by C. G. Mosley
“No, we are fine,” Malcolm answered. “I’m wondering if I should make a plea to your leaders…maybe they will listen to me.”
“You may get that opportunity,” Roger replied. “First, let’s see what they decide.”
“Do you think our odds are good?”
Roger took a deep breath through his nose and again glanced over at General Hightower. “I’d say 50-50.”
General Hightower tightened his brow, showing his displeasure. “This conversation needs to end,” he grumbled. “Tell him that he will hear from you again once the decision has been made.”
Before Malcolm had a chance to reply, Roger said, “Captain Steiger, I’m going to break off now, but I will reach out to you again as soon as we have a decision. If you need anything, please reach out to us.”
“Thank you, commander,” Malcolm answered. “I trust you.”
General Hightower snatched the headset from Roger’s head and tossed it aside.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked.
Roger looked up at him and for the first time in a long time he noticed a fury burning in the general’s eyes.
“Sir, things are very friendly right now and I’d like for it to stay that way,” he replied. He then pointed to the monitor at the Pinnacle. “That ship is capable of destroying this entire colony if Captain Steiger feels it’s necessary.”
Hightower stood up straight and huffed. “If what you say is true, they are the ones that are vulnerable right now. They need our help.”
Roger was taken aback. “If what I say is true? Do you think I’m lying?”
The general snorted and tightened his jaw. “Of course, not Stellick,” he snapped. “What I’m trying to make you understand is that if their desperation is great enough to travel through space for fourteen years, then I seriously doubt they’d be so quick to destroy this colony. If the situation on their home world is so dire, then they do not have another fourteen years to search for more help.”
Roger pushed back from the counter and stood. “Sir, I thought you made it very clear that you have no interest in helping them?”
“I don’t,” he answered. “But I also recognize it’s not up to me. I’ll carry out whatever orders we are given, but I’ll also do it with extreme caution. I also took an oath to protect planet Earth at all costs. If I get a sniff of anything off kilter, then we are prepared to respond accordingly.”
Roger opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it as if he’d thought better of it. Hightower noticed it and smiled.
“Stellick, say what’s on your mind. I want to hear it,” he urged.
Roger remained tight-lipped for a moment as if he continued to contemplate the right words. “Sir, I’m just curious what the next step will be if we refuse to help them.”
General Hightower glanced over at Jake Crosby standing over in the darkest corner of the room. He’d almost forgotten he was there. “Crosby, give us the room,” he ordered.
Jake nodded and immediately exited so quickly that it was apparent he was glad to do so.
“If the decision is made to not assist them, the protocols that have been written would require the aliens to either leave peacefully at once, or we will be glad to give them safe-haven assuming they’d meet certain conditions.”
Roger raised an eyebrow. “What conditions?”
“Nothing unreasonable,” Hightower replied. “Their entire crew will be required to undergo a medical evaluation and will have to remain in quarantine until completed. They will be forced to hand over all the technology they have and obviously share all the information about their home world.”
“And then what?” Roger asked.
Hightower looked over at him, unsure what he was getting at. “Then they can live peacefully among us.”
Roger crossed his arms and smirked. “They won’t be imprisoned?” he asked, skeptically.
General Hightower looked away. “As long as they comply…no.”
Roger paced the room a few times as he considered what Hightower had said. The general’s brown eyes followed him, unblinking.
“How do we respond if they refuse any of the conditions?” he asked, finally stopping.
“Then they will obviously be asked to leave our solar system at once,” Hightower answered matter-of-factly.
Roger walked up to the general and stopped in front of him. “And what if they refuse to leave?”
The muscles in Hightower’s jaw tightened again along with his brow. “You know the answer to that question,” he growled.
At once, he turned and exited the room without another word.
***
Tim Reed tossed the open-ended wrench into the tool box beside him and then reached for the rag hanging out of his back pocket. As he wiped the grease and oil away from his large hands, he turned to the mechanics that had been working with him.
“All clear?” he asked.
One of the men was tall and skinny with a mop of blonde hair. His face was streaked with grease and he shook his head. “All clear, chief,” he said. The young man was Charlie West.
Reed and his men had been tasked with combing over the Comet fighter that Roger Stellick had used to board the Pinnacle. General Hightower was concerned that perhaps the fighter could’ve been tampered with, or worse yet, something harmful could’ve been placed aboard the ship to be brought back to the Titan colony.
“Alright,” Reed said, satisfied that the job was done correctly. “I’m going to report my findings to the general, but I want this ship looked over again to ensure that she’s ready to fly again when needed. We’ve poked and prodded on her so much I want a pre-flight checklist completed, and then I want it done again. That understood?”
Charlie looked at his counterparts and then back to Reed. “Understood sir,” he said unenthusiastically.
Tim Reed stuffed the dirty rag back into his pocket and then spun on his heel to leave the hangar. On his way out the door, he was met by Christian Smith. Sabre seemed nervous but appeared to be in better condition than the last time Tim had seen him.
“Feeling better?” Reed asked, pausing to speak to the pilot.
Sabre shoved his hands in his uniform pockets and looked away sheepishly. “Doc says I got mumps.”
Reed smiled widely, revealing his bright white teeth. “Mumps?” he asked, doing his best to stifle laughter. “How in the world did you contract the mumps?”
Sabre shook his head. “Not important, chief. What is important is that she gave me a shot and said I’ll be good to go by tomorrow morning.”
“I hope you got some paperwork for Roger,” Reed said.
Sabre pulled a piece of crumpled paper from his pocket and held it up. “I’ve got my clearance,” he said. “Stellick ain’t grounding me.”
Tim Reed laughed. “If the man wants to ground you, he’ll ground you no matter what that paper says,” he said as he walked away.
Sabre rolled his eyes and continued into the hangar. He eyed the crewmen going over a checklist next to Commander Stellick’s Comet fighter.
“Charlie,” he said as he approached.
Charlie West was holding a clipboard that he immediately passed over to one of his counterparts.
“Kinda busy right now,” he said as he walked toward Sabre.
“Do you know where Lauren is?” Sabre asked.
Charlie cocked his head slightly and eyed him suspiciously. “Why are you looking for my sister?”
Sabre narrowed his eyes and glared at him. “You know why I’m looking for her. Now do you know where she is or not?”
Charlie sighed and crossed his arms. “I thought I asked you to—politely mind you—to stay away from her.”
Sabre stared at him in disbelief and then burst out into laughter. “Charlie, I really don’t have time for this. Lauren is a grown woman and can see whomever the hell she wants. I never agreed to stay away from her.”
Charlie felt his blood pressure rise and fought to keep his composure. Regretful
ly, he knew he was no match for Sabre in a fight. “Everyone on Titan knows you’re not faithful to anyone,” he said angrily.
Sabre shook his head slightly and did his best to appear hurt. “I’ve never cheated on Lauren,” he said defiantly. “Charlie, I got no problem with you and quite frankly I don’t think I deserve this. Can you please just tell me where she is…it’s important.”
Charlie rolled his eyes and bit his lip before finally saying, “She got off work early today. She’s probably in the marketplace shopping.”
Sabre reached over and patted Charlie on the shoulder. “Thanks bud,” he said, turning to walk away.
“I’m not your bud,” Charlie called after him. “This changes nothing!”
“I thank you anyway,” Sabre replied. “You’ll be the best man at our wedding.”
Charlie’s jaw dropped, and he cursed under his breath.
Chapter 7
Roger Stellick was becoming increasingly anxious. It had been four hours since President Callahan had told him that a decision would be made very soon and now he found himself wondering how long soon was going to be. General Hightower seemed to believe the decision would be reached in a matter of hours, but Roger was not so sure. In his mind’s eye, he pictured the leaders of Earth bickering about what the right decision would be. Something in his gut told him that the majority of them would be leaning toward doing nothing. Roger knew fear was the driver of this position, and though he certainly understood it, he would stop short of excusing it.
He’d spent most of his time since he’d last conversed with Captain Steiger pacing in the lobby that led into the communications room. General Hightower had returned to his office with Colonel Madigan. Jake Crosby had walked into the lobby on more than one occasion but had stopped short of actually saying anything. Roger could tell the young man was somewhat star struck with his presence and part of him felt guilty for not taking the time to talk to him. Just as he’d decided that it was time to head back to his apartment, Jake Crosby again entered the room.
“Commander Stellick,” he said excitedly. “General Hightower just called the comm room looking for you. You’re needed back in the conference room.”
Roger felt his pulse quicken a bit. “Well it’s about time,” he said. He began to walk away but paused and looked back at Jake. “What do you think they’re gonna say?”
Jake looked around as if Roger had been speaking to someone else. “You’re asking me?”
Roger chuckled. “Of course, I’m asking to you. There isn’t anyone else in here.”
Jake Crosby felt his face redden with embarrassment. “Oh…right,” he stammered. “I think they’re going to help them.”
Roger was surprised. “Really? What makes you think that?”
“Well why wouldn’t we?” Jake replied, surprised that Roger seemed to feel differently. “The aliens treated you well. They travelled a long way for help and they’ve got a lot to offer the human race if we help. I think it’s a no-brainer.”
“Sure, they’ve got a lot to offer,” Roger replied. “But at what cost?”
“I feel like the cost is even greater if we do nothing,” Jake countered. “Whatever is bad enough to drive them all this way to ask for help could possibly reach us too. Or maybe something else is out there that will put us in a similar position. We need allies.”
Roger pursed his lips as he mulled over what Jake had said. The young man was much wiser than he’d given him credit for.
“Jake, I heard you’re interested in being a Comet pilot,” he said finally.
Jake’s eyes immediately lit up. “Yes sir, it’s why I joined S.A.M.A.”
“So, what’s stopping you?”
Jake cleared his throat and suddenly seemed nervous. “Well, I uh…I’ve applied for the pilot training program a few times, but I keep getting denied.”
Roger crossed his arms and gave him a puzzled look. “Okay Jake, here is what I want you to do. Fill out another application and then I want you to hand deliver it to me along with your T.A.P. scores. Can you do that?”
Jake’s eyes widened, and his mouth hung open. “Absolutely,” he muttered just above a whisper.
“Very good. I guess I better get going,” Roger said. “Get to your station, you may be called on very soon.”
Jake nodded and looked on as Roger exited the room. Once alone, he fell backward against the wall and then slowly slid down it as the realization of what Commander Stellick had suggested set in.
***
As Roger approached the double wooden doors that led into the conference room, he noticed Dr. Phoebe Holtz had arrived at the same time. She paused when she saw him.
“Commander Stellick,” she said as he stopped beside her. “Whatever happens, I want you to know that I’m in support of helping the Kaloians however we can.”
“I know that,” Roger replied. “I could tell you were on my side earlier and I appreciate it.”
Phoebe shook her head. “It’s not about taking sides. This is a historic moment in human history and I want to make sure that it’s handled correctly. I didn’t appreciate the general’s suggestion that his personal relationship could play into any decision that is made. This is much bigger than that.”
“We agree on that,” Roger said, and he motioned for her to enter the room first.
Phoebe flashed a brilliant smile and pushed the doors open. General Hightower was standing at the front of the room. Colonel Madigan, Lieutenant Carter, and other senior officers were already seated at the table. It seemed Roger and Phoebe were the last ones to arrive. With everyone seated, Hightower cleared his throat and reached for a file folder lying on the table in front of him.
“They’ve made a decision,” he said as he opened the folder. He paused to apply some eye drops and then glanced over at Roger. “As Presidents Callahan and Hiro eluded to earlier, there won’t be any rash decision. After much debate, the council ultimately decided that more intel is needed before we risk the safety of Earth.”
“So, the answer is no,” Phoebe said. She sounded disappointed.
Colonel Madigan flashed a broad smirk in the direction of Roger.
“Not exactly,” Hightower said.
The room fell very silent as the weight of Hightower’s words sunk in.
“What does that mean Harry?” Colonel Madigan asked. His smirk had suddenly been replaced with a scowl.
General Hightower’s expression was determined and solid. He had the look of a man that was used to taking orders, whether he agreed with them or not. Roger sensed that the news he was about to deliver was not what he himself preferred.
“The council is not closing the door on helping the Kaloians,” he said. “However, as I said, they feel that more intel is needed in regard to how much help we are going to give.”
“And how are we supposed to gather that intel?” Lieutenant Carter asked.
“We’ll have to detain Captain Steiger and get it from him,” Madigan suggested, glancing up at Hightower for confirmation.
The general said nothing, but he shook his head.
“Then how?” Phoebe asked. “Are we going to question the crew?”
Again, the general shook his head. “No, relying on anything the Kaloians are telling us is not good enough for the council.”
The room again fell silent as it seemed everyone was trying to mull over what the general was getting at.
Hightower sighed and looked over to Roger. He seemed to be reluctant to speak to him, but it seemed obvious he didn’t have a choice. “Commander Stellick, this gate you mentioned,” he began. “The one that will provide a direct path back to the Ara Constellation…did Captain Steiger happen to mention how long it would take to assemble?”
“No, he didn’t,” Roger replied. “But I got a sense that it would not take long.”
“Alright,” Hightower replied. “Well that is a piece of information the presidents want at once. The plan is for us to send a ship with our own people on it through the g
ate to see this foreign world for ourselves.”
There were momentary gasps in the room.
Roger shrugged and asked. “What ship, sir?”
“I’m curious about that as well,” Lieutenant Carter chimed in. “We don’t really have a space craft that is built for deep space exploration at this time.”
General Hightower slowly looked over to Colonel Madigan. Madigan read his eyes and knew what he was thinking. “Well, that’s not entirely true,” Madigan said.
Everyone in the room turned their attention to the colonel.
“Please explain,” Phoebe urged. “What do you mean ‘that’s not true’?”
Madigan looked back to Hightower and again the general locked eyes with him.
“Tell them,” Hightower said, and then he glanced around the room. “And I expect each one of you to keep this confidential.”
Roger and the other officers nodded. He could see they were all as perplexed as he was.
“For the past three years a top-secret project has been underway to build a large spacecraft unlike anything we’ve ever seen before,” Madigan said. “In fact, the ship is only slightly smaller than the Kaloian ship, Pinnacle,” he added proudly.
The room was thick with tension and disbelief. There was a long silence when Hightower continued. “It’s called Project Shooting Star,” he said. “The ship is in the final stages of completion now.”
Roger shook his head in disbelief. “How is that possible?” he asked. “How could S.A.M.A. possibly keep a ship that size a secret?”
General Hightower rubbed at his eyes and paused to apply more drops. “Commander Stellick, it’s been a challenge to say the least. The only place feasible to take on such a challenge in secret is on the dark side of Earth’s moon.”
“So, if I’m understanding you, the council wants us to use this ship to enter through the Kaloian gateway and explore their galaxy?” Roger asked.
“That’s pretty much the plan,” Hightower confirmed.
Colonel Madigan drummed his fingers on the table and shifted uneasily in his chair. “The crew will need a captain and a crew,” he said, glancing up at the general.
