TSN: The Best Laid Plans (Terran Space Navy)

by Paul Phipps

  Lt. Commander Fuller had been following what she said very closely and Johan had been sharing background information that Henri and Alessandra had been feeding him. “I believe you Captain Thomas,” He said after a moment to absorb what he had been told. “Your Hypothesis fits all of the known facts and what assumptions you make are consistent with those facts. And if all of that is true, we are in terrible trouble and danger.”

  “Yes we are,” Agreed Seeker, “I agree there are some suppositions and we probably will never know all of the details. But there is more than enough factual data making up the hypothesis for us to use it as a basis for our future actions.”

  “I also agree, very well, all of your proposed programs are approved. Now who is going to run them?” Admiral Webster said peevishly.

  “With massive A.I. help, I’ll do it temporarily until qualified people can be recruited into the TSN to take over the individual projects. I also have the beginnings of a hiring process in place since I was permitted to hire medical personal for the Comfort and her carried Vessels.” Evana told him.

  “My suggestion to you Admiral, is to work some or all of these proposals into your address to Congress tomorrow. Make them sound wonderfully altruistic and especially non-taxpayer subsidized.” Commander Fuller recommended.

  “Congress just LOVES to spend other people’s money. And the genetic gathering and research project is a wonderful way to re-direct attention to a project the Greenies and Environmentalists would be likely to approve and be behind, especially if money is being thrown their way.” She finished with a degree of disdain.

  After more discussion the meeting was adjourned. Admiral Webster needed some rest both mental and physical. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day he was afraid.

  * * *

  “Yes Ma’am, Eight hundred Ninety Two thousand five hundred and thirty six packages for priority express delivery. We will palletize them for you, so that will be thirteen thousand nine hundred and forty-six pallets. Which of your postal processing facilities would you like us to drop them off at, Uh-huh, I see, Omaha Nebraska, Yes, that’s no problem for us.

  Do you have a bank code I can use to transfer our payment to you? Yes, that will be thirty seven million four hundred eighty six thousand five hundred and twelve dollars. No problem, I’ll transfer that as soon as you give me a transaction code number. Yes, I’ve got it. Please notify your processing facility that we will be delivering them tomorrow promptly at nine o’clock A.M.

  Thank you for your assistance and have a great day.” Ansel told the young woman at the U.S. Post Office.

  Ansel got up from his chair and walked over to Sarah Cavendish who had come through the Trans-Portal while he had been talking to the Post Office.

  “Ms. Cavendish! It’s great to see you! How are you doing? Ready to get to work?” He asked her as he shook her hand and guided her gently to the chair at the side of the desk he had been working at. “Would you like some tea?”

  “I’m very pleased to see you Commander also. How am I doing? Amazingly wonderful, I can walk again and I feel like I am twenty-five once more and at the top of my form!” She said as she pushed her breasts out slightly and then laughed delightedly.

  “And yes, a spot of tea would be grand. Also, I am ready for work. My head is stuffed full of new information and I want to start putting it all to use.”

  “Excellent! I am going to push you to your limit, Sarah. And if it gets to be too much, let me know! There are so few of us that for now we all get pushed to our limits and quite often beyond them.”

  “I understand Commander. So what am I going to be doing for now?” She asked as she picked up her cup of tea.

  “Did I explain to you how we get a title of rank here in the Terran Space Navy?” Ansel Started off.

  “No, not really.” She said.

  “Ranks are given based upon what you are doing or are in charge of. As a generality a Captain is in command of a major Fleet Unit, such as Susannah or Lucky. Susannah is a Mobile Base and in her battle mode she would have six Star Fighter Carriers like Lucky attached to her, either physically or under her command.

  An Auxiliary vessel is commanded by a Commander or a Lt. Commander. The Epiphany and the Companion are both Auxiliary vessels. Currently we are on a Space City. This one is Asimov City, it was Space City #4 but I renamed her. Camp Heinlein is the Training center within Asimov City. Asimov City herself is five Hundred miles in Diameter. Normally an Admiral would be in command of City or a fleet task force.

  As for me, I’m in a strange spot. My great Uncle is the Fleet Admiral. And having two Admiral Webster’s would get to be very confusing. At least for the time being that is, so for now I’m just going to keep on with the title of Commander. So to continue, in many ways all of the humans in the TSN are of the same rank. What we are called only is an indicator of our current positions.

  In any case, for the time being you are going to hold the position of Command Master Chief of Camp Heinlein. You are the boss in other words of all of our recruits who at this time number zero. You and I are about to go change that though.

  I’m having Asimov City take herself to the L4 LaGrange point in Earth Orbit. That way she is reasonably close to Earth for pickup of recruits or temporary hires that need training. It’ll take her about thirty seven hours to get there. So you and I are going to take Comanche and meet up with the Epiphany in the Pacific Ocean. We have four pilots that want to join the TSN and we’re going to enlist them there and meet back up here later.

  And you, Master Chief get to have the pleasure of turning highly trained U.S. Navy Officers into Terran Space Navy recruits!”

  Washington D.C., Tuesday, December 15, 2026

  “And in conclusion, The Terran Space Navy will do everything it reasonably can to bring renewed prosperity and hope to not only the United States of America but all of the Nations of the World.

  Thank you very much for inviting me to speak before this august assembly.” Admiral Webster wound down his thirty two minute speech. Thank goodness that it was done, now for the hard work of making it real in the minds of these men and women.

  He made his way to the official greeting area and talked to the President and Speaker of the House. The Majority leader for the Senate was still making his way through the other politicians who were queuing up to meet this strange and suddenly powerful man. And there still wasn’t much to base their opinions on other than direct observation and interaction.

  As Admiral Webster shook hands and chatted briefly with each member of Congress his latest detector would occasionally be triggered, ‘Quarn Exudate discovered!” would be heard deep in his mind. Each politician that triggered the alert was tagged by Seeker and the other AI’s for having a personal IGD assigned to him or her.

  “How many so far, Seeker?” He asked her in his mind.

  “Only twelve so far, all of them are old hands here in Washington though. Logic dictates there are probably more located among the various staff entities here as they tend to stay and move from one politician to another as their patrons get voted out of office.” She told him the same way.

  Finally it was done and he was free to go when President Richardson asked him for a few minutes of his time.

  “Certainly Mr. President, My place or yours?” He said with a laugh.

  The President gave a bark of laughter. I would love to visit your ship but my Secret Service Detail would have a collective heart attack. So is the White House acceptable? My wife has been bugging me to meet you.”

  “Certainly, if you don’t mind, I need to go back to my vessel for a few minutes. I’ll just move her over to the White House Lawn if that’s agreeable?” Admiral Webster told the President of the United States agreeably.”

  * * *

  “It’s good to finally meet you in person, Admiral Webster.” Anne Richardson told the TSN Admiral.

  “The pleasure is all mine, Mrs. Richardson.” Admiral Webster said with a smile, after introducing Seeker
in her Commander McAndrews Body-Sim they were escorted to the Blue room where a number of canapés and drinks were set out for them to enjoy.

  “I enjoyed listening to you speak Admiral and your subject was fascinating. All of these huge projects, it’s breathtaking but I would like you to tell me why? Why now and why offer so much?” The First lady started off right away.

  Seeker chuckled and looked at the President and First Lady with approval and then said to Admiral Webster. “I like her, a good mind and very direct.”

  “Yes, I think she has a better view of things, than I do.” The president said with a grin, “She doesn’t have to worry about upsetting people as much as I do when I speak.”

  “Ok, you have asked a very good set of questions, Mrs. Richardson. All of the projects are good ones and will help out individuals as well as the human race as a whole. That in my mind is a good reason right there to do them. One of the big reasons why we need to do them is that we want to keep money flowing in the world wide economy.

  Our Petroleum production and garbage recycling vessels are generating huge amounts of income. We need to spend that money or the economy will falter and probably collapse. That’s not a good way to ‘nurture’ humanity, now is it?” Admiral Webster finished with a chuckle.

  “Probably not Admiral,” President Richardson added to the conversation. “but I didn’t get to where I am by being credulous and for your information I am an expert at reading body language. There’s something else going on isn’t there. If it’s something that will affect The United States and especially my people I would really like to hear it.”

  “Seeker, you were correct again.” He then sighed mightily, “Please get out your briefcase and the usual stuff.” He then turned to both of the Richardson’s and said “I really wasn’t going to bring this up at all, well at least not at this time. What we have is a whole lot of things that add up to something that has the potential to be serious, very serious.”

  “Since this isn’t a formal situation, let’s approach it like friends discussing a serious problem.” Anne Richardson suggested.

  “I think that is a good way to start out then.” And then they started from the beginning, almost two hours later the Admiral was saying.

  “Besides the Secretary of Defense my new Quarn Detector went off when I was shaking hands and talking with the Senators and Congressmen. There were twelve of them, so I am very concerned.”

  President Richardson and his wife were silent as the Admiral and Seeker wound down their impromptu briefing. The four Secret Service agents in the room were visibly disturbed as they kept looking around themselves in suspicion.

  “So as I understand this, we really have been ‘invaded by aliens’ just like in the movies?” Mrs. Richardson said in near disbelief.

  “Yes, it looks that way and they have been here for a little over sixty years now.” Seeker told her.

  “And Washington D.C., here… This White House was the home base for almost twelve years?” President Richardson said quietly.

  “I wouldn’t say Home base, Mr. President, I think Home Base is in Indonesia. Washington D.C. was a forward base camp if anything. My own personal theory is that the President-for-Life was for the majority of his life a lone operator cut off from the ‘Mother’.” Admiral Webster told him reassuringly.

  “So what can we do about this ‘invasion’?” the President asked.

  “I can’t tell you what to do about your politics here Mr. President. And with the Secretary of Defense and who knows how many other top military leaders compromised, working through the Defense department could be tricky. Your Homeland Security was and maybe still is filled with supporters of the President-for-life and Act-Now members. Your options in those areas are limited so politics may be your only strong area right now.” Seeker told him.

  “If I ask the Terran Space Navy for assistance what can you do?”

  “Until the Congress sends you something official like a bill or a resolution, we won’t do anything overt. But if your Secret Service were to ask for assistance we would give you the Quarn Detectors, some defensive equipment and clothing and we could give you some of our Samurai Self Defense Unit’s suitably camouflaged to assist in guarding you and your Family.” The Admiral told him.

  “Ok, I’ll ask the head of the detail to consider that. If I get out and push your projects will that help?”

  “Yes it will, the more humans that we can get off of the planet the better. We aren’t even asking for them to become members of the TSN.

  BUT if things go horribly wrong, they will become the beginnings of the Human race elsewhere.” Admiral Webster finished up seriously.

  “Could you put up a blockade around Indonesia like you did to the IUR?” Anne Richardson asked.

  “Possibly we could. We really won’t know unless we do it. The Quarn did affect the Gho L’Gamesh in one of the other Analogue Dimensions. But can it do so here? That’s an unknown until it actually happens.

  And we still aren’t one hundred percent positive that we ARE dealing with the Quarn here. Yes, most of our data points that way but it’s not conclusive. It could be a related species entirely.” Seeker pointed out.

  “Also what could we use as a pretext? We are the new kids on the block as far as the people and Nations of this Earth are concerned about us already. If we start acting like the nine hundred pound gorilla in the living room it won’t be beneficial at all and we will have a difficult time of regaining their trust.” Admiral Webster pointed out.

  A little while later on the Admiral and Seeker left the White House quietly and Roland lifted off and headed back into Space

  Earlier that morning - Omaha Nebraska, USPS Processing, 0900L.

  “Uh Boss, did you get this e-mail that we are supposed to get an order for processing of over Eight Hundred Thousand Packages Priority Mail?” Shipping and Receiving Clerk Thomas Fleming asked his boss.

  “Yeah, I got it Tommy. It’s obviously a typo. I’m waiting for the corrected message.”

  “No Boss, it’s not a typo.” The clerk said with a degree of awe. He led his Boss the receiving supervisor out to the loading docks. Above then was a TSN vessel the Pack Mule by name. A simple globe a mile in diameter. She was setting down pallet after pallet of Ansel and Ariadne’s new ‘Gaming System’ on the broad grounds of the Shipping and Receiving area. Thirteen thousand nine hundred and forty-six of them to be exact, but then, who was counting?

  * * *

  TSN Louis Pasteur, Ramsheh, IUR

  “Good Morning, Colonel Hernwell, Ladies and Gentlemen.” Evana greeted everyone after she sat down at the head of the Conference table.

  “Good Morning, Captain Thomas.” they all chorused.

  “I’ve just been familiarizing myself with your final report. Excellent work! Even I’m amazed at all you’ve accomplished here.” She complimented them all.

  “Thank you Captain, but we would still be in the initial setup phase at Niasar if it hadn’t have been for all of the support you’ve given us.” Colonel Hernwell told her.

  “And the great living quarters and food too!” Major Phong chorused in.

  “You are all quite welcome. Now I’m going to throw this meeting open to suggestions on how to do it better if there is a next time.” Evana told the group.

  The conversation was spirited after that, with many suggestions, counter-suggestions and an all-around attitude that it was time to let loose with everything that had been pent up now that the job was done. Finally though everyone sort of came to a halt.

  The Louis Pasteur had been moving across the upper atmosphere while everyone was discussing the Bio-War Cleanup and investigation. He told Evana they would be over Fort Detrick in another20 minutes as she had requested earlier.

  “I’ve just been notified by the Louis Pasteur that we are almost back to Fort Detrick. This means that your time with the TSN is almost at a close. However!” She raised her hand to forestall any comments. “I have been in communication w
ith Lt. Colonel Conyers of the Army’s Public Affairs office. Through his office’s assistance and that of the Pentagon I am pleased to announce that we will be hosting an All Services Christmas Party.

  There will be presents for the Children of all Ages including the adult children. We are offering to start picking up participants starting on Friday afternoon and we will be providing family accommodations for all on Asimov City which is now in the forward LaGrange point. Don’t worry about lack of space. Asimov City is designed to hold a little over five million humans.

  The actual party is on Saturday and if the participants want to stay to Sunday, that’s fine with us. We will be providing regular shuttle service on a non-stop basis to all U.S. Military facilities world-wide. That way no one gets to miss out, unless of course they have the duty this weekend.”