by T I WADE
Ryan saw that breakfast and coffee was being carried into the hangar and suggested that they sit in the conference room. He led them to the windowed conference room, which had a boardroom table that could sit a dozen people.
The president entered with his three men behind him; the three secret service agents inspected the food. Ryan, Allen Saunders and Bill Withers entered. Ryan’s radio squawked.
“Mr. Richmond, we have Joe Downs and his camera crew outside Hangar One. Can I allow them in?” Ryan looked at the president who nodded his head that Ryan could.
“Would you like to give CBS a few minutes to tell them why you are here?” Ryan asked the president.
“Sure, a few minutes before we get down to business. Let me say something, Ryan, then you can back me up afterwards,” suggested the president, smiling.
Joe and his team entered the hangar and were shown over to the conference room. The three CBS guys were first checked out by the secret service before shaking the president’s hand, and then Ryan’s. Permission was given by the president to get a short speech filmed for them, and then Ryan would say a few words.
“Mr. President, Merry Christmas,” started Joe Downs. “It was certainly a surprise to see Air Force One on the tarmac in Nevada this morning. Has this got to do with the asteroids? How can Mr. Richmond help you if they become a threat?”
“Merry Christmas to you, Joe!” he said smiling at the camera. “Yes, as president I have to check out all possibilities we have if these four approaching asteroids become a danger to Earth. We should know in about three hours if the danger has been averted by all four impacting the moon. If not, the world knows that our armed forces and NASA are ready and capable to send up nuclear missiles to high altitude to destroy whatever misses the moon. Mr. Richmond and Astermine will actually become part of NASA next month, as Mr. Brusk and his company will become on January 1st. The United States government is keen to develop NASA into the world leader in space travel, and due to the recent launches by China, it looks like we had better get moving.”
“How can Astermine help you with the approaching asteroids?” Joe asked.
“Actually, they can’t. Astermine doesn’t have any technology to do anything to help us to repel these asteroids. That is not their mission. NASA is taking over Astermine in a couple of weeks to begin getting rid of the radioactive waste that is growing in our country. Congressman Dickens, several other members of Congress, General Mortimer, and I believe that once these asteroids are dealt with, then it is time bring Mr. Richmond’s company under NASA and a new division will be setup and run by Mr. Richmond and his crew in Florida to get this important project activated.”
“What about Mr. Richmond’s moon mining activities?” Joe asked.
“Spoils of the takeover, I believe,” stated the president smiling. “This is why we are here this morning Joe, like you, to watch the latest launch of the shuttle and to discuss the turnover of Astermine to NASA in Florida.”
“So Nevada is going to lose Astermine? What is going to happen to this airfield, Mr. President?”
“Unfortunately Joe, it is not practical to send up flights with radioactive material from Nevada. Future radioactive launches will be from Cape Canaveral in Florida to keep our citizens safe and if there is a malfunction after launch, then the cargo will splash into the Atlantic. A very simple reason Joe. As far as this airfield is concerned, General Mortimer is planning for it to help Creech Air Force Base with their Drone missions around the world. The U.S. population knows that Creech runs many of our worldwide Drone reconnaissance missions. This is the fastest growing spectrum of the United States Air Force, and Mr. Richmond has certainly given us a secure, well planned and developed new extension to our Air Force base network to work from. I’m here for a couple of hours and then will leave to control the situation with the asteroids, if I’m needed. That is all I have to say. Maybe Mr. Richmond has a few words to backup what I’ve just told you?” Joe and the camera turned to Ryan.
Ryan had already realized that the president was playing him the same way he himself had used the media to deter the government. Now the tables were turned on him, and he couldn’t admit that the president was wrong.
“The president is absolutely correct,” replied Ryan. “I have been offered a good package to join NASA with my team to help advance the United States into the new space race. The meeting today is to work out the transfer date,” he stated to Joe working out what he was going to say as he said it.
Bill Withers and Allen Saunders were watching him intently to see how he would react to the public’s learning about this takeover of his company. Only they knew on his side that the media was being used by the president to publicly railroad Ryan into giving up his life’s work, and what the president had stated was not the truth. How do you call the President of the United States a liar in front of the whole country? They were both sure that this feed could be already going out live to parts of the country.
“Unfortunately, we are not finished with our testing here in Nevada, so don’t expect us to leave so soon, Joe. My crew and I at Astermine have to complete our tests before we hand the company and all its assets over to NASA. I haven’t been offered a salary yet, so I’m eager for you guys to leave so that I can pin down the president on what I’m worth to the government, and it had better be a lot,” smiled Ryan. “Our testing, especially on our new shuttle, which has flown less than ten flights into orbit, will continue until the end of March. I’m not stopping our food orders from Las Vegas just yet.” The Vegas camera crew smiled at that statement. “NASA wants my company to move in January, I want ninety more days, until the end of March, to finish my tests so that I can hand over a fully tested system that will not put anybody around the world into danger with tons of radioactive waste falling on their heads. Thank you, Joe, now I need to explain to the president that he has to wait a little longer, and once the asteroid threat dissipates in a few days we can all get back to work and finish our missions. Thank you for coming, Joe.”
There was silence as the TV crew thanked everybody and left; the Danish and coffee was brought in and the meeting got down to business.
“A clever response, Ryan, but your time is over,” said the president not smiling anymore. “As I said, you have until January 15th before the Air Force arrives here to take over your airfield. You did not buy any time with your response to CBS. Once this asteroid threat is over and we are in the New Year, this airfield will have non-stop visitors beginning January 2nd. January 15th is takeover day, but you are out of here long before then.”
“I doubt it, Mr. President. I don’t think you have the right, or the authority to commandeer private property on a whim.”
“No, I don’t but Joe Bishop, Tom Ward, and General Mortimer here will have the authority once we go live in a few days and state that we found dangerous contamination here at your airfield, and it needs to be quarantined and locked down.”
“That is bull crap,” commented Allen Saunders angrily.
“General Saunders, I suggest you shut up, or you will lose your retirement package,” replied the president smiling. “You too, Bill; I promise you that you will both lose every penny the government owes you. And you will be charged as co-conspirators with Mr. Richmond. General Mortimer will you please continue, this is your plan is it not? By the way Secret Service, did you debug this room?”
“Yes sir, we found a wire under the table, our sensors show the room to be clean.”
“It better be Agent, or you will have a hard life,” stated General Mortimer also smiling. His time had finally come. “Mr. Richmond, we know that you have been up to something you are not telling us ever since you purchased this piece of property. What you are up to we haven’t found out yet, but we will. I have a weird feeling that you have something to do with the sudden Chinese interest in space advancement. Because of this we find ourselves in the same scenario Kennedy had with the Bay of Pigs. Those Chinese spacecraft up there could have the same lase
r power you showed us at Cape Canaveral a few days ago. We don’t like that. Have you been doing business with the Chinese Space Authority?”
“No, I haven’t spoken to anybody in China about space. I don’t even have any Chinese crewmembers here. Every Asian scientist here at the airfield, and I have three on site, were born in the United States and attended MIT. Two even worked for Bill Withers at NASA several years before I employed them. Mortimer, you are watching too many television dramas. Both men here, good Americans will tell you that our project in Nevada is safe, valuable and will one day be far better than anything Hal McNealy, or the Earth-Exit program and Martin, who is a friend of mine, could ever produce for this country. It will take both Hal and Martin two to three decades to design orbital spacecraft as good as my shuttles, which can actually reside in space permanently and, thanks to the supplies sent up by the other two freighters a few days ago, never need to return to earth. General, do you think I salvaged that Russian space station for nothing? That station, built as well as the ISS, can stay up there for longer than you, Mr. President, will ever be in power, and so can all my craft, once we have finished testing.”
“So we need to close you down immediately,” stated General Mortimer. “I believe you are a threat to our country, and if it wasn’t for these darn asteroids, I would be on the radio getting hundreds of troops into here within hours. Also, I expect the Galaxy to be returned to Nellis within twenty-four hours. I tore up your contract before I left. Mr. Richmond, we are not stupid; the military wants your company, and by God we are going to get it.”
“It is very weird that the FBI is not in on this robbery of yours, Mortimer, just small sections of the CIA and NASA, all your old air force buddies,” interjected Allen Saunders angrily. “You were always a crappy air force officer, and I believe that there is evidence out there, especially left by our old friend Joe Bishop, that will bury you and your illegal takeover bid here. Can you tell us why the FBI isn’t in on this national threat you are saying is here on American soil? We are also not that stupid. Wouldn’t this be their jurisdiction?”
“Mr. Richmond,” stated Congressman Dickens ignoring Allen, “We don’t have to go through all this fighting. The president told you last time you spoke. We want your company, we will take your company and believe me, the more you fight us, the less you will ever see from the sale of your company to the U.S. government.”
“Congressman Dickens, are you here on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives, or as a private citizen?”
“What has it got to do with you, Mr. Richmond?”
“Your shares in Earth-Exit, along with the president’s shares, are what interest me, Dickens. What really interests me is that you and the president are going to get a hefty return on your investments once Earth-Exit’s shareholders are paid out, with a sales price finalized by you. Congressman, I believe you own 5 percent of Martin’s company and the president here 3 percent? Neither of you own shares in my company, so what is this desperation to take over Astermine?”
“I want your mining equipment. The cargos you brought back will be far more lucrative to us and the American people once we get hold of what you have,” he stated smiling at Ryan.
“So, where do we go from here?” asked the president, who interrupted Dickens. “What investments the Congressman and I made before we came to office were legal and so far, he might have, but I haven’t broken any laws under the rules of the SEC. If there was an inquiry into my investments, it would all be swept under the carpet. Ryan, there is no way you can harm me or my term in office. I promised the people that I would balance the deficit and bring down the country’s long term debt. The only way I can see doing it is by increasing and bringing back the cargos you did by a hundred times. We are trillions in debt, and I believe that by using your experience and system which will, in a couple of weeks be ours, I can reduce that debt by a quarter before the end of my first term in office. That should allow me to clear 50 percent of the country’s debt within eight years. That guarantees me a second term, and I go out as the best president ever to run this country.”
“And you become super rich in the process,” stated Bill Withers.
“Maybe Bill, you certainly won’t. Ryan, you are the only person standing in my way, and I expect you to be gone in two weeks, either locked up for a national security threat of some sort, or rich and out of my hair forever. Make your choice.”
“I believe that there is one part of this plan you haven’t thought out,” replied Ryan, calm and showing very little emotion. He was actually happy that the cards were now on the table. At least he could play his hand.
Nobody said a word. Everybody just waited for Ryan to continue. Hal McNealy was the first to open his mouth.
“I think he is planning to leave all his spacecraft up there. Even with Martin’s technology, and even if we commandeered the British operation here, we don’t have the technology to go and get his project. Plus he has that laser.”
Again everybody sat and looked at Ryan. The next move could prove costly. For a couple of minutes nobody said anything, until the president, in his authority as Chief Executive of the United States of America, a position he had held for only one year, decided to do what he did best, negotiate.
“So what do we have to do to get your company without all this unpleasantness? You have one chance Ryan, before I decide what is the best move for the country. Remember, the previous president’s major mistake was not to close our base in Cuba. If you don’t work with me, you and several members of your team, and all your Russian friends are going on a sightseeing visit there, and I’m going to throw away the key, once you are wearing an orange jumpsuit. Now tell me in one sentence what I need to do to get your business and that is that.” He waited for Ryan’s response.
“I need three months to finish my tests. Then you and your whack jobs can come into my airfield here in Nevada and take everything I own. And I promise, I will be here waiting for you to hand over the keys, as long as you have my promised check; and no, I will not be working for NASA, and I’m sure none of my team will work for NASA in the future, as long as you are President of the United States of America. Now your time is up. I suggest you take your fancy aircraft back to Washington and chew over my terms. Otherwise you will not win, and the longer you stay here, the less I want you and your goons to win. If you or any uninvited guests of yours enter my airfield again before March 30th, everything I have in space, including my lasers, and all of my technology will land in China, and not here on the soil you seem to think as your own. Just to piss you off even more, I’m sure they will offer me billions for all of my technology that isn’t here in Nevada. Mr. President, over half of these hangars are empty. Everything of value is up in space, a place where neither you nor Hal McNealy can get your hands on it. Do you think I’m stupid? And, I still have seven months remaining on my C-5 contract with the air force. I can always see if another country can help me out with an aircraft on their soil for my future launches. So, Mortimer, don’t threaten me and my project again.”
Without another word, the president got up and left the conference center. Ryan smiled when Allen Saunders saluted his ex-superior, General Mortimer, with a good-looking well-flown middle finger as he exited.
Twenty minutes later both blue and white aircraft and even the news crew, who had stayed behind to see if anything more developed, were gone.
It was now only thirty minutes before the first asteroid was to hit the moon.
Chapter 19
The interesting end of DX2014.
“Now I see what you have been up against,” said Bill Withers as they sat down to contemplate their futures.
“How long has this government been so against you?” asked Allen.
“Ever since the new president was elected,” Ryan replied. “Actually it was ever since I refused to help him years ago when, as governor, he wanted Astermine to open offices in his state. It was for his own gain, of course; he was doing his best to make
himself look successful, to advance his political and financial careers.
“Everybody in this capitalistic country shares some of the same goals; we all want to be rich. At times I get the feeling that I would like to own all those diamonds that may be about to crash into the moon. But gentlemen, my real dream was to go to space with a bunch of friends, strip away the pretense for glitter and riches, and lead a truthful life out there. That was what my dream turned into over the decades I’ve been thinking about it. One man’s dream can’t change a country’s destiny, but one man’s dream can certainly change his own destiny.
“I think we should turn our attention to the asteroid problem. I’m betting that DX2014B and C hit the moon. I want to know where so we can be the first mining vessel to explore the area.”
It was time to see if the moon was big enough to shield the earth against an attack by a diamond mine. Everything the president ever wanted from Ryan’s company was about to crash into the dark side of the moon.
By this time most of the telescopes and cameras on Earth were pointed at the moon. People in the United States couldn’t see much, other than a three quarter moon just above the western horizon.
Ryan could see more than most. He had two cameras pointed directly at the moon. One was from the 22,500-mile high laser target-acquisition camera in America One, whose live video feed could now be viewed on one half of the screen in ground control. The electric crew up there had connected the laser directly to the reactor’s main control board for maximum strength. The computers were then programed to beam the video feed down to one of two Hughes satellite dishes on the roof of Hangar One. All this had been hurriedly set up within the last seventy-two hours.
The second pictures were from the SB III’s laser beam target-acquisition camera on the front of the shuttle’s nose. Even though it was still orbiting Earth, Jonesy had positioned the shuttle to look directly at the moon.
