook and said, “Do female frogs croak?”

  “Huh?”

  Shaw smiled. “You heard me, do female frogs croak?”

  Delys smiled. “They do if you hold their little heads under water long enough.”

  Shaw nodded. “Okay, if you’re going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?”

  Delys thought for a minute. “I don’t really now but three days of steady drinking should do it.”

  Shaw stood up and flipped the notebook closed. “Alright, you’re okay, I can see that. I’ll check in on ya later. Oh, one more question, is it true a pea can last as long as 5,000 years?”

  Delys flipped the covers back to show the catheter bag he was wearing. “Boy, right now, it sure seems that way sometimes.”

  Chapter Fifty-Eight

  The family meeting was going into its second hour. After Michael had laid out the idea, Paul took over. Thirty minutes after it began, the first comment was from Michael’s youngest, Sarah Ann. Forlornly, she looked first at her mother, Natalia, and then directed her attention at Michael. “But Daddy, I’m just a little girl.”

  Natalia said, “Sweetheart you are older than Aunt Annie was when the Night of the War came.” That opened the door for a round table of discussion which lasted forty-five minutes, during which John and Emma’s oldest son, Timothy, never spoke.

  Paula had expressed concern because, “Mom, this is going to totally disrupt my life. I’m in school... I have friends... I have...” She stopped.

  Timothy looked at John Michael and finally asked, “What do you think, Jack?”

  John Michael thought for a moment before saying, “You know, it kinda scares me but, at the same time, it kinda excites me. I remember when the Russians tried to kidnap Dad; honestly, I was scared to death and didn’t know what to do. When we were grabbed the other day, sure, I was scared... but more than anything, I think I was mad.”

  Tim said, “Yeah, it hit me the same way. I tried to stay calm but it scared me too. I haven’t figured if I’m more scared or mad. I remember wishing I had paid better attention to some of the stuff Dad and Uncle Paul had tried to teach me. What do you think, Natalie?”

  She stood up and paced before answering. “Yeah, I was scared also. I understand why you grownups want to do this but I’m sort of in the same place that Paula is. This is going to be a big change for all of us.”

  Emma raised her hand. “Here’s my input. John and I talked about this several times over the years. He was convinced the world would eventually start spinning the other way and he wanted you guys to have some training and experience in how to handle that. Honestly, that’s why he worked so hard to create the Survival Academy. Our thoughts, however, were to start you guys into the academy more as activities you could enjoy during the summer and winter breaks from school. Frankly, I’m not nuts about this either. I want my time with all of you, but I’ll tell you... I’m scared to death for your safety.”

  “All of your lives, up till now, things have been pretty good. It was almost normal for you growing up. Normal except for the fact you were each part of the Rourke family. I know sometimes that was hard for you. I must admit, however, while I wish this plan was unnecessary... I think it is time. This isn’t the way John and I had talked about doing it. But... Paul was almost kidnapped. Paula, you and Natalie, Tim and Jack... you were kidnapped and it was terrifying for all of us. I don’t think we can wait any longer.”

  Michael stood up. “I remember Dad telling me, ‘The wild-eyed criminal that strikes unexpectedly has always gotten people’s attention. But it is the terrorist or criminal living next door quietly that appears normal before he strikes, which is the most pressing threat.’ All of us grownups wanted you to grow up in a world that was safe and sane; not the kind of world we grew up in. While that truly was our loving hope for you, the realities of what has happened recently have convinced me it was rational, but impractical. We want you to be able to defend yourselves, protect yourselves.”

  He stopped for a moment. “You know, I told Dad one time that I thought my job was to raise John Paul and Sarah to be good people. You know what he told me? He said, ‘Son, you are wrong. I used to think like you until I saw my first grandchild. Now, I know I was wrong most of my life. Your job is to raise them well enough that they can raise their children to be good people.’”

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  “How ya doin’, Beaux?” Shaw asked as he pushed to door open.

  “Sore,” came Delys’ terse answer. “The main meds wore off
last night after you were gone and I’m as sore as hell. They have me on a drip right now and that helps some. You getting anywhere on the shooter?”

  Shaw shook his head. “Not yet. Have you thought of anyone who might want you dead?”

  Delys smiled. “Only the ex-wife. I have thought about it a lot since your last visit, but I still don’t have a clue. I have a question for you though.”

  “Shoot.”

  Delys adjusted his position. “I was still on the heavy meds when you came in but I think you said the shot came from across the street, probably from a room window or roof. That tells me it had to be over a hundred yards and an elevated shot. Correct?”

  “That’s what we think, maybe up to two hundred yards; and from the looks of your wound, the shooter was probably in an elevated position.”

  Delys took a breath, wincing from pain. “What if I wasn’t the target? You and I were both moving when I got shot. What if they were aiming at you and got me by mistake?”

  “Hmmm,” was all Shaw said.

  “Two-hundred yard elevated shot at night, on a moving target... Unless the shooter was a pro or a trained sniper... It wouldn’t have been that hard to miss you and hit me. Besides, to the best of my knowledge, I don’t have any enemies in Hawaii, some in Louisiana, sure. But if they wanted to shoot me, they’d do it in Baton Rouge, not travel all the way over here to do it.”

  “Interesting, we’ll open another line of investigation,” Shaw said. “By the way, I was reading a magazine in the waiting room. Had some questions for patients recovering from anesthesia. You know, to kinda check their mental faculties. You up for them?”

  Delys smelled a rat but smiled and said, “Go ahead.”

  Shaw pulled a magazine out of his back pocket and acted like he was finding the article. Finally he said, “Okay, you are off the medications but are having trouble going to sleep. Are you a man or a woman?”

  Delys smiled. “That’s probably what’s keeping me awake.”

  Shaw, acting as though he was making a note on the page of the magazine, said, “Just three more quick ones, what do the phrases ‘Do It,’ ‘I Can Help,’ and ‘I Can’t Get Enough’ have in common?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ve heard them coming from the apartment next to mine a few days ago.”

  Shaw continued, “There are two subjects considered not appropriate to discuss at a nudist camp. One is politics, what is the other?”

  Delys thought and said, “That’s an easy one, tape measures.”

  “Last one,” Shaw said. “Why do chefs recommend pounding meat?”

  Delys smiled. “Loneliness?”

  Shaw folded the magazine, closed. “Very good, I can see you mental faculties are functioning as normal; in the sewer.”

  “Get outta here Shaw, I need my beauty rest,” Delys said.

  Shaw stood, replaced the chair and said over his shoulder as he went out the door, “Yeah, you damn sure do.”

  Delys grimaced and shouted a single word at the closed door, “Comedian.”

  Listening to a news broadcast on his car radio, Tim Shaw heard the first rumble of what would prove to show problems within the Representative Party. “The Representative National Committee’s executive committee voted today to censure Representative Committeeman, John Croker, and seek his resignation after he was linked to a racist article on social media.

  “At the outset of the RNC’s meeting near Texas, the Chairperson, Alice Mayweather, said the committeeman’s ‘history of harmful and offensive rhetoric’ has no place in the party and also called for Representatives to explore disciplining him.

  “Croker refused to resign a year ago after failing to criticize Neo-Nazis and other extremist groups, while purportedly saying that blacks and Jews are different and can’t ‘control themselves.’ While his detractors say he must go, Croker asserts that he isn’t racist, doesn’t support a racist agenda and was quoted out of context.”

  Chapter Sixty

  “General, the tests were successful, this craft is incredible,” General Thorne reported to the Chief of Staff.

  “I understand that you were able to leave Earth’s atmosphere,” Sullivan said. “How did it handle in space?”

  “No difference that I could feel. You asked me if I could fly this thing; the answer is, absolutely.”

  “So... are you ready for weapons testing?”

  Thorne frowned. “Yes, my only concern is whether or not it would be detectable by either the aliens or the KI. My sense is you don’t want to tip our hand with either of them, correct?”

  “Absolutely,” Sullivan said. “I see no reason not to ‘keep our cards close to the vest’; the aliens definitely don’t need to know we have figured out their technology and frankly I have concerns about the KI. Our Intel shows definite communications between them and some unidentified, as yet, Russians. John Rourke believes the militant faction of the KI is in cahoots with them.”

  Thorne asked, “Rourke is still missing?”

  “Yes.”

  Thorne nodded. “After I do the weapons test, I’d like to see if the craft is capable of back tracking its own flights. That might pinpoint where Rourke is being held.”

  “Excellent idea. Where do you expect to test the weapons?” Sullivan asked.

  “I’m thinking the dark side of the moon,” Thorne said. “If I open up the craft to full speed, it would be a relatively short flight, probably only a few hours. I have figured out how to fire the energy weapons; I can simply send the blast into space where it will eventually dissipate. If I try targeting something on the surface, I have concerns the detonations could be picked up by the KI and/or the aliens. My thought is, get behind the moon and fire into space in such a direction that the flow of energy remains hidden by the moon.”

  Sullivan nodded. “Okay, let me run some numbers with the NSA and speak to the President. Get a good night’s sleep General. I expect that tomorrow morning you are going to be the first human to do a fly by around the moon, in a long time.”

  “Mr. President, I appreciate your time on such short notice.”

  “General, you said this is important. Have you had any word on my father?”

  “No, Sir. I want to speak with you about the alien craft we recovered. Our test pilot has completed testing of the craft’s flight capabilities. He is ready to test the craft’s weapons. The plan, if you approve it, will be to launch tomorrow morning. Even though he will be cloaked, he will leave Earth’s atmosphere on a trajectory that SHOULD prevent detection by the KI. We don’t know about the aliens. He’ll fly to the back side of the moon for the actual test.”

  “He’s going to fire on the moon?”

  “No Sir, just send the energy blasts out in space on a trajectory that will use the moon itself as a shield. If successful that will mean neither the KI, nor hopefully the aliens, will be aware we have mastered the technology. We are using a communications system that is encrypted on both ends and at a frequency that is very difficult to intercept. We can monitor the flight the entire trip.”

  “Okay, that makes sense,” Michael agreed. “I still have been unable to contact The Keeper, however. We shouldn’t eliminate them, should we?”

  Sullivan said, “But they don’t have alien UFOs to our knowledge, I’m sticking with aliens. When the tests are completed, Thorne wants to see if the craft can find its way back to wherever the aliens are hiding on Earth. That very well could tell us where your father is being held. Since the attack at Mount Rushmore by alien UFOs, we have to assume they are holding him but we don’t know where. If it works, the next step could be a possible rescue mission.”

  “You’re saying the craft would have something similar to our GPS capabilities?”

  Sullivan nodded. “We won’t know for sure until he tries, but it is reasonable to assume that it does.”

  “You know what assuming does, don’t you General?”

  Sullivan grinned. “Yes Sir, it makes an ass outta you and me.”

  Mic
hael asked, “How do you see a rescue going down?”

  Sullivan pulled a small whiteboard out of its case and went around the President’s desk. “First thing we have to do is locate where the alien base is hidden.” He said, drawing a circle, “Logically, it should be somewhere above the Arctic Circle and probably on North America, but we can’t be sure. If we can pinpoint the area, we marshal our forces for an air drop and go in. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before we do anything like that, we have to have at least a serious belief such an attack could work.”

  “And by work, you mean we rescue my father?”

  Sullivan nodded. “Yes Sir. We want a rescue not a recovery.”

  Chapter Sixty-One

  The creature had not moved; he now turned, looking directly at Rourke.

  I... will... use... your... term... KI. It... is... they... who... began... war... it... is... they... who... attacked... your... people. I... used... genetic... material... from... travelers. That... is... accurate. My... first... attempt... failed... because... the... specimen... was... defective. I... corrected... the... deficiency. On... my... subsequent... attempts... my... emissaries... were... captured... by... the... KI... and... modified. When... my... emissaries... attacked... your... people... it... was... because... the... KI... not... I... instructed... them... to... do... so.

  Rourke shook his head. “There are a couple of flaws with your explanation. I could go along with the Captain Dodd clone being... defective. I knew the original and he was defective, as you call it, in a number of areas. But when the Dodd clone attacked me and my wife in the Mediterranean, the KI had not returned yet. We knew nothing of them, had never heard of them, except in legends. If fact, it was not until after we discovered artifacts that we knew they even existed.”