by John Bluck
"Another good jump," said Raven, glancing at Wilson and Lena.
"How long will the air flight to the capital be?" Wilson asked.
"About two hours because of a strong jet stream," Raven said. He set the ship's controls to auto-fly to First City where the Great Leader ruled and resided. Raven pushed a button, and The Ghost Liner's fusion rockets fired. The spurt of power that propelled the ship into the sky pressed Wilson back into his flight couch.
"You're quiet, Rachel," Raven said. He swiveled his flight chair in the direction of Lena. "You were quite cheery when we dropped you off in Hawaii."
"I'm just a little down because now we have to go back to the war," said Lena, who now played the role of Rachel. "I'll be glad when the mission to destroy the cyborg water supply is finished and when the war is won."
Wilson noticed, Lena's Scandinavian-like accent is a bit less evident than Rachel's. I hope Raven doesn’t hear the difference. He probably won't notice because he isn't a native English speaker.
Raven paused a moment and seemed to stare deep into Lena's eyes like he was trying to read her thoughts. "After we drop off the gold, the next mission won't be bad," he said. "It'll be a sneak attack. We'll go in fast and plant fusion bombs at the water reservoir walls, the desalination plants, the sewage treatment plant, and maybe even under the city. It'll take a day. We'll be disguised as workers. It'll be easy."
"I'll feel better when it's done," Lena said.
"Take a nap, Rachel. Then you'll be refreshed," said Raven.
"Okay," said Lena, who seemed to tire of playing the role of Rachel. Lena moved a lever on her flight couch and tilted it back. She pulled out a blanket stowed beneath her seat, draped it around herself, and nodded off.
"Here, Bill," Raven said, and he handed Wilson a thin notebook. "Look at the mission plan. The maps are good."
"Thanks," Wilson said. He studied the simple plan of where the explosives were to be planted, but soon he was dozing, too. In his dream he swam in the ocean near Oahu, and then lay on the warm sand of Waikiki Beach. Raven shook his arm. It took a second for Wilson to recognize that he was back on The Ghost Liner. Raven had changed into a suit and tie.
"The plan bores you, doesn't it?" asked Raven. He chuckled, and his long, gray hair moved with his laugh.
He's happy because he and Yarnell will soon turn in tons of gold for the war effort, thought Wilson. "The plan seems straight forward enough," replied Wilson. "How close are we to the spaceport?"
"We're in descent," said Raven. He punched a button and took manual control of The Ghost Liner, which now flew like an airliner. "It's good for me to keep in practice."
In a few minutes The Ghost Liner taxied to a stop on the tarmac in front of its hangar. A large cargo truck sat nearby.
"Bring the truck to the cargo hold," Raven commanded over the radio, and a truck driver moved his vehicle next to the ship. Crewmen opened a side door of The Ghost Liner and pulled out a conveyor belt. Wilson gazed out a window as the ground crew unloaded gold bars in small wooden crates, which didn't have tops. The yellow metal shone in the sunshine.
Five black limousines with flashing blue lights pulled up next to the ship. Security men hopped off the running boards of each big auto and took defensive positions to form a protective path from one of the limos to The Ghost Liner's stairway.
"What's up?" Wilson asked.
"I got a dispatch during our flight that the Great Leader would be here while the gold is being unloaded," said Raven, beaming. Standing nearby and dressed in a sports jacket and a bow tie, Yarnell also looked very happy.
"That's good news," Wilson said.
"Surprised?" Raven asked.
"A little," said Wilson. He stood, smoothed his clothes with his hand, and nudged Lena. She awoke. "Are we at base?"
"Yes, the Great Leader is here to congratulate Raven and Yarnell for getting the gold," Wilson said.
"Raven should have warned us," Lena whispered. "I would have liked to have brushed my hair." She unsnapped her brown purse and stroked her hair three times with a brush. Just as Lena put it back in her purse, the white-haired Great Leader came into the flight section and walked directly to Raven and Yarnell.
"I've come here to applaud you two for your bravery and spunk," the Leader said. His wrinkled face was flushed as if he had been drinking, but he spoke without a slur. "I also wish you and the rest of The Ghost Liner crew good luck in your mission to Emor, the enemy's stronghold. Be safe. I look forward to your return when we will hold a victory dinner."
The Leader shook hands with Raven and Yarnell. He patted their backs, and then he turned to Wilson.
"Dr. Wilson, I'm glad you and Rachel get along well, according to what I hear. I'm so sorry that Lena did some things she shouldn't have done. Don't worry, we'll rehabilitate her. After this nasty war is over, I plan to grant amnesty to as many people as I can." He hugged Wilson and slapped him on the back.
"Thank you," Wilson said. He had to remind himself that the Great Leader was a dictator and that his government was a police state. He must know that Lena has escaped, Wilson deduced. Or had his underlings withheld that information from him for fear of his anger?
The Great Leader turned to Lena. "Rachel, I've heard so much about you. It must be hard to take the place of another person on a battleship."
"It hasn't been as difficult as I thought it would be," said Lena with a perky look. Wilson thought she was making an extra effort to be upbeat.
"Let's sit for a moment," the Leader said as he put his hand on Lena's waist and began to lead her to a couch at the other end of the flight section.
Wilson couldn't hear what they said, but he saw that both the dictator and Lena smiled and laughed. In a few minutes, they stood. He shook hands with her and kissed her cheek.
As the dictator walked to Raven, Yarnell, and Wilson, he said, "Sorry that I have to leave. Again, I wish you the best of luck on the Triod mission. I hope to spend more time with you and the rest of your crew after you return." He winked at Raven, turned, and marched off the ship. Soon, his motorcade sped away.
The crew scrambled to prepare for the jump to the enemy capital on Triod.
Chapter 32 – An Improvised Plan
"Attention, people, we'll take a twenty-minute meal break before we jump to Triod," said Raven over the ship’s intercom. "We won't have much time to eat after the mission starts."
The mess sergeant and two assistants walked towards Raven. "We're already serving instant rations to some troopers, and the rest of the food will be ready to serve in the next seven minutes," the sergeant said.
Lena clutched Wilson's arm, and he turned to look into her hazel green eyes. "Let's move to the corner and talk," she said. She glanced at an alcove near a cloak room.
Wilson nodded, and they moved away from groups of people who milled about. A few soldiers had already eaten their meals, but most of the crew had gathered in the common area where some played darts and others amused themselves by playing billiards in between bites of food.
When Lena and Wilson got to the alcove, he asked her, "What's up?"
"You read Raven's plan. What's the crew supposed to do after we arrive on planet Triod, but before we get off the ship?"
"Those officers who don't know much about the mission will go to a thirty-minute briefing in Raven's office," Wilson replied. "The rest of the enlisted crew will get an update in the common area. Most officers, to include us, will have twenty minutes to rest before the mission. I told Raven I'd fill you in."
"Good," Lena said. "We can go into the armory while the armorers are in the briefing. Then I'll activate the three fusion bombs."
"How do you know that the armorers won't issue the three armed bombs to the assault troops to use on Emor City's waterworks?" Wilson asked.
"We have twice as many fusion bombs on board as Raven's raiders need," she said. "The armorers put the newest bombs in the back of the storage area. They always hand out the older bombs first. I'll arm the n
ewest bombs. Each has a date stamp."
"What's my job?"
"You keep a lookout while I'm in the armory," Lena said. "If anybody comes, warn me with this pager." She handed Wilson a small black box and showed him how to unlock its red button so he could push it. As he was putting the device in his pants pocket, the final meal bell rang to call the rest of the crew to the mess hall.
"We'd better go," Wilson said.
The crew filed into the mess hall, some carrying food and drinks. Those who didn't already have their rations, picked up warm combat meals wrapped in aluminum foil, and sat at long tables.
Wilson and Lena sat near the main exit where they hoped to continue to plot their unauthorized entry into the armory, but Yarnell joined them.
"How are you two doing?" he asked, as he ripped open his meal package and took out his warm sandwich.
"I need to mentally prepare for this mission," Lena replied in a slightly thicker Scandinavian-like accent. She sipped coffee from a paper cup.
"I know you aren't experienced in combat, Rachel," Yarnell said. "Stick with Bill. He's proved himself to be very calm under fire. It won't be hard. We'll sneak in and plant the explosives, and the enemy shouldn't see us."
"That's good," Lena said.
Yarnell patted her back. "You'll be okay, darling," he said.
"Thanks," Lena said. She forced a smile.
"I'm sure you two want to be together," Yarnell said.
"Bye, Roberto. Thanks for the counsel," Lena said sweetly. "You made me feel a tad better."
Lena and Wilson wolfed down their food, and the rest of the crew gobbled their meals, too. Everyone was on edge. Raven stepped atop his chair and raised his arms to get the crew's attention. His long, grey hair hung about his shoulders.
"Folks, it's time to put your trays and wrappers on the conveyor belt," he said. "Move to the flight seats and buckle in. After we jump, we'll cloak near the main water plant and treatment facility. Before the assault team leaves the ship, we'll have a final briefing."
The crew broke into soft discussions as Raven got down from his perch. He put his tray, eating utensils, glass, and sandwich wrapper on the conveyor. The rest of the crew did the same. Lena and Bill walked to adjacent flight chairs, sat down, and fastened their seat belts.
"Ten minutes to jump," said Raven via the intercom.
"Good luck," Wilson said to Lena.
"May we both be on the right side of fate," Lena said. "And above all, Bill, listen to your Inner One, and follow his advice."
He nodded and grasped her hand. She squeezed, and he felt her tension.
The red jump light went on, and the cabin was bathed in a ruddy glow that reminded Wilson of blood.
The Ghost Liner vibrated, but the pulse was not as strong as it was when Raven had earlier pushed the ship to its limits. Most of the crew read from their electronic tablets, and many others dozed during the jump to Triod. After a couple of hours the vessel's tremors became weaker. Then they stopped, the red light shut off, and a sunshine-like glow bathed the crew.
"Let's leave," Lena whispered in Wilson's ear.
"Okay," he said as he unbuckled his seat belt. Lena stood, and he was beside her in seconds. She looped her right arm around his shoulder while the two set out along a hallway towards the armory.
"Do you have the key?" Wilson asked.
"Yes, it was still under the wallpaper. I just had to wash off the wallpaper paste," Lena said. "Let's sit on the couch." She pointed to a brown leather sofa about twenty feet from the armory door.
"After Raven orders crewmembers to go to the briefings, you might want to wait a few minutes to make sure nobody from the armory is late for his meeting," Wilson said.
"I'll wait, but not long," she said. "In case someone is still in there, I'll say I have to do an inspection."
"That could be a problem, if that person were to mention it to an officer," Wilson said.
"That's the best I can think of right now," Lena said.
Static hiss came from the olive drab loudspeaker mounted on the wall above the couch where they sat. "Attention," stated Raven via the ship's intercom. "All personnel who have not had a mission briefing, please go to your assigned meeting. Non-briefed officers, please report to my office. Thank you."
The loudspeaker hiss stopped, leaving the hallway once more quiet where Wilson and Lena sat. Suddenly, the armory's gate-like door opened with a metallic groan, and two armorers and their lieutenant exited. The reinforced metal gate slammed shut behind them, closed by a pneumatic arm. As they left, they smiled at Wilson and Lena.
"Do you think they'll remember us later?" Wilson asked.
"It won't matter if the ship explodes," said Lena. She stood up and took a key from her pocket. "I'll be back in five minutes. If anybody comes when I'm inside, push the pager button once. If the person leaves, punch the button twice. And if someone starts to go in, push the button a lot."
"Okay," he said.
Lena walked to the heavy metal door, inserted the key, and turned it. The hinges creaked as she pulled the door open. She entered, and it slammed shut.
Wilson remained on the leather couch, which smelled like new cowhide. Time seemed to crawl, which made him feel edgy. Officers who ranked higher than first lieutenant did not have to attend the briefings, and they could be anywhere on the ship.
Boot sounds echoed along the hallway, and Wilson felt a chill. Yarnell approached.
"Hi, Bill. Where's Rachel?" he asked. He stopped in front of the couch.
Wilson reached in his pocket and pressed the pager button once. "She went to her cabin to freshen up," Wilson lied.
"Women are strange, sometimes," Yarnell said. "Does she think someone will notice her makeup or hair during a raid?" He laughed and shook his head back and forth.
"We'll see you in the assembly area soon," Wilson said.
"Yeah, it won't be long," he said. "I'm going to get another laser rifle because a warning lamp on my weapon flashed red. You might want to check yours before we go, too."
Yarnell started for the armory door. Wilson reached in his pocket and thumbed the button over and over again. Yarnell took a key from his pocket, and he turned to Wilson. "It was a good thing I got this from the armory lieutenant before Raven's briefing started," Yarnell said. He held up a big key. "You want to come in, too? You should take a look at the new models that just came in. The upgrades are pretty good." Yarnell waved Wilson to follow.
Yarnell opened the door, and they stepped into the large weapons room. There were a couple of heavy gray metal desks and government swivel chairs at the front of the big room. It was bright where the two men stood.
Rows of metal shelves were at the other end of the room, which was dimly lit. Wilson figured that Lena was hiding behind some big boxes. On a shelf not far away from the two men an olive drab wooden box was open, and the ray rifles it contained were in plain sight. Yarnell stepped to the shelf, and he picked up one of the weapons.
"This is just what I want," he said. "These are more accurate than the old models. This one locks on a target with a laser. If the target moves, the rifle senses it and adjusts the shot in a thousandth of a second." He handed Wilson the weapon, which was lighter than the laser rifle he had used in target practice.
"It feels good," Wilson said.
Yarnell filled out a release form for the rifle. He scribbled his signature and said, "You could use a weapon like that, Bill."
"It's nice, but my ray pistol is all I need because I spend most of my time with the wounded," Wilson said. He handed the new rifle back to Yarnell.
"When we have more time, you should check out the new pistols," Yarnell said. "We'd better get to the assembly point early." He waved Wilson towards the door.
As they left the armory, the steel door creaked and slammed shut.
"See you in a few minutes, Ricardo," Wilson said. "I have to link up with Rachel."
"Be safe," Yarnell said. He left with his new rifle.
&nbs
p; A minute after Yarnell turned the corner in the hallway, Wilson walked back to the armory door and reached out to knock on it. He was stunned as someone tapped his shoulder. Wilson turned. One of the armorers, a large, heavy man, stood there.
"Yarnell said you still have time to get a new pistol," said the overweight armorer, Jake Trundell. He unlocked the heavy door and swung it open.
"Good," Wilson said, fumbling for the pager in his pocket, but he was too late to warn Lena. She stood frozen, her eyes wide open, as Trundell stepped into the room, followed by Wilson.
"Hi, Rachel," he said. "How'd you get in here?"
She drew her ray gun, and Trundell dove towards the heavy exit door, but Lena fired a stun ray that hit his chest. Out cold, he fell like a giant rag doll near the doorway.
"Help me drag him to the back of the room," Lena said while she replaced her weapon in her holster.
Each clutched one of Trundell's heavy arms and pulled him with difficulty across the floor. They dragged him behind some crates in the rear of the room, and Wilson threw a tarp over him.
"I need to get one of those new pistols," Wilson said. "Yarnell sent Trundell back here to issue one to me."
"Okay, I saw them on the second shelf back. Keep your old one, too," Lena said. "Trundell should be out for a couple of hours, but I'll give him a sedative just in case." Lena unzipped her fanny pack and took out a preloaded hypodermic needle.
She lifted the tarp that covered Trundell. As Lena gave Trundell the shot, Wilson walked to the second shelf and took a new ray pistol.
Lena walked to Wilson. "Did you have any trouble arming the bombs?" he asked.
"No," she said, as she zipped her fanny pack shut.
Wilson felt guilty. He was part of a plot that could destroy intelligent, good people. He realized the uselessness of armed conflict, which ruins human beings, killing some and injuring the bodies and souls of the others.
He was in a haze as he marched to the ship's staging area with Lena.
Chapter 33 – The Water Mission at Emor City
Wilson and Lena hustled to the mission staging area within The Ghost Liner.
