AMERICA ONE - Return To Earth (Book 4)

by T I WADE

  It was the day Captain Pete began slowing the mother ship down, two million miles out from Earth’s orbit around the sun, when the message, arriving every hour gradually got stronger and changed.

  “America One, America One, do you copy? Over.”

  “This is America One, we are picking you up, but the message is very weak. We can just understand what you are saying. Over,” replied Ryan. It seemed that the return message wasn’t getting through, as the same new message was repeated once an hour.

  It took another two days before the spacecraft received a new message.

  “America One, this is Montreal, Canada. We copied your incoming message. Please give us your whereabouts. Commander, your old friend has been alerted and we will have a link patched to him ASAP. Danger, danger. Do NOT come within 20,000 miles of Earth. Do NOT come within 20,000 miles of Earth. You will be destroyed. You WILL be destroyed. Please reply that you have received this message. Over.”

  An hour after Ryan’s reply went back stating that he had received the message, a familiar voice returned to the airwaves. It was a voice he easily recognized.

  “America One, this is the person who has been waiting for you for a decade. Please transmit the code I gave you before you left. I need the three words in order. Over.”

  Since the message was in the computer, and had been scrambled a decade earlier, Ryan knew that the president would receive it. Within 30 minutes, the reply came back, the radio now reasonably clear with less static and the words could be understood.

  “Codes received and approved. Ryan we are on a scrambled top secret frequency. I have sent up a new app to give you our new scrambling parameters. Download them, and send me a signal in 30 minutes. Out.”

  Captain Pete and Igor received the app, cleaned one computer of all information, and downloaded the new scrambling app into it. Not linked anymore to the dozens of others aboard ship, or to the intercom system, the computer could not be a danger if hacked. Any messages would be checked for viruses, and then transferred onto a second computer by thumb drive. During the changeover, the astronauts, VIN and Suzi, were called to the Bridge, with an order for a fresh pot of coffee which took twenty minutes.

  When everyone arrived Ryan told them that they were in contact with Earth. There was a buzz of excitement from the astronauts. Jonesy even did a sort of dance, but more like a circle around a non-existent totem pole.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, we are nearly home,” smiled Ryan at his flight and security crew. “Our old friend will be live on the radio for all of us to hear the latest news. I hope his position is secure and he is free to speak, but one never knows. We will hear him out. As a crew we still have two weeks before we go into orbit around Earth. It doesn’t sound like this radio transmission is coming through a satellite, but from Montreal, Canada directly. We have been warned that there is a war going on in space, but I’m sure we will be given more info. Igor has given me the nod, so here goes.”

  Ryan was quiet for a few seconds and then began. “America One to Earth, we have our system now scrambled and operational. We have taken precautions to make sure we cannot be hacked into, and we are ready to get news from Earth. Over.”

  “Ryan, glad to have you back. Many of us have been waiting for your return. First, the most important news: Do not enter to within a geo-stationary orbital distance from Earth. Chinese, Iranian, North Korean, Russian and U.S. laser cubes will destroy you immediately. Please confirm that you understand this message. Ryan, please confirm.”

  “I heard that cubes in outer space will attempt to destroy us. Is that correct?” Ryan replied. Two minutes later a response arrived.

  “Ryan, it seems that you are still some distance from Earth. We have a 230 second delay on messages returning, that is if you replied immediately.”

  “Roger that,” replied Ryan. “I’m sure your gurus at NASA can compute our distance, Mr. President.”

  “Correct, they are doing that now, and its ex-president for the second time. We have had a new president for six years and, unfortunately, from the other party. Not a bad guy, but no better than me and the last dozen U.S. Presidents. I include myself in that group. I am speaking to you from Montreal, Canada. I am persona non grata in the United States, also for the second time, and now too old to fight back. I moved to Canada to be able to do what I’m doing now, speak to you. I have been forbidden to speak to you while in the United States. The NSA cannot listen in to this channel anymore. They cannot get through the scrambling system made for me by a friend in Israel, now also an enemy of the United States. Unfortunately, the current administration let them down badly and the Israeli’s did not forgive them. A long story and I’ll tell you more when we meet.

  “So the Israeli’s are listening in to our conversation?” Ryan asked.

  “I would assume so,” replied the man on the other end. “But better them than the rest of the world. I’m sure I have only a few minutes before we are interrupted by unfriendlies trying to halt this communication, so I will be brief. Ryan, most important, there is a war in space, but not on Earth. Nobody down here has the money or modern weaponry to commit to a land war. First, space. Several countries, and you can guess which ones, and include the USA, have produced thousands of cubes, the same cubes you saw when you left. They are space drones, normally a few feet square, with as much laser power and plutonium as the country can send into space. The most deadly are the Chinese, U.S., North Korean and Iranian cubes. They attack anything, even each other, and have one word programed into their drone brains, ‘Destroy’. These drones got bigger and bigger until about four years ago, when all the countries sending them up realized smaller is better. Now they are as small as can be. Also, since the North Korean and Iranian drones attacked everything floating in space, all the other countries did the same. An easy task when several drone replacements are launched daily. Current estimates are the drones, or cubes, have a lifespan of about two months in space at varying orbital heights before they destroy, or are themselves destroyed. We estimate about ten thousand drones are up there at any one time buzzing around the planet looking for an enemy. They find their enemy by radio, infra-red, heat sources, anything possible, and once they latch onto a target, or are latched onto themselves, they zero in for battle at full speed and commit, until one is destroyed. Ryan, you and your large lasers are no match for thousands of these little bastards. They will quickly see your approach, and attach you by the hundreds. Did you copy that? Over.”

  “We copied that,” replied Ryan and had to wait for the message to continue. Ryan could see VIN already eyeing the hardly used ship’s laser console with anticipation. “Guys, remember we still have enough shields for every ship, and there is no way those laser beams, or little cubes will penetrate the shields on full power. The harder they attack us the better.”

  “I’m glad I got that message across, Ryan. Life down here on Earth is more like a stalemate in chess. Nobody can afford to go to war. The North Koreans try every once and awhile, but their missiles are quickly shot down. We perfected our own ‘Iron Dome’ project, with the help of our Israeli friends, under my command, three years and nine months after you left. There is no way a missile can penetrate our defenses over the entire United States. Nor can your spaceships enter the atmosphere 60 miles above the United States without automatically being fired upon. The system cannot be turned off, that is the key to it, so be warned. When the new administration took over, after a fair election, the concept of peace in the U.S. changed. Our government finally had a comprehensive defense system in place, but the new administration decided not to pay the Israelis the money owed for their assistance in building that massive project. They invested 950 billion dollars into our system was extremely close to bankruptcy. To solve that problem, they began selling the same system to other countries. It took China and Russia three more years to complete their projects, and we are now defensible against each other. Of course, Israel became wealthy again once several countries in Europe got the
ir defenses up and running. Today there are twelve countries with extremely modern and dangerous ‘Iron Dome’ defense systems, ten times more powerful and accurate than the system they had in Israel when you left.

  “There was nothing I could do. After trying to fight it, I realized that even with your help, I had alienated my only backup with our new defense system, you and your crew. Therefore, I befriended my old contacts in Israel and they helped me setup a base here in Canada five years ago.”

  “Let me guess,” answered Ryan, taking notes. “Israel, the U.S., Canada, Russia, China, Germany, Great Britain, France, maybe Brazil, Iran, and, I’m at a loss for the others who have a defense system.”

  Two minutes later he received his answer.

  “Right on most. Canada only had limited funds for its major cities. The Canadian rural areas are not protected, the country is too big. Same with Russia, only half of its territory including its major cities. China managed to include their whole country, so did the smaller European countries; including Brazil was correct, but again, only its major cities. Japan, South Korea and North Korea are the three you missed. Japan and South Korea, like the European countries, are small enough to afford full protection. North Korea and Iran have about half of their areas covered. North Korea sends missiles into South Korea every once and a while, the South Korean system destroys them, and South Korea flattens few small unprotected government buildings every now and again. As I said, here on Earth, it is a stalemate, and these new defenses also destroyed good relations between all the countries, and that destroyed all the world’s trade. Everybody is stone broke down here because international trade has decreased between continents by 95 percent since you left. In many ways………” and the voice of the man Ryan knew went off the air for several minutes. It returned but for a short period. “Sorry about that Ryan, Chinese intervention, then an attack by North Korea on our radio frequency. They don’t want me to communicate with you and a warning from Beijing has already been sent to the Canadian Government……” Again he went off and returned a minute later telling Ryan to change to a new radio frequency through a ten-year old code Igor had to search long and hard on the computers to locate. “That was a U.S. attack on our transmitters from Langley. I believe I have a minute or two on this frequency before the next attack…… Ryan, the Canadian government has asked me to halt my transmissions, but before I do let me finish. If you enter any country’s airspace without permission, I don’t believe your lasers can protect you. You can only enter with prior permission. Now, I want to give you co-ordinates of the missile bases of the most powerful nations. You destroy these, and you destroy 30 to 60 percent of their Iron Dome control systems, temporarily. Temporarily means about 24 hours.”

  For two minutes, computerized information was transmitted from Earth to the lone computer communicating on the Bridge. Then the voice returned.

  “I have given you U.S. coordinates as well, but most of them are Chinese and Russian, North Korean and Iranian. You could destroy the much weaker North Korean systems, and destroying them could anger China, but allow you to befriend the U.S. administration, who by the way also wants to destroy you as soon as you arrive. They are worried that you could upset the stalemate, unless it is in their favor of course. The reason there is no trade is because only small jet aircraft can travel between countries, and far less frequently than when you were last here. Since the airwaves are fully utilized by the ‘Iron Dome’ systems, any aircraft traveling between countries are radio silent. As soon as they transmit, somebody gets a bead on them. All large ships are destroyed immediately, so most sea trade between countries has come to a grinding halt. You have seen the attacks on my radio transmission. China is now the most powerful country in the world. They have the smallest, fastest, most sophisticated long-range missiles in the world today and they have seriously diminished the might of the U.S. armed forces. Most attacks around the world are from Chinese missiles destroying ships, aircraft, or anything else they see moving. They even have stupidly destroyed their own ships and aircraft on many occasions. Any ship larger than 100 feet is a likely target. Most ships still floating are 40 to 50 foot vessels; only submarines can still play powerful roles. We are having interference again. I will communicate same channel, same time tomorr………” The voice did not return.

  Nobody said a word about what they had just heard. The voice on Earth had given them adequate information for day one as well as the knowledge that Ryan and his shuttles could easily change the stalemate, and instigate a full scale world war.

  “Ideas on why we need to head back to Earth, everyone,” Ryan requested as the third pot of fresh coffee arrived, and his daughter, the coffee carrier, left. “Here are mine. First, I want some of the equipment stashed in the cavern on my airfield in Nevada. I might never drive my Tesla, or Audi on Mars, but they would look good as part of the furniture.” VIN agreed with him. “Second, I would like to see the hot Nevada sun for the last time. Third, I want to get Commander Joot down to the Sahara and see if there are any more of his people asleep down there. I also want to make sure that none of their technical knowledge will ever be found by other warlike humans, who might rise up to destroy us on Mars. Last, I promised that anybody who wants to go back to Earth can do so. I want to keep my promise. Those are my reasons for returning to Earth. You may all state your wishes. Let’s start with Igor.”

  “I think it is urgently important to find out how these amazing Matt shields work,” stated Igor. “Commander Joot doesn’t know, we have so far learned nothing, and if there are any descriptions on how they work, I believe it will be in their base in Africa.” Boris and Captain Pete agreed with Igor. There wasn’t anything else they wanted on Earth. The room was silent, until the usual suspect opened his mouth.

  “Maggie, Saturn and I would like to spend some time on Earth. I would like to see my parents one more time and, with my partner here, spend a year or so fishing, maybe with Bob Mathews. Ryan, I think that we should leave my shuttle, SB-III, and the crew compartment, in a secret location, unarmed, for anybody to join us on an exodus at a later date, maybe a year or three after we arrive. From what the president told us, we should be totally immune to drone, cube or rocket strikes while inside the shield, even when we lift off through the Earth’s atmosphere. Fully fuelled with extra fuel in the rear cargo hold, SB-III should be able to get to Mars if you leave the last supply pod a few hundred thousand miles out of harm’s way. What do you think?”

  Ryan thought about what Jonesy suggested for a few minutes. He somehow knew that Mr. Jones would come up with something exotic, and he had known for quite a while what it might be.

  “Not an impossible idea, Mr. Jones,” replied Ryan. “A little James Bond-ish for me, but I’ll open Mr. Jones’ idea to you all.”

  “I think it has merit,” stated Allen Saunders. “I’m sure there are a few people who might like to visit family if they are still alive.”

  “What about the dangers of an elite military tactical force capturing your ride home, Mr. Jones?” asked Ryan. “I would certainly leave an explosive device aboard, so nobody could obtain any of our flight technology. I know they will catch up to us in the future, but we will continue to advance on Mars and, hopefully, stay one step ahead of the pack. If they find SB-III, your transportation back to Mars is history. What about that scenario, ladies and gentlemen?”

  “It’s risky,” responded a couple of the crew. After much discussion, all the astronauts, except Michael and Penny Pitt, wanted time on Earth. Even his wife Kathy wanted to return for a short while, a dilemma Ryan knew he would have to face. Captain Pete, Dr. Nancy, Igor and Boris did not want to return, but that didn’t solve his problem of only having two fully experienced flight astronauts if the others couldn’t return. He, Max Burgos and a couple of others could fly, but certainly not as well as Jonesy, Maggie, Allen, Jamie, Michael and Penny.

  The next day they met at the same time, to see if the voice from Earth could contact them again. During the
last 20 hours, Captain Pete, Igor and Boris went over the base locations transmitted during the conversation. There were a dozen bases in North Korea, Iran, and several of the European countries. There were three bases in Israel, although Ryan was sure the Israelis had dozens more in that small country. Each of the larger countries had at least 100 bases or more. The U.S. alone had locations at every air force base. Jonesy could decipher them, and shocked Ryan when he told him that his own private base in Nevada was one of the locations.

  The President’s voice returned for two short minutes before being cut off. This time a voice with an American accent ordered the ex-president, by name, to stay off the air, or there would be repercussions between the United States and Canada. No more was heard from Earth, but the radio frequencies used by many of the world countries had been transmitted in a quick file. Now Ryan, aboard America One, could speak to anybody he wanted to contact.

  Nothing more was said by the ex-president that Ryan and his crew hadn’t already figured out. They had two weeks to prepare to enter orbit around the blue planet cocooned inside their blue shield.

  The pretty home to all the adults aboard grew larger and larger in the Bridge windows. First the moon was just another star, then it also grew into a moon as Earth increased in size. Ryan could now understand why several of the crew wanted to return. Pleasant memories of Earth drifted through his thoughts continuously while he was awake, and even when he dreamed.

  The growing children who could not remember what the blue planet looked like were allowed on the Bridge to look at the beautiful sight, and wonder about the planet their parents called home.