Jack followed Agustonson at full run down to the transport lobby where a transport was already waiting for them. Moments after entering the transport, the doors closed and within seconds opened again into a large bay area. Jack stood in awe as he looked out. The ship’s bay looked large enough to hold an aircraft carrier. On each side were docking stations with hundreds of fighter-sized craft. Immediately in front of him was a small crowd of technicians gathered around one of the fighters. Agustonson was already at a full run headed towards the fighter. Jack followed him.
Agustonson jumped into a flight suit and climbed into the pilot’s seat. He ordered Jack to do the same. As Jack climbed into the small cockpit, several technicians fastened a helmet over his head and hooked up several devices to his suit. It took only about 15 seconds and the technicians stepped away as the fighter’s canopy closed. Agustonson flipped several switches and the fighter started to hum. Jack felt a rush of adrenaline run through his body as Agustonson requested permission to take off. A voice crackled over his headset giving Agustonson clearance. Jack watched out his window as the fighter moved forward towards the end of the bay. As they approached, the bay doors rapidly opened and the starfighter shot out.
“Major, welcome aboard your first mission, it’ll take us almost four of your hours to get to the target. It’s about four light years from here. Are you doing alright?”
“Just fine sir, thanks for taking me with you”
“Don’t thank me, Admiral’s orders. He said you have some experience with one of our older starfighters.”
“Not exactly, I flew a flight simulator on Earth with him.”
“Awesome; that must have been an experience; Oria’s a living legend. No one has even come close to matching his skill. The Creytes even have a special bounty on his head.”
“Unbelievable! In some ways, that’s a relief. I can’t quite see myself flying like him inside of a year.”
Agustonson laughed. “That’s a scary thought, trying to reach Oria’s level in a year. You’ll find the average experienced Azortec pilot can maintain a level 5 on a 10-point scale where Oria’s a 10. In very rare cases an exceptional pilot may make it to 8.”
“That 10 point scale must be like the Richter scale where the levels grow exponentially. I flew with Oria on that simulator all the way through levels 8, 9, and 10!”
“Ok Peterson, what’s the Richter scale? I’ve learned English, but it’s not my first language!”
“Sorry about that, your English is quite good. It’s a scale for expressing the magnitude of a seismic disturbance, such as an Earthquake. The scale grows exponentially.”
“Thanks. We have a long flight so let’s start your training. Why don’t you let me show you how to work the flight controls?”
“Alright, however I still have one question before we get started.”
“Very well, ask your question.”
“If the Hercules is on a secret mission, how is it that we can reveal ourselves for a rescue mission?”
Agustonson laughed at Jack’s obvious question. “Good point. Actually, the Hercules has not revealed itself other than as an Azortec vessel on a classified assignment. No one would suspect it’s the Hercules since Azortec warships frequently go on classified assignments.”
“Thanks, I’m ready to get started.”
Agustonson went over the ship’s flight controls, navigation controls, and combat systems with Jack. The ship’s navigation systems fascinated him. Agustonson told Jack that the navigation system divides the galaxy into four quadrants with the three original planets forming Azortec located at the center. Each quadrant is broken into sectors. Navigation within the galaxy was facilitated by navigation stations and extensive star charts.
Four hours later, Agustonson pointed out a tiny dot coming within view.
“Major, I believe that is our cruise ship. Soon you should be able to make out the pirate ship.”
“I see. What’s next?”
“The commando team is still in stealth mode and will show themselves once we take out the pirate ship. Once we destroy the pirate, they will board the cruise ship and take control. Are you ready? The Admiral wants you piloting the ship during our battle.”
Jack felt a sudden chill of excitement and apprehension shoot through his veins. He had flown many combat missions during the Gulf War and always got excited at the prospect of action. This time was different. He was apprehensive about flying a real starfighter into battle. Yet his warrior mentality quickly kicked in and completely subdued his apprehension.
“Yes, I’m ready. Let’s shoot that sucker out of the sky!”
Agustonson laughed. “Captain Borella was right. He said that Earthlings had a strong warrior mentality.”
Jack chuckled to himself and responded, “You mean you don’t? You don’t feel the passion of battle?”
“Oh, I personally look forward to fighting. That’s why I fly in Oria’s wing. However, most Azortec pilots have difficulty finding the trigger.”
“Not even to defend themselves?”
“No, not even to defend themselves”
As the pirate ship came clearer into view, Jack took control of the starfighter. With a short yell, Jack swooped down on the lone pirate ship with lasers blasting. The pirate ship saw the Azortec fighter coming and immediately steered directly behind the cruise ship with its blast shields fully activated. Jack anticipated the pirate ship’s move long before it could complete its maneuver. He flew his starfighter into a barrel roll pattern looping around the cruise ship blocking the pirate ship’s maneuver. Again, Jack opened up with full lasers watching as the beams of energy bounced off the ship’s blast shield. Jack switched the firing selector to use plasma torpedoes.
“Major, don’t use the torpedoes this close to the cruise ship, they’re too powerful!”
“Aye Lieutenant, I have another idea.”
Jack looped behind the pirate ship and started pattern blasting the blast shield from behind the pirate ship. Jack was getting frustrated as the Pirate ships shields held strong. Agustonson spoke into the computer, switched the laser system off, and connected the trigger switch to the plasma-energy pulse guns.
“Major, try your attack again with this system.”
“Yes sir.” Jack looped back for another attack against the pirate ship. Only this time the pirate ship rolled to avoid Jack and his fighter. Jack saw the move coming and quickly went into a counter roll, lining the pirate ship back into his firing sites. Once the ship entered the firing circle, Jack again blasted the pirate ship. The plasma-energy pulse guns did the trick and the pirate ship’s shields yielded to the plasma energy bursts. Jack was about to finish the ship off with more plasma energy bursts when Agustonson flipped the lasers back on to the trigger system.
“Use the lasers once the shield is down. We don’t want to cause any secondary explosions that could damage us or the cruise ship.”
“Rodger that, I’m going in for the kill.”
As Jack laid another series of laser blasts, the pirate ship burst into a ball of flames. Almost immediately, after the pirate ship exploded a second ship appeared and docked with the cruise ship. Agustonson informed Jack that the second ship contained the commandos dispatched to rescue the ships passengers.
With the mission completed, Agustonson allowed Jack to fly the starfighter back to the Hercules. After approximately four hours, Earth came back into view with only a blip on starfighters HUD (Head-Up Display) indicating the Hercules’s location. Agustonson entered several codes into the computer and immediately the Hercules came into view.
“Excellent mission Major, We safely returned with the mission accomplished.”
“Thanks Lieutenant. One question, what was that you used to bring the Hercules into view?”
“Ah, the Hercules is operating in stealth mode. The codes provided our ship a key to match the Hercules’ stealth wave and so it can become visible to us. Since we are in the Hercules’ stealth wave, we are now invisible to
the outside world.”
“Ok, if the Hercules was in stealth, why were we able to get a radar image?”
“Actually the blip in the HUD was the predicted location of the Hercules. Our sensors are unable to detect a ship in stealth mode. That’s why the commando ship remained invisible to us during our battle with the pirate ship.”
“Ok, thanks for the lesson. How do we get onboard?”
“That is a future lesson. Let me fly us into the ship. Once you’ve logged sufficient hours in a flight simulator and pass the flight test, you will be allowed to dock a starfighter inside of a starship.”
Agustonson took the controls and requested that the bridge officer open the docking bay doors. Once the doors opened, he slowly flew the ship into the Hercules and to its original docking station. A small crowd of technicians waited for them as they pulled up and docked the fighter. They assisted Agustonson and Jack out of the cockpit and their flight suits. Once free of the fighter, Agustonson led Jack back to his quarters.
Jack was exhausted and looked forward to catching some more sleep. Agustonson torpedoed his dreams by informing him that training began in one-half an hour and that an aide would escort him to the Hercules’ training facilities.
10 AM: Ocean City
Sam and Jenny Kingsley stood in front of a growing group of over 30 people on the beach near 3rd St. in Ocean City, Maryland. As Sam spoke, he looked out over the crowd and became particularly excited at the arrival of a local television news crew. Sam wanted Oria’s miracles broadcasted to the world.
“Friday night on the boardwalk just a few blocks from here my baby girl was brutally shot. She would have died if not for miracles performed by this man called Oria. He waved some sort of spiritual device over her and healed her. Who can perform such miracles if not from God? Let me introduce someone else to you who also has spoken and touched this man Oria. This is Chief Jack Jones of the Eastern Shore’s very own Native American group the Nanticokes.”
“Thanks for letting me speak here today. I am next in succession to my father to become Chief of the Nanticokes. My people date back on this land thousands of years. Nearly 500 years ago another great chief ruled, Chief Stoneax. A great storm rose and destroyed their village’s defenses allowing another tribe to attack and murder our people. We now commemorate this day as the Day of the Storm. The storm enabled an invading group to burn Chief Stoneax and his two sons at the stake. Legend describes great lights from heaven and the taking of the Chief’s son. Oria is his son!”
An incredible silence fell across the crowd as Jack Stone spoke. The recent miracles and other stories provided additional credibility to Sam Kingsley’s belief that Oria was from God. When he and Jack Stone had connected on a new Internet News Group about Oria, they immediately developed a common mindset that Oria was from the Gods.
“Legend further claims that this son, Oria, will return and redeem his people. I suggest that he has returned and redemption is at hand. Oria is the one described in legend as the one the spirits will send us. Oria’s working of a miracle further confirms that view. Don’t allow talk of Oria coming from space deceive you. We don’t dispute that fact. Oria has returned to Earth after having been gone for hundreds of years. The spirits used him in space as they will use him here. Oria has returned to protect us from a race of alien devils.”
As Jack continued to speak of Oria, the crowd grew larger. The arrival of the news crew and Jack’s charismatic voice created an excitement that held everyone’s attention. By the time Jack returned the podium to Sam Kingsley and his lovely wife, the crowd had grown by several hundred. Jenny took the stage after a brief introduction by her husband and described Friday night’s events and her conversation with Oria in vivid detail.
Less than two hours slipped by before the crowd dispersed from the beach. In that short time, the news feed played live locally and with the national networks starting to pick up the feed. Oria’s presentation at the laser symposium and subsequent interest by both the defense and scientific communities provided a credible backdrop for the airing of the morning’s events.
3 PM: The White House (Meeting Retilia)
President Peter Ratherson was sitting in the Oval Office waiting for his National Security Advisor, Helen Marshal, to arrive. In addition to their normal activities, Ratherson wanted to talk to her about the recent White House murders, the hacking of the White House computer systems, and a new almost religious interest in a man called Oria. He was not expecting Helen to be bringing a guest.
Helen encountered no resistance in setting up her usual Sunday afternoon tryst with Ratherson. In fact, Ratherson anxiously waited for Helen and imagined making love to his 31-year-old beauty. In preparation for their meeting, Ratherson ordered his staff to leave and to give him some privacy. He was sure his wife Heather knew nothing of his affair with Helen and he wanted to keep it that way. He always coupled his and Helen’s trysts with affairs of state. Ratherson knew that even if Heather knew of his affair, she would not leave him. The press frequently accused him of having affairs and his political enemies chastised him for being immoral and of poor character. None of this mattered when Helen was in his presence. He immensely enjoyed her company and the physical nature of their relationship.
When Helen arrived at the White House, she knew there would be no one to escort her into the Oval Office. Only a few secret service agents would be on duty and they normally let her pass unchallenged. This time would be slightly more complicated since she was escorting Commander Retilia.
Getting Retilia into the White House without attracting attention would be difficult since it would be nearly impossible to disguise him as a human. Retilia was a full 8’ tall with leather like skin and eyes on both sides of his head. His mouth protruded from his face, was full of sharp pointed teeth accompanied by several sets of fangs.
Helen worked out a plan with Retilia. They would disguise him as some sort of pet with Helen leading him on a choke chain and leash. The guards would see he clearly was not human and most likely would not suspect Retilia being an intelligent life form. Unless of course, they thought Helen was leading a friend in for some sort of warped Halloween party.
Helen and the Commander managed to get inside of the White House. She knew there were several more checkpoints that she had to get Retilia past. Helen led Retilia on a leash through a back door into the Oval Office. Since she was such a frequent visitor, the guards let her slip by and reach the entrance to the Oval Office. The Secret Service Agents watching the entrance to the Oval Office recognized Helen and already knew that the President was waiting for her. They let her slip into the room where she released Retilia from the leash, knocked on the President’s inner room door, and walked in.
President Ratherson smiled when he saw her and then changed his look to surprise when he saw Retilia.
“Helen, I’m a bit surprised, I wasn’t expecting you to be bringing any friends. It looks like your friend is ready for a costume party.”
Helen formally addressed the President since Commander Retilia was with her. “Hello Mr. President. Commander Retilia is not here for Halloween and he is not wearing a costume. He is from another planet. Permit me to introduce you to Commander Retilia from the United Creyte Republic. He comes to Earth on a mission of peace.”
The President was shocked and became uncharacteristically silent. He stood in front of his desk looking from Retilia to Helen and back again. When the initial shock wore off and the President found his voice, he addressed Retilia. “Welcome Commander, I apologize for not having a more formal reception in which to honor you. I had no idea that my security advisor would be making such an introduction. I still find it hard to believe that you are not from Earth.”
“Greetings Mr. President, there is no need to apologize. I come here on a mission of peace. I asked Ms. Marshal to introduce me to you discreetly. We don’t want to scare your people unnecessarily. As you can see by looking at me, I’m certainly not human.”
Retilia eye
d the President. He had ample muscles with a thin layer of fat. A delicious picture, which Retilia knew he would have to ignore in order to capture the entire planet and rid the Universe of the troublesome Oria. There would be plenty of people to devour later.
“That makes sense. Please take a seat, Commander, and make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to eat or drink?”
Retilia thought, I see what I would like to eat now. Helen also looked quite tasty. “No, that’s not necessary. Let’s just talk.”
“Very well, what is it that you have in mind?”
“First, I have several presents to give you as a token for our new friendship.”
Retilia pulled some papers out of his folder and handed them to the President.
“These folders contain instructions for curing several diseases that are afflicting your people. Included are cures for AIDS, several forms of cancer, and some anti-viral drugs.”
Ratherson thought, “Wow, we should get some political mileage out of these.” He then replied to Retilia. “Our people will be most grateful for your help. I’m not sure how to begin to say thank you. What is it you want in return?”
“Mr. President, we would like to initiate relationships between your world and ours. One of the first steps will be to determine the best way to introduce us to your world. Normally when initiating relationships, we let the local people determine the best approach. As such, you don’t have to associate us with those cures until you’re ready.”
“That is most generous of you, Commander. I will appoint some people to work with you in developing a plan.”
“Thank you Mr. President, we have facilities for about 20 of your people to work with us in developing initial plans” and in his thoughts added, “and cages to keep your people in for future meals.”
“Helen, you work with Commander Retilia and coordinate sending in a team from the State Department. We will probably need a few Pentagon types as well. I’ll sign the orders tomorrow. It was good meeting you Commander, and I look forward to meeting with you again.”
Legend of Oria 1: Initial Contact Page 22
