TSN: The Best Laid Plans (Terran Space Navy)

by Paul Phipps

  “I’ll see what I can do for you. If you have some people in mind please let me know or you can contact them yourself you know. Maybe take them on as ‘apprentices’.” Ansel finished with a sly look toward Captain Johansson.

  “Hmmm, Yes… Yes, you do have a point there and I DO know a few people that I would like to have come work for me.” Lt. Commander Albert Fuller said in a distracted tone of voice as he was already off into a different frame of mind.

  And with the Staff meeting over there was time for Captain Johansson to be sworn in as the new Commanding Officer of the Forward Operating Base Johnny Reb. The brief celebration afterwards was a welcome thing too. The work never seemed to end otherwise.

  Studios of In the Vault, LTD. Saturday, December 26, 2026

  “And now coming in to the Vault is Commander Ansel Webster of the Terran Space Navy!” the announcer boomed in Ansel’s headphones. Across from him in the sound proofed room was the usual host of In the Vault, Jamal Freeman, a tall lanky black man who Ansel thought had a distinct Maori heritage.

  “So tell me Commander about the Terran Space Navy?” Freeman started off.

  “Would you like the history or our present mission?” Ansel countered.

  “Why not the History and then the current mission. You’ve got all night to tell us about it.” Freeman said expansively.

  Four hours later Ansel was starting to wind down his combination History lesson and generalities about the TSN’s current mission in the IUR. Mr. Freeman on the other hand was beginning to look a bit overwhelmed by the information overload.

  “Commander Webster would you be willing to accept questions from the listening audience?”

  “Sure, let’s do that, Jamal”

  “Let’s just see here… Ah, it’s a repeat! Hello again Firefly!” Freeman said with a grin into the microphone.

  “Good morning Mr. Freeman. I have a question for your guest. Commander Webster what do you know about the Ancient Astronaut theory?” Firefly asked.

  “If you mean the ones proposed by Erich Von Daniken?” Ansel replied.

  “Yes, those. Do you or the Terran Space Navy know any of the answers?” The caller asked eagerly.

  “No, we don’t have the answers for his questions. I will say though that many of our vessels do use a gravity drive and do behave like some of the UFO’s in reported sightings. Any that occurred after 1973 could very well be our vessels. And those that are reported prior to then? Well, they aren’t any of our vessels.

  Also we have records and in some few cases, entire world histories of other Analogues of Earth. The Gho L’Gamesh wasn’t really interested in history just technology that could be used and in some cases adapted for use by him in discovering a world of live human beings. And that brings up an interesting point here. If I may digress?” Ansel said looking at the host.

  “Certainly, go right ahead.” Freeman said expansively.

  “If anyone in the listening audience is of a curious mind and would like to aid us in deciphering these ancient and alternate histories of the other analogues of Earth please contact me at the TSN.ORG website.

  In addition we are also looking for individuals who want or in some cases need to see what’s behind the curtain, if you are one of them… Well then, I’ve got a job for you!” Ansel finished up with relish.

  “Interesting way to put your pitch Commander, Why?” Freeman pressed him.

  “A nice question, the answer is simple yet complicated too. First off, we… That is the Terran Space Navy and it’s Artificial Intelligences and the Humans associated with it have an amazing amount of information available to us, what we don’t have is the right keys to fit all of the locks on that data. We need and in some cases desperately desire to unlock those locks and look into the boxes and see what treasures are there.

  Remember what I told you before we are a NAVY. An armed force that has been ordered to protect and nurture the human race. We will do that to the best of our abilities. We are also intelligent beings both Human and A.I. who want to know more about those who came before us.”

  Ok, let me think on that more. Let’s go on to our next caller, John you’re on ‘Inside the Vault’!” Freeman intoned.

  “Thank you Mr. Freeman, Commander Webster. Do you know specifically if the Earth has been visited before by Aliens?” the caller asked.

  “A good question, we have found traces of wreckage in the Oort cloud and on Titan the largest moon of Saturn. I can tell you that they are extra-terrestrial in origin. They aren’t human derived either. But whether they reached the Earth in their explorations? No, I can’t tell you that. I just don’t know.” Ansel told him candidly.

  “Now that is amazing!” Jamal Freeman said in wonder. “Real wreckage of alien spaceships, right here in the solar system?”

  “Well yes, it’s wreckage. But not in any real quantity that I would call it a spacecraft. More like a piece of one possibly damaged in battle or an internal explosion. And it is also possible that the incident that damaged that spacecraft occurred millions or even billions of years ago. Or even a thousand of years ago, our dating techniques don’t really tell us much other than it is old and non-human in design philosophy.” Ansel told him.

  “How can you tell it is non human?” Freeman asked.

  “Because Mr. Freeman, it appears to be the carapace of a giant insect. And if it had been the bugs… Well, let’s just say this. In every Analogue that the Gho L’Gamesh discovered that had been invaded by the bugs the Earth had been chewed and digested of all of the easily obtained water and organics and readily accessible minerals down to a depth of three miles or so.

  We’re still here and the bugs haven’t invaded us so that means they haven’t found us yet.” Ansel said seriously.

  * * *

  Evana was listening to Ansel as he continued to answer questions for the host and audience of ‘In the Vault’. She smiled and looked up from her desk as Colonel James appeared at the wall that held the Trans-portal into her day-cabin on board the Comfort.

  “Henri, you can turn off the reception for the program now.” She stood up and walked around the desk to shake the hand of the Colonel and guide her to a set of comfortable chairs.

  “Would you like some coffee or tea, Colonel?”

  “I think a nice cup of coffee would be good right about now.” The Colonel said with a smile.

  “The Med-Center has been giving me updates on your case, Colonel James.” Evana said carefully once they were both sitting in their respective chairs and sipping on the fresh coffee.

  “I can imagine,” The Colonel said wryly, “the Med-Center A.I. told me more than a few times that I was a difficult case.”

  “Yes you were, Colonel. It took us down a path that we haven’t been before. I never would have believed that an allergy to a common cleanser would result in a cancerous reaction.” Evana told her seriously.

  “I too would never have thought that such a reaction could occur. The gene replacement therapy seems to have done the trick though.” She told Evana.

  “The Med-Center seems to think so too. Still I would feel better if you would stay here for some more time, possibly a year?” Evana posed it as a leading question.

  “I would like that for myself,” Colonel James said wistfully, “but I have my own command at the base hospital.”

  “That’s true,” Evana said with equanimity, “however I would like to offer you another position. At present I have some four hundred medical personal from the Army, Air Force and Navy of the United States. I have an additional twelve hundred or so civilian personnel here too. A very few I’ve hired, most are volunteers putting in sweat equity in payment for our services for their critical and terminal care patients we are helping.

  I would like you to consider becoming the commanding officer of the Military contingent. I’ve looked over your personnel jacket, I’ve watched you as a patient and I’ve seen how you interact with the people here. You are a natural leader and I can use your hel
p.” Evana said in a straight forward manner.

  “Well…” Colonel James said in undisguised shock, “When I was told you wanted to speak with me, well I never expected anything like this.”

  “I thought you might be surprised,” Evana told her, “but please think about it.”

  “Thank you, I will.” And like that the matter was dropped. The two women respected each other and knew better than to keep talking on the subject and it would wait until a later time.

  Evana took the opportunity to discuss two of her new projects, the gene collection project for the ARKS and the project to re-locate excess population or in some case under-utilized population from around the world. And explaining what both of them entailed and what they were designed to accomplish Evana asked the Colonel:

  “Have you ever heard of Dr. Erica Fridasdottir of the Iceland Ecologic Institute?”

  “I’ve heard the name before, but I can’t recall where. What does she do?” Colonel James asked.

  “The good Doctor recently headed up an heirloom seed and plant repository project. They and the Government of Iceland and Denmark have built a subterranean vault in the Arctic and have been placing heirloom seed and plant samples there that have been gathered from around the world.” Evana told her.

  “Oh yes! I remember it was in an issue of the ECO Science Journal that I read about her. A very tenacious woman if I recall from the article. She pushed through the whole concept and solicited over eighty percent of the funds required to bring the project to fruition.

  I also remember reading elsewhere that she was being forced out of the project because it was done and all they needed was a caretaker to run it. Not a shaker and mover type like she is.”

  “Your memory is very good. She isn’t gone yet but there are moves behind the scenes to remove her. That’s bad for her I suppose, but good for me. I have an appointment to see her on Monday. I am going to offer her the job of running my Gene collection project.” Evana told the Colonel.

  “I’d like to see that.” Colonel James chuckled, “Nothing like having the rug pulled out from under you and then finding yourself with the job of a lifetime being offered to you.”

  “If you feel up to it why don’t you accompany me tomorrow then?” Evana asked her. “You can see her reaction first hand then.”

  Iceland Ecologic Institute, Reykjavik, Iceland, Monday, December 28, 2026

  “Welcome aboard the Dawn Seeker”, Evana told Colonel James, “Dawn please say hello.”

  “Greetings! Colonel James, I’ve heard quite a bit about you. It’s nice to meet you in person finally.” Dawn told her.

  “Hello Dawn, heard about me, eh? Well I hope it was good things.” Colonel James said with a smile.

  “Yes, it was most complimentary!” Dawn almost gushed like a young woman.

  The Colonel gave Evana a look with the tilt of her head that conveyed so much information. Evana in turn shrugged slightly and gave an apologetic smile.

  “Dawn Seeker is my new personal vessel since the Comfort is to remain in lunar orbit for most of the time and I need to get back to Earth on a regular basis to manage my various projects. When I figured that out, she volunteered for the job.

  She has a similar shape of one of our Heavy Scout Cruisers in the size of an armed scout, basically an flattened chicken egg two hundred fifty feet wide and three hundred fifty feet long and one hundred eighty feet thick. She modified herself to handle more people in a diplomatic capability; I think that means she’s a bit more luxurious.” Evana said with a twinkle to her eye, “She also carries a few IGD’s and one MARS unit as a carried vessel.

  And for my sins, she is also my instructor in piloting. This brings up the next thing. I’m piloting this little trip to Iceland all by my lonesome. You are invited to watch from the bridge or you can relax in the Wardroom while I get us there. Your choice…”

  “This sounds fascinating, if I may observe from the bridge I would appreciate it.” Colonel James told Evana

  * * *

  “And there’s the institute.” Evana said from the main piloting station of Dawn Seeker, “Let’s see… Outside temperature is a brisk twenty-six degrees Fahrenheit. Wind is thirty-one knots from the South West. Hmmmm, Dawn do you think I can set you down over here on the west side of their parking lot?”

  “Yes, there’s plenty of room there. How about if I take over and just send you down by gravity elevator at the entrance to the building and I’ll just park over there out of the way and wait until you are finished talking with the good doctor?” Dawn suggested.

  “All right with me, how about you Colonel? Want to walk across a cold parking lot or get dropped off at the door?” Evana said with a chuckle.

  “Well… My compatriots in arms would scoff about having to be outside in the cold. But me? Yeah getting out at the door is much better.” Colonel Jane James said with a gamin grin.

  * * *

  “Director Fridasdottir your nine-thirty appointment is arriving.” Her administrative assistant told her from the doorway to the office. It was unnecessary as the director of the Iceland Ecologic Institute was at her office window peering out at the TSN vessel hovering above the parking lot. She could see two people falling gently to the ground. Once they were down the craft moved away and landed itself.

  She shook her head slowly imagining what she could do with the money it obviously cost to build such a vessel. Such a shame and a waste of resources, was all she thought with a little bitterness.

  A few minutes later she was smiling graciously and shaking the hands of her two visitors. After everyone was introduced and refreshments were brought in the conversation started in earnest.

  “So Captain Thomas, what can I and the Institute do for you? Your initial communication was a bit vague, only asking for a meeting to discuss a topic of mutual interest.” Dr. Fridasdottir inquired bluntly.

  “The Terran Space Navy has authorized a project that I would like you to consider managing for us. We want to get as close to a complete genetic sampling of all life forms on Earth. We also want to collect a good sampling of wildlife and plant life.” Evana started off just as bluntly.

  “An admirable task Captain Thomas.” The Director said with surprise. “It will probably be impossible to accomplish though.”

  “Possibly it will be, but until we try we won’t know will we?” Evana told her directly.

  “Where will you store these samples?” The Doctor asked in curiosity.

  “We have built three ARKS for that purpose. Here let me show you one of them.” And with that Evana brought out her Holo-projector and turned it on, there appeared in front of them hanging in space a real-time image of Ark #1. “This is ARK #1 also known as Adam’s ARK. As you can see it is a sphere. The diameter is Seven hundred and fifty miles. Approximately three-quarters of her volume has been dedicated to this project.

  That means we have or are in the process of duplicating as many of the distinct environments here on Earth, From Arctic Seas to Saharan Desert with all the variations in-between. The remaining portion is for Engines, fuel supply and living quarters for the crew and care-taker staff of the habitats and Genetic Storage Facilities and Laboratories.”

  “Amazing…” Dr. Fridasdottir said slowly ending with a sigh.

  “Yes they are,” Evana told her, “But they are only marvels of engineering now. We need to populate them with the rich heritage of Earth’s biosphere to bring them fully to life and fulfillment of their purpose. And that’s where you and the Institute come into the picture.

  We want to hire you to manage the collection of the Genetic Material, the Animals to be collected and the personnel who will be their care-takers. Your funding will be virtually limitless to do this. We will provide transportation of all collected samples to the Arks and here on Earth as needed by you to accomplish this task.” Evana paused and watched the Doctor as she thought through what Evana was telling her and when a gleam of bright interest appeared in her eyes then asked. “So ar
e you interested?”

  “For myself? Yes! Most definitely. But for the Institute? I must discuss this with the other directors and get their approval also.” The Doctor told Evana in a serious manner.

  “Very well then, here is a way of contacting me when a decision has been made.” Evana said standing up and then handing over a portfolio.

  Dr. Fridasdottir was a bit surprised at how quick the meeting with Captain Thomas and her silent companion had been. But it suited her also, too much time it seemed was spent in meetings and meaningless talk. Now there was work to be done! And what work it was going to be, good useful work and on another level in her mind she thought. ‘Try to force ME out! Ha! Let them marvel at the opportunity before us and all because of what I have already accomplished.’