by T I WADE
“Oh, bullshit!” the surgeon shot back. But VIN could see that even she wanted to touch and inspect the merchandise. What surgeon wouldn’t? VIN lowered the one trouser leg and pulled the other one even higher, as far as it would go, about halfway up his upper leg. He was enjoying his five minutes of fame before he would tell them the truth.
Even Fritz was impressed with how well formed and complete his legs were. They even had a form of skin-covering, the metal parts seeable through the “skin”. The scientists had certainly done a good job.
“Do you really have ‘metal nuts’ under there?” the spy asked, her faced shocked at what she had just witnessed.
“Yep!” replied VIN, “semi-accurate up to 2,000 miles, and totally accurate under 1,000 miles.”
“Oh bull crap!” smiled the surgeon again enjoying his sense of humor. “Your prosthetics are certainly modern; I would like to see them sometime.”
“And watch the nuts, doc. They are still real, as is the rest of his upper, still bleeding body; and his human parts are all accounted for by another deadly robotic person,” smiled Fritz adding in his two cents worth. The intercom headsets on both their heads squawked with Maggie’s voice.
“VIN, sitrep (situation report) please, we are attaching back onto the ISS port.
***
At the same time Ryan, on a different frequency, was talking to his friend, the ex-president.
“So what do we do now?” Ryan asked.
“I would assume that you have legally salvaged the ISS, Ryan, and you have jurisdiction over it since McNealy ordered NASA to let the crew die. I will talk to my Russian friends later this morning, and then to the Europeans. Only the Japanese have any other say, and I spoke to them last week. They showed little interest in the ISS. They have far bigger problems back home, plus none of the crew is theirs. Ryan, I need to ask you a question. How long are you going to be in orbit around Earth before we lose your laser protection?”
“I would say eight to twelve months before the ship is ready to sail; and tell the Europeans that my protection will come at a cost.”
“I’m listening.”
“There is due to be one more launch to resupply the ISS in two months. If we hadn’t supplied the ISS the crew would be dead, so the resupply is not necessary.”
“So you want to use the launch for your own supplies?” the ex-president asked.
“Let me ask you one question, sir. Who is now going to be in the White House? Who will be the country’s next leader?”
“Why?” the ex-president asked. “You don’t live here anymore.”
“It depends on what I ask to be included in the one and only resupply flight remaining. Also, I’m getting some new ideas on how to leave Earth’s orbit and protect my fellow Americans at the same time. I need to know who I can depend on to not start World War III. I want to come back to something in the future.”
“Do you trust me, Ryan?” the ex-president asked straight out.
‘I’m not sure I trust any politicians, members of the government, or even the military any more. I do not trust Bill Withers as a friend any more, but he is the best person to head NASA. I don’t trust Joe Everson or the FBI, CIA and NSA. They were all under your orders to spy on me. I do not know who to trust, and one of my crew just called me from the ISS on our private intercom saying that the Chinese spy is spilling the beans, and there is much I should hear. Have you connected with the Chinese?” Ryan asked.
“Only to defer war or retaliation against the U.S. for what we did. Other than that, Ryan, I have never had any secret or private dealings with anybody in China. I give you my word as a longtime friend. And to answer your earlier question, the vice president is shocked at what has happened. They are going in tonight to clear the Oval Office. The vice president is young, only in his early 40s, and has asked me to take over leadership of the country; he will continue to serve under me as interim vice president until we can schedule another round of elections, in about a year’s time. Ryan, the world is in trouble. If we haven’t blown everybody else off the planet in the next six to twelve months, I believe that we and all the other countries can begin to rebuild. As you know it’s going to take five years to a decade before we have new GPS, military, and communication satellites filling the voids of space. If you come back in a couple of years, you won’t see much improvement down here on Earth. That stupid Mortimer has killed off any world progress for a long time to come. Also, given the 50/50 probability right now of a nuclear war, Earth could be totally barren when you return. Your protection could decrease that, but we need worldwide collective thinking to put all of us back on track. You don’t trust anybody down here; do you think the world’s countries can trust each other right now? Ryan, there are thousands of insecure people but powerful people who can make or break our world, and that is going to continue unless we can put things into perspective, and the United States can demonstrate that we are still the most powerful nation on Earth. If I lead this country again, Ryan, it will be as it was the last time I was in power; I will be fair to everyone and give every country a chance to work with us to make this planet stable and productive again. I hope that gives you food for thought. Now, I know that your brain has been at warp speed while I was talking. What can I do for you if I take over the reins in a few weeks?”
“I want my airfield back. I want Bob Mathews and his two co-pilots and the Dead Chicken on the apron. I need at least two or three of my old hangars resurrected, plus three aircraft hangars for my shuttles. I want enough solid rocket fuel for several more launches into space. I can give you a list of people down there I will need to continue work on two projects for six to nine months. Joe Downs communicated with me yesterday telling me that my airfield is barren, everything has been dismantled, by the NSA I assume. I will need you to accommodate my scientists and others at the airfield beginning with my security guards, all thirty of them. Only then can I do what you want me to do and construct a defense weapon for the United States.”
“You are welcome down here again. I will contact the Chinese to warn them that you are still an American, and that you will be ready to shoot down any missiles they fire, 24/7. I think they will now listen to what I say, and you might have to back up my words and show your power from space to prove that I’m telling the truth. That should avert a world war. China is the one country most likely to start a war. I’m not, and I know the Russians are not. Your lasers up there have everybody paying deference to you—until you decide to leave. That is all I ask. Send me the list of names; I will get the vice president to issue orders to NASA, the Russians, the Europeans, and our own air force and navy to fly the guys you want into Nevada. I will start right now setting up your airfield, with accommodations, new fencing and security gates. Give me time, it should be ready in about a month.”
“Good, I want Bill Withers to head up NASA, and to release the guys I need,” added Ryan, still thinking. “When will all the president’s men be accounted for?”
“The vice president has the FBI and other agencies hot on the trail of McNealy and Bishop; along with Mortimer, as of today, they are on the government’s Most Wanted list. Thanks to your advice earlier we are checking air force bases. Mortimer has his long-range Gulfstream and can go anywhere. We might need your help tracking him if we locate him flying outside the U.S. The Russians and Europeans know he is to blame for their problems, and are as keen to capture him as we are. The president will be dealt with tonight; he will stand trial for crimes against the U.S. and he and his men are soon to be history. Power has already been transferred to the vice president by Congress. This is the first time in years they have acted so quickly. Duties imposed by the ‘Importation of Space Goods’ law has been decreased from 65 percent to 33 percent. All four agencies, the FBI, the CIA, the NSA, and NASA are being scrutinized by Joe Everson. The House and the Senate are examining each other’s past history, including each person in the House of Representatives. Within a year or so, we should have a clean, work
ing legislative branch of government. No more can be done now, except to get Bill Withers back to work on a new array of satellites.”
The radio communication ended, in case too many others found the frequency. Ryan would need his ex-pilots to work out a system of safe frequencies and times of use for future private communications. Cell phones were useless in space.
Suzi handed Ryan a salad. He noticed that it wouldn’t be long before they had little toddlers running around the corridors, and he was rather looking forward to that. There were already several children on board, but as yet, apart from at his welcoming party, he hadn’t seen any. He needed to learn what everybody was doing aboard ship, but first he had to figure out what to do with the ISS and its crew.
Chapter 7
America One has visitors
Ryan had much thinking to do, but first he had to get his crew home and sort out the ISS. He did have legal salvage rights, but he didn’t want to take the space station with him around the solar system, it wasn’t designed for such a journey; nor was Ivan or the growing number of supply freighters around the ship. He decided that Bill Withers and NASA could use all the equipment he didn’t want, and he needed to plan a new strategy.
First he had figure out where to park the ISS. America One and everything else would be safer at a higher altitude so he instructed Captain Pete to slowly increase their altitude to 1,000 miles once all the shuttles returned. He would have preferred to go back to a higher 22,000 mile geostationary orbit above Nevada, but both lasers would be too high to accurately protect the U.S. It didn’t really matter at what altitude the supply freighters or the ISS orbited as there were no pressure changes like in marine or atmospheric conditions. However, the higher up they went, the more cosmic radiation would enter the craft.
At 22,500 miles the radiation levels aboard Ivan had doubled the last time, although it was still within safe limits for humans; but only America One and all his other craft were totally protected and able to go higher. If he armed both an unmanned ISS and Ivan with automated lasers controlled from Earth, he could leave them behind.
“I have Mr. Jones on our backup frequency. He wants orders, as do Mr. Noble and Mr. Warner who are still aboard the ISS.”
“Thanks, Pete,” replied Ryan getting back to the present. “How long before SB-I and SB-II reach the ISS? Tell them to go to the backup frequency. We are going to have to do what the military does and scramble communications for future frequency changes. I’m sure we have half the world, and China, listening in to us already.”
“The two shuttles need an hour,” Pete replied.
“SB-I, SB-II, you are to continue to the ISS. Did you copy that?” asked Ryan. Pete gave him the OK that he had coded a sentence only crew who had been aboard would be able to decrypt, and both he and the crew had changed channels.
“SB-I, copied that,” replied Michael Pitt.
“SB-II, also copied that,” added Allen Saunders.
“Mr. Jones, Mr. Noble, are you listening?” Both replied that they were.
“We will talk on this channel for a maximum of two minutes. Our next communication will be in sixty-two minutes on 125.5 and then on 147.0 in one hundred twenty-four minutes. Copy that?” They all did. “When you return, I want you former air force personnel to develop a better system to scramble radio frequencies before any more flights. Mr. Pitt, Mr. Saunders, connect your shuttles to the ISS on opposite ends. Mr. Jones, you are riding shotgun as protection. SB-I and II, ignite rear thrusters and bring the ISS back to us. America One will commence an altitude change in six hours. By that time you need to have your cargo docked to the mother ship. Mr. Noble, Mr. Warner, maintain peace in the ISS; have a party or something. I’m sure you have enough doctors and first aid kits aboard to keep your wounds bandaged for your short journey. Out.”
For most of the flight, moving under full thrust from the two powerful shuttles, the ISS crew questioned VIN and Fritz; the two mostly refused to answer anything.
Dr. Nancy Martin was very interested in VIN’s legs and they went into another room where VIN permitted her to feel and prod his legs. He was rather embarrassed about this very pretty female doctor wanting to touch him. He was a marine after all, not a scientific experiment!
Fritz’s head hurt as much as VIN’s did. Now armed with VIN’s Glock, passed through by Maggie from SB-III, he guarded the rest of the crew. He didn’t trust any of them, and there wasn’t to be any party. They all tied themselves down around the chamber for the short journey to a ship far bigger than they had ever seen that even had a round, above-ground empty swimming pool/sauna and a sunbathing deck. The crew aboard the ISS was certainly going to get a shock; they had never seen space travel done first class!
After a twelve minute burn, the shuttles had changed orbital direction and were climbing to liaise with the mother ship only 50 miles higher than they were, and 12,000 miles away. It would take two orbits and over 100,000 miles of travel to meet up.
The doctor was seriously inspecting VIN’s legs. He was strapped to a flat table, to keep from floating off, and he felt very weird. She touched his flight suit legs here and there, as high as they went. Even though they were no higher than his upper legs he could not stop his body from shamelessly reacting to her touch. His brain could actually feel the stronger prods, and her fingers were going higher and higher.
“Can you feel hot and cold, wind, or weather, or pain through this membrane skin?” the doctor asked prodding him for the umpteenth time. She pinched him, and he actually winced.
“Not as much as my real body, about 60 percent as much,” VIN answered.
“Your leg mechanics, I assume, are stronger than your original legs were?” she asked trying in vain to move a leg.
“Yes, far stronger. Good for jumping around asteroids.”
“Jumping on asteroids, huh?” she replied thinking he was playing around.
“On Earth I can leap as high as thirty feet, if I concentrate. On the asteroid we visited, I cleared well over sixty feet. Now, I’m looking forward to at least an 800-foot jump on the moon.” That got her attention.
Meanwhile, Fritz was keeping an eye on the crew. The commander and the Chinese biologist were tied together holding hands. The older German scientist, Petra, chatted to him in German a bit, but they ran out of things to say. Every now and again the Russian cosmonaut asked how his old friends were doing, and if he was going to meet them. He seemed to know many of Ryan’s older buddies, Boris, Igor, and Vitaliy. The sexy Chinese spy was asleep. Since the crew was still being held in a semi-captive situation, they didn’t feel very talkative; nor did Fritz. His head hurt.
Six hours later, the ISS was finally docked to America One, with Ivan in-between. The shuttles had tried to bring her in close to Cube Seven, but her antennae were too large to be placed so close. So the only way was for Jonesy to dock the ISS to Ivan, which was docked underneath America One out of the way, and this gave them enough room for the antennae.
One by one, with VIN leading the now happy Dr. Nancy through Ivan, first, they floated into Cube Seven where they were greeted by Ryan, Suzi, the ship’s doctor, Doctor Rogers, his very pregnant wife Nurse Martha, and Mr. Rose. Magnetic shoes were handed to the doctor while VIN returned to get Petra.
Suzi and Martha Von Zimmer both hugged Petra, their floating friend, then gave her shoes to put on and told her to follow them.
Commander Popov was happy to see Boris and Igor waiting for him. Vitaliy floated out of the rear engine room a few seconds later with two of his team to greet their friend. Ryan was there and suggested that the Russian team head off to the cafeteria and celebrate with a shot of vodka. Popov’s eyes lit up at the suggestion.
It took fifteen minutes for each floating exit through Ivan, and nobody was in a real rush. Commander Philips would be next and Captain Pete was called down to meet his friend. The Commander of the ISS floated out with the Chinese biologist, and Captain Pete escorted them up to the cafeteria to join the Russians. Everybody in
volved was to meet there once the ISS was empty. VIN stayed behind to help Fritz with the person who had given them their headaches.
VIN thought it was quite easy to control a bound, floating human body.
“Want the same headache you gave us Ms. Chinese spy?” VIN joked.
“Not really, my head is full of brains, Lieutenant, and be careful where you put your hands. You too, Herr Fritz! Put them in the lady places, and I will have to kill both of you.” She stated, smiling sweetly. Both men were already hooked and VIN now knew why that James Bond dude never got married in the movies.
Her whole body was bound by a nylon cord making her look more like a rolled up carpet than a human. VIN had made sure that there was no way that she could get out of her predicament; he was a marine after all, reminding her that he wasn’t new to this either.
VIN also noticed that Fritz and the Chinese spy had begun to get along towards the end of the journey to America One. Both held advanced degrees in the same two subjects in science; and VIN also noticed that the single, good-looking, introverted German, and his headache seemed to have gotten better.
The gravity was off in Cube Seven to deter any funny business from the visitors. It was hard to get about and control your body when it just floated in midair. Everyone had convened in the cafeteria except Ryan. Wearing metal shoes, he remained in Cube Seven to see the final crewmember exit.
“Ryan Richmond, may I introduce to you two people; on the dark side is Chinese agent Lu Min Yoon,” Fritz said, holding onto the floating agent while slipping on the magnetic shoes Ryan had handed him. Then he turned her to face Ryan. “On her other, pretty side is Ms. Lu Min Yoon from Shanghai University; she has Master’s degrees in both aerospace engineering and astrophysics. I’m not sure about her dark agent side, but her academic side is very respectable and interesting.”
