Starship X-15

by Alan VanMeter

  “You’ll see.” I smile.

  It boggles both Rick and my minds that Haley is accepted to the Academy after only six months of schooling. This is college, or rather the best university known to mankind. Not only is Haley now enrolled in the most prestigious university known; but instead of her leaving for college, Rick and I are now assigned to further recon missions together. So he and I are leaving her at home, or college…whatever. The end result is the same damned separation. Families are supposed to be together. Then I remember what the Legacy told us of how the ‘Hum Drums’ bred themselves back into a certain extinction. We have to spread out, and assimilate into, and by everything we can. I know it is a revolting thought to breed with an alien, or maybe not; but it will happen...

  Our first mission is to chart the star system known as Mizram, seven hundred and twenty light years distant. They have refitted the S.S. X-15, and I see that my recommendations of required survival gear has been implemented. Boy did I let my anger rip into the Star command personnel that day of the debriefing, I held nothing back. I go through the manifest inventory, and am impressed by how they included not only all my gripes, but even went considerably further in anticipating being stranded on all kinds of worlds. Rick was sure happy that weaponry had been included in the inventory.

  Our incursion into the Mizram system finds a double star system with two planets amazingly. Most multiple star systems don’t have much for planetary bodies, usually. Both of the planets are gas giants, but each has multiple moons. One moon in particular is of interest, as it gives oxygen and hydrogen spectral lines in the pattern of water. Water is king, to life-forms like us at least.

  Within the next several hours as we approach the moon in question, the visual evidence of life increases a million fold as we see the lines of chlorophyll. Soon it is close enough to see water, and green life on it. So we orbit, and release all our orbital probes to constantly monitor the world and send regular signals back to Earth. These transmissions will take seven hundred and twenty years to reach home, but they will be waiting for them, hopefully.

  Our direct report will be in just six more days. We are very busy until our rest cycle, then Rick shows me that he is still the horny young man I did fall deeply in love with. Just the addition of some deeper cut lines in his handsome face, and the gray around the fringes of his hair. Yes, take me to heaven again Captain Rick. I still avoid that last name, it just doesn’t do it.

  This time we make it home as planned, and our reports keep the scientists busy. We discovered so much new life from orbit even, and we didn’t even have to land to catalogue much of it. Who knows what any future exploration team might find though. However there was no evidence of any civilization that we found.

  It isn’t even a week until we depart on another recon mission. My lover and I are well known for being explorers by now, who were once thought as lost, and long gone. Suddenly these famous explorers find their way home, and so what do they do then? They explore some more! What else? I don’t mind the time alone with my man. He is everything I could wish for in a mate. I just wonder if I would have been happier with Alicia. I don’t know… I feel pretty damn happy now. Except that she is gone. I did find out from Angela that Alicia indeed fell in love with another girl, almost a year after we had been listed as presumed dead. They were both in LA on leave when the bombs were dropped. I just glad that she found some happiness after I disappeared.

  Haley has only one more semester to complete for her Bachelor of Sciences degree. She’s only sixteen years old, by earth years… or so Rick figured out. It’s too confusing for me, so I just take his word for it. So does she, but she seems to understand the math he uses. I know Haley is closer to her father than to me, but that just makes me happy for them. I know I am a very important part of this family equation as well, and their closeness just makes us all bound tighter as far as I’m concerned. It’s always been this way, even back on Haley’s Planet.

  One day just before Haley’s graduation ceremony from the Academy, we are all walking to the cafeteria, when a procession of security personnel instruct us to make way, and stand aside. The very strangest being I have ever seen comes walking past us. How do I describe that? My mind doesn’t even have any idea of how to categorize it, or make any sense of that at all. I feel sick to my stomach, and have to look away. To hide my face from it. So does Rick and Haley, as well as everyone else on the deck.

  “All Star Command personnel are never to speak of this at all.” A loud voice commands. I recognize that it is Stephanie’s voice.

  My mind blocks what I saw? What I think I saw… or what I can’t accept to see, and never want to again! That’s more correct.

  No one has said anything about that exposure, or whatever it was, not even my family. I know I sure don’t want to talk about it, but what the hell? Haley graduated with honors and is now the official youngest Ensign in the whole fleet. I couldn’t be more proud of her, so Rick and I have planned a special treat for our baby.

  “Haley, you have thirty days leave before your first assignment, what would you say to taking a little vacation with your father and I?” By her smile I can tell she really likes the idea. I also know she is hoping for a trip to our ancestral home, as she has never been there before.

  “Sure, where to mom?”

  “Earth. You’ve still never been to our home planet. How about it?”

  Her leap for joy into my arms tells me I was right.

  “Yes! Mom, you’re the best!”

  “Well, why don’t you make a list of things you’d like to see, and we’ll see if we can arrange them.”

  Her list impresses both of us, and Rick even comments that all the things she wants to see are natural sights. One thing is not on her list, and I for one am glad. She doesn’t care to visit the gigantic floating city of gold the Legacy made, named New Georgetown, though it was first known by a different name; for the first couple of weeks anyhow. It is a sad place, where so many lost their lives, including Professor W. That was his reward for showing humanity how to get to the stars. The Legacy let it happen, humans had to learn the hard way, once and for all. One good thing about it all, besides that we weren’t here to see it, is that all organized religions were doomed.

  It will be a far different world than we remember, thanks to World War Three, but humanity is bouncing back as best it can. Things are finally getting back to normal, and world peace is a very good thing to help this along. With the Legacy helping in so many ways, our previously industrialized, heavily polluting Civilization has gone green completely. Gravity power sure helps out there.

  Our landing destination is changed at the last minute from Albuquerque, and we instead land in Phoenix, which wasn’t hit either thank goodness. Haley’s first wonder to see is the Grand Canyon, I think she will be impressed. We take a rental Gravity powered car, or air car rather, and are at the canyon, rather over it in minutes.

  “It’s way bigger than the pictures and videos show.” She is excited, and recording the whole ride down the length of the Colorado River.

  It is a far different vantage point than I have ever seen the canyon from, pretty much however we desire. There are other air cars touring the wonder as well, and the passengers of every one of them wave at us as we pass one another, so we wave back with broad smiles. People sure seem friendlier than I remember, it’s a good thing.

  Our next destination is to Pike’s Peak. Rick is careful to approach from the west, as Colorado Springs was hit. Destroyed cities are not on Haley’s list, so we will avoid them as best we can. We let her take some video, and then we zoom off to the north. She is most impressed by the Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, where we park and have lunch in the picnic area.

  “So, where to next dad?”

  “To see the biggest trees in the world honey, the Redwood Forrest.”

  “Great.” She giggles. “I love big hard wood.”

  “Ohhh.” Rick buries his head in his hands, shaking it sadly.

&nbs
p; “Nothing wrong with that baby.” I laugh.

  I know Haley has been sexually active, but Rick has been purposefully ignorant of the fact. Even after what she just said, he refuses to see it, I can tell. His fatherly mind just can’t accept the fact that his precious daughter is balling her ass off every chance she gets. She never had contact with Jason again after Rick tried to kill him, but she made sure since then to be as promiscuous as she could be. I easily saw it, but Rick is blind to this.

  Haley excuses herself to go to the restrooms on the far side of the picnic area after we finish our lunch. Rick and I have a blunt discussion of our daughter’s sexuality.

  “She’s experienced far beyond what you are dear.” I tell.

  “She’s told you this?” Tears are in his brown eyes.

  “Some, but you have to know that I can tell the rest. I was the exact same way when I was her age, and after too.”

  “What? Are you saying that Haley is gay?”

  “Huh? Well, yeah she’s been with girls and boys dear. I don’t know if she’s decided which she likes best though.”

  “Ohhhh.” He groans again.

  “I’m sorry that it hurts you baby. She is a force to be reckoned with, on all levels; especially sexually. I can tell. So was I.”

  “That’s for sure.” He mutters.

  I laugh.

  I hear a dog barking and growling fiercely, looking I see the dog, a big German Shepherd, is menacing Haley as she is trying to enter the restroom. It is very angry and it lunges at her, biting onto her wrist. Rick is up and running to her, and then I am too. It is several hundred feet distance to the restrooms, and I watch as Haley puts her free hand on the dog’s chest as it knocks her to the ground, and her arm glows with red light. The dog falls over, quite dead, I already know. Haley sucked the soul right out of it, as I had seen her do before on her home world.

  A big thick man runs up to the dead dog, and then he yells something at Haley. I see her face is filled with fear, and she tries to scoot back away from him on her butt. Suddenly he backhands her hard.

  “You BASTARD!” Rick screams as he runs even faster.

  Then the asshole grabs my baby girl, and rears back with his other fist. Haley snaps out of her dazed state, and places her hand on the thug’s chest, it glows red. He is frozen in place as she sucks the soul right out of him. The bastard drops over dead, just as Rick gets to them. Rick kicks his head real hard, even enough to kill the man by itself, but I already know he is dead. Haley sucked the soul right out of him, and his goddamn dog.

  A park ranger is on the scene within a minute, and he calls for all kinds of backup. I call our embassy right away. The operator says that it will be a few hours until their agents could get to us. I don’t understand, since the air cars are so fast, but the operator explains that all of their agents are busy at the moment. So Haley is placed into custody due to the eye witness testimonies, and accounts of what had transpired.

  The Rangers are so scared after what some of the witnesses told them, that one holds a gun on her as the other handcuffs her. Of course, when they do this Rick objects so vehemently that they handcuff, and arrest him as well. So I am allowed to follow the Rangers to the Marshalls’ station house. They won’t let me see or talk to either one of them though, I’m just told to sit in the lobby and behave myself.

  Within ten minutes the captain of the Marshalls comes into the lobby.

  “Ms. Hobart?”

  “Yes? Can I see my husband and daughter now Captain?”

  “I’m afraid not yet ma’am, I just couldn’t believe who they said they were. You are the Hobart’s’ that were lost for twelve years, aren’t you?” He gazes at me with scrutiny.

  “Yes sir.”

  “Ma’am, I know this sounds strange, but the eye witness accounts all stated that your daughter killed both the victim, and his dog by draining the life right out of them. Are you aware of your daughter having this ability?”

  I can’t tell him! It’s classified. Just at that moment I see several air cars descend to land right outside. The first person to get out I instantly recognize; it’s Agent Wilkins.

  “You will have to ask this man coming in Captain. I’m not at liberty.”

  Eight men in black accompany him, and I see a worried frown appear on the Captain’s face. Poor fellow he’s just doing his job, but now he will be debriefed; either the easy way, or the hard way.

  Wilkins has us released into his custody with in several minutes, and then the MIB handcuff all of us, myself included, telling us it is for our own protection. They put all three of us into Wilkin’s car, and he joins us with one of the MIB. As soon as we are airborne though, he takes all the cuffs off of us.

  “That was just for the benefit of the Marshalls, my apology.”

  “None necessary Agent.” I smile at him. “Good to see you by the way.”

  “You have no idea how great it is to see you again. We all thought you were both dead.” Wilkins grins.

  “So did we.” Rick nods.

  “Are we in trouble Mister…?” Haley is worried.

  “Agent Wilkins, Ensign Hobart. It is an honor to meet you finally. No, you are not in any trouble. I read the Ranger’s report, and it’s obvious that you were defending yourself. No charges will be brought.”

  “Whew.” Haley shakes her head. “I really didn’t mean to hurt them dad, mom, but they were hurting me!” She holds her bandaged wrist up as if to show us.

  “I know baby, I saw the whole thing.” Rick hugs her close, and she lets the tears flow that had been held back until now.

  I turn to Agent Wilkins, “So what now? Oh, and what about our rental car?”

  “One of the other agents will return it, after they debrief the Marshalls, and Rangers. As for you and your family I have orders to take you to the Phoenix star-port. You are to return to NET Nine.”

  I shrug as I look back at Haley, “Sorry for the short vacation baby. Maybe next time.”

  “It’s okay mom, if that’s the way people are on Earth, I don’t want to be here.”

  I see that raises a brow on both Rick and Wilkins.

  As we are dropped off at the terminal building, I ask Agent Wilkins something that has made me wonder from time to time over the years. “Just out of curiosity, why did you choose me for the star service?”

  He chuckles, and then tells me, “You had the right set of skills that we needed, and we knew that we had your complete loyalty, it was either that or jail. Also there was the small matter of you being completely expendable Captain Stanley.”

  That makes me laugh. “That’s what I figured.” We smile at each other, and wave as he flies off.

  Chapter 12

  Upon arriving back home on NET Nine, we are summoned to Admiral Romero’s office. I assume it is for a through debriefing of the situation that occurred, but I see that Ambassador TKX is waiting for us there as well. We all come to attention.

  “At ease. Devon, Rick, and Haley please have a seat. The Ambassador and I have been thinking that it would be prudent to establish a permanent colony on Haley’s World. This endeavor would be most effective however, if you all were to return and lead the colony.” She looks at us all one at a time, evenly.

  I glance at Rick, to see his reaction, and Haley says, “I’ll go back home, sure! How many people would be going with us though?”

  Rick shrugs at me, “Count me in too.”

  “You are not going without me.” I add.

  “Excellent. We have much to plan then; seeing as your colony will be so distant, we will not be sending too many ships to re-supply you later on. You will need to take everything you need to be self-sufficient on the initial flight.”

  Our small flotilla consists of twelve ships, including a revamped X-15 that we will use to explore Hobart’s star system with, as well as nearby star systems. Eight of the very largest colony ships the fleet has, carrying a hundred colonists each, instead of the normal compliment of five hundred. The majority of
the extra space is used for supplies. The other three ships are large cargo vessels carrying the infrastructure of our new civilization. The only ship that will not return to Earth is the X-15. It is ours now.

  All twelve ships have made the journey without incident, and we are beginning to land and unload all the cargo. The site of our colony is several thousand kilometers from our old home of so many years. This time we picked a lower elevation, with proximity to a much larger river, as well as one of the four small oceans of our world. Everyone has been previously inoculated from the deadly bacteria we had brought home with us, and with the bio-labs we will soon be building; we can then produce our own medicines.

  The first buildings to be erected after the needed living quarters are the foundry, steel mill, and chemical isolation plant. The fleet leaves back for Earth just after these buildings go up, with the promise to return within five years. So we have five years to get established, and provide more housing for the next wave of colonists. Rick is the acting Governor as decreed by fleet orders, but he is planning on holding elections for his position soon. He’s told me that he will not run, I think I will however.

  It’s been six months since we landed, and I actually won the first election for Governor. There is a colony council that has a fair say in everything, even though I can veto their decisions. I try not to, as it is important to have the people maintain a strong voice. Haley has three or four boyfriends currently, and maybe more, I don’t know. I have been too busy to keep track, and she is an adult now. It’s her life.

  We’ve explored much of the world with the air cars that we brought with us, and have even contacted the ‘Hum Drums’ again. Taking them some useful gifts, and making peace with them. Also a permanent archeological base is set up in the pyramid city, to study it. The ‘Soul-Suckers’ have not been seen at all, by any exploration team, nor by satellite. We wonder what happened to them. Vast new food sources have been discovered, mostly large fish in the oceans. The river also has several species of edible creatures much like fish, but none of the familiar ‘eesh’ are at this new location.