One Giant Leap

by Keith Martin

  “Copy that, what’s up with you? You sound excited?”

  “Shianne thinks she found a meteor in Central Park. I’m on my way there now by helicopter. It could be the source of the virus. Once I get to it I’ll give you a jingle.”

  “That’s good news; you think that is what brought the virus to Earth?”

  “Yep. We will know after tests are run. If this is the virus source it’ll be a huge step forward. I’m sure she found it. After all its at the sight of first contact as far as we can tell.”

  “Great Ashley, keep chipping at it.” Then he remembered the day the virus started to kill. Pete had spotted a meteoroid that day.

  “This may be important Ashley. We observed a small inbound meteoroid the day the virus hit earth. I should have told you earlier but I’ve been a little distracted. N.A.S.A. will have paper work on it. Pete sent them all we had when he spotted it, we were lining up for touchdown on the Moon at the time.”

  Ashley felt like exploding. She wasn’t upset with Joshua; he was doing more than anyone should. But why didn’t N.A.S.A. inform her of this meteor? She sent a request for all information on anything out of the ordinary that happened that day. She remembered N.A.S.A. sending an all-clear response.

  Someone was going to have to deal with her big time. “N.A.S.A. has this on their Tracking Radar?” She asked as her anger rose.

  Joshua was glad he was not the one who would have to face her for this screw up. “Yea, it was right before we touched down on the Moon the day the virus hit. Pete spotted it as it came in from behind the Moon right out of the direction of the Sun. He sent all our data to N.A.S.A so that they could track it.”

  “Well I’ve never seen this report!” Ashley complained. Before she could say another word her laptop chirped and she had all the data that was in G-1’s mainframe. Pete sent her everything they had. “Thanks Joshua, this will get things rolling.”

  “That little gift is from Pete, I think we found a real pilot up here.” Joshua informed her.

  “Thank him for me, sounds like you have your Left-Seater, that’s great.”

  “I will Ashmo; I’ll let you go now. I’m on my way to pick up another thousand personnel for the base soon as we drop this load. Dad wants another seven hundred women up here, just in case. If you have any in mind we need to get them to Vandenberg right away. I’ll be on the ground in just a few hours and I want to get this next load of women off planet within the day. I know you know some women who can help us. We want them to be of the younger set with a head on their shoulders. I hate reducing women down to a buyer’s market, but we must fit these women into a set parameter so that it will naturally work in the long run…”

  They both laughed. “Ya that wont work that’s for sure. Well sis, I’m out. I can’t spend my whole day yakking with you. This is Joshua onboard G-1 signing off.” He finished; the line went dead. He knew they both had work to do.

  She knew some women she wanted to give this chance. She got on the phone and started to send them on their way. Most of them Doctors and Professors, all of them twenty five to thirty five years of age, all able to do more than just breed and all of them on the west side of the Rockies. Once that was finished she got on the phone with mission control; at N.A.S.A. heads were going to roll.

  * * *

  Captain Free spotted Shianne as she swept in over the park from the south. The brightness of her sweeter was easy to spot even at two hundred and fifty miles an hour fifty feet off the deck. Spinning around she searched the whole park for combatants before she touched down not more then a hundred feet from her target as Shianne ran for the opened door. The chopper Crew Chief strapped her in as Captain Free lifted off, she was handed a communications helmet and plugged into the communications link. “I gather your Ashley’s sister?”

  Shianne gave a little salute to the pilot “I’m Shianne Chisholm.”

  “I’m Free, Captain Free, but just Free will do.” The pilot grinned. “Glad to meet you Shianne, your sister is quite a woman. She’s in the air about twenty minutes behind us. It looks a little hairy down there. Didn’t want to risk you on the ground any longer.”

  Shianne understood her caution. She would have acted the same were the tables turned. “It’s just like her to be fashionably late!” She said with a smile.

  “Are you ok? Do you need medical attention?” Free asked concerned. Shianne looked quite gaunt.

  “I’m a bit shook up, but ok. I’ve been driving a body disposal truck ever since the virus struck. I must have removed a hundred loads, grisly work. But I’ll be just fine with a hot bath to get the stench of death off me… or two baths maybe!”

  Free just smiled and admitted. “A bath would do you a world of good Shianne. The waters hot and will soak you clean.” Free playfully adding. “You do have a smell about you!”

  “Copy that Commander!” The Crew Chief added with a smile.

  “Its not much better I’m out here!” The left door gunner kept the banter of warriors flowing freely as she stuck her head out into the stream of rushing air.

  They all laughed and Shianne came to her own defense saying “It’s not the scent of a woman that defines her; it’s the fact that she will throw a fit until she can clean it off in a hot bath!”

  “Oh lord, you’re just like your sister. I’ve got my hands full now.” Free stated with a grin as she orbited the park at fifteen hundred feet. Keeping them out of reach of small arms fire while searching the park she made sure the mission could be completed in the clear.

  “If you only knew her like do, you would know that is a gross understatement. I gather you just got assigned to the lab?”

  “Yes, the day after the virus hit I got my orders.” Free replied.

  “Well I’m sure you’ll soon find out just how resourceful she can be. Ashley will bring you under her spell in no time at all. She brings out the best in those around her. I’d guess you could be in the lab by this weekend. Out of uniform and in a lab coat!”

  Free started to giggle. “She tried that already! I was clear with her right away, I’m here to keep the lab complex safe and secure, not to play scientist with her. If I wanted to play in a lab I would have stayed in collage and got a better degree.”

  Shianne knew she was going to like this woman; she was obviously strong willed and sure of herself. Just the kind of woman that could butt heads with Ashley and keep her in line doing her work.

  Shianne watched as a flight of helicopters came into view from the west over the city… gunships escorting transports. “Free, do you have Shianne on board? Over”

  “Safe and sound, Ashley. I will hover over the sight of impact, advise you touch down in the field below me.” She then took Command of the mission. “This is Captain Free; this is a combat situation, I am the Commander of this mission; all gunships will remain airborne. I want the whole park under guard. No one is to get within a hundred yards of the landing party. Go hot on your guns ladies. This is not a drill. The order to engage is given. Ground crew, you will cover the research team, you are on guard, not helping to dig up a rock. Don’t let anyone distract you from this assignment. Execute!” Her orders made things clear to all.

  Ashley knew the last order was given to her more than the guards. She had anticipated this and had all the help she would need along for this mission. “Understood Commander! Over.” She responded as her transport touched down and the crew started to drop to the lawn before it even came to a stop.

  “Let’s make it quick Ashley. I want us out of here in thirty or less. Gunships attract attention. We don’t want to get into a fight for a rock. Over.”

  Shianne interrupted the pissing contest. “The meteor hit in the rose garden Ashley. You will see the impact crater as soon as you enter the garden. Everything looks clear from up here, no one within your area of operation… let’s get this done. Over.”

  “Hi Shianne; were going in, you just stay put and watch our backs. Over.” Ashley shot back as she disconnected from the ship
s com/link jumping to the lawn as the ship started to power up for dust-off. The last of the gear was unloaded with an unceremonious push out the door by Ashley herself on her way out behind her team.

  * * *

  The work went quickly. The meteor was found with just a few minutes digging and samples of everything taken and sealed for the trip back to the lab. The landing party was back onboard the choppers and in the air in fifteen minutes flat.

  They came under small arms fire just as they lifted off and were gaining altitude. Small caliber pistol rounds, the two helicopters that took hits were undamaged except for some chipped paint.

  Only one ship returned fire. Free went in hot and hard. Not willing to sit by having her forces assaulted without returning fire. Fifty rounds of .50 cal Gatling gunfire silenced all opposition as she pulled up having made her point. She counted four Snipers on a rooftop at the edge of the park and didn’t stop until four were dead and most of the top floor was blown to splinters.

  There would be nothing but dust and death for those who dared fire on her forces. She hoped the news of this engagement would spread so all would know the price of firing on Military aircraft. She was a trained warrior; there was no gray area in her thinking. She would shoot first and sort out body parts before risking a single life on her team.

  * * *

  Ashley demanded that Shianne stay with her until the virus had run its course and crossed the pacific. She wanted to get out to the ranch as soon as possible but Ashley insisted that she stay until the insects finished with the clean up. Reluctantly Shianne agreed to wait it out at the lab.

  The stench in the big cities was unbearable. The reek of rotting flesh and smoke from funeral pyres filled the air with a choking stench. Between the smoke and the clouds of flies, the sky turned black at noon.

  The only way to live through this onslaught was to seal yourself into a room or building. Every door had to be taped shut, every vent sealed. Hundreds of thousands of the surviving women died from this mass of insects. They spread disease like a wave of death cresting on a beach. The population was being cut down again, pushing humanity closer towards its extinction.

  Hundreds of thousands of flies attacked each carcass. They laid millions of eggs. The maggots consumed dead flesh as if by magic. It didn’t take days, or weeks. It took just hours.

  Ants, roaches, wasps; anything that consumed flesh started feasting and reproducing like never see before in Earths history.

  * * *

  The Shuttle Crews worked without a break transporting all they could to the Moon and into orbit over the Earth. They had enough supplies stockpiled to live in comfort on the Moon, enough to make the Moon self-sufficient and to keep it that way while the population grew with the passing years.

  Otto worked like a man possessed trying to make sure their chances of survival on the Moon were going to be good. He drove every crew hard and all took to the workload without complaint. Everyone understood this window of time could be there last for all time. Everything they could think of was being transported up to meet their future needs.

  He called his Son just after Ashley reported the virus had reached the Pacific and there was less then two days before all operations on Earth would be suspended for good.

  He knew this would be the last of the supplies and he wanted to make sure the Moon wasn’t going to be a completely without some of the distractions man had created on Earth.

  Joshua was on his way to Vandenberg and was scheduled to touch down within the hour. “What’s up Dad?” He answered.

  “Ok Son I know you will find this request a little off the beaten path, but I want you to empty the base clubs of all the spirits you can get your hands on. There will be some time before we start brewing our own and I’m sure I could use a drink in a couple days when we have to abandon Earth. Bring up all you can, might a well bring up some smokes too. I’m sure the old mining crew would love the treat.”

  To say the least this was a request Joshua never thought he would hear from his father. At the same time he thought a drink would do him some good too. “I will do my best Dad. So we are down to two days I hear?”

  “That’s what Ashley tells us. God I pray we got enough off Planet to sustain us until we figure this out.”

  Joshua made damn sure they had it all. “I know Dad, as we come down to the wire it gets real.”

  “I think we did just fine. But this is not going to be a walk in the park. We are planting the seeds of a new world after all. Right?” Otto knew his Son was stretched to the edge of his abilities. They all were. “I say we all owe you our bacon Son, you saved us the day you took charge of the squadron. It was you not dropping the ball when the planet needed you to make the winning catch that’s going to save us.”

  “You know we kind of did get a heads up from Shianne just a bit.” He was willing to share the glow of fame. “Now back to the piloting a G-Class Shuttle thing Dad. Looks like we got just a bit of work to go.”

  * * *

  Forty-Three days passed before Ashley called a halt to all Shuttle flights to Earth. It was now up to Ashley and her team to find the cure for the virus. Only then could men return to earth.

  Joshua sat at the end of the runway as her call reached him; his cargo hold held the most precious cargo to be taken off the planet to date if you listened to the crews on S.M.B. He had just watched G-3 take a load equal to his into the skies and vanish into space. His call for a proper supply of alcohol for the Moon was answered from every distillery supplier on the west coast. G-3 held the beer by the kegs and he had everything from mixers to the best champagne and the hardest moonshine. Everyone understood there was a need to supply the Moon well after all the work that had been done there in the name of mankind.

  The last package loaded was a massive box with Keith Irwin’s name on it. Joshua didn’t figure it was corn seeds, but then it was legal to possess in America now so he just rolled with it and had it added to his manifest.

  “Hi Ashmo, how’s it hanging?” He answered playfully.

  “You are world wide Commander, all stations. I am ordering you off the planet at once. The virus has reached LA.”

  “Copy that Ashley, This is Commander Jackal pilot of G-1. I want you the people of Earth to know we are going to have a chance to make it only due to all you have given us to make sure we can make a living planet out of a large area of the Moon. I vow to you the women of the planet Earth that we the men of Earth will return to stand by your sides in the warmth of the Sun once again. You have the word of all of us on S.M.B. on it and it will be the duty of every member of S.M.B. to work to make this a reality. Now I pray you well and please don’t give up on us, we still need each and every one of you to make it through this.”

  He gave G-1 the entire throttle and she was off the planet in 26 seconds and Joshua pointed her nose directly towards space. “I love you Ashmo, Get me home.” He was all business now doing that pilot stuff. Tears streaming from his eyes as he abandoned Earth. He couldn’t hold them back; he was scared and excited all at once. “This is G-1 readying to breach the atmosphere. We are in the lane and passing 23.000 MPH. ETA to S.M.B. 4.5 hours. Signing off, over and out.”

  * * *

  Once the meteor was recovered and taken to the lab, the real work got underway. The first thing that they discovered was that the virus was attaching itself onto oxygen molecules and was not harmed by the sunlight.

  The virus was part of the earth now, and was here to stay. A way would have to be found to sterilize the atmosphere from Earth’s surface all the way into the biosphere. No one had any idea what to do and every single woman with the ability to lend a hand doing research was at the lab trying to find the answer, even as the world seemed set on its own destruction.

  * * *

  Otto and all on the Moon watch the advance of the virus on the world news and in the reports from the lab on Earth. He allowed his Son and the other pilots to head down for one last load after the virus was reported to have o
vertaken an Aircraft carrier in the mid-pacific. They all touched down as one and took on the last of the cargo and the whole male loading team from Vandenberg. Joshua had given his word that he would save them all for their steadfast service and nothing was going to stop him from keeping it.

  The loading by the all female team was performed like the professionals they had become. Joshua had their full cooperation as he had 100 extra men suited up and placed on life support for a crossing crammed into the 20-person passenger compartment. His was going to be the last load to leave Earth and he was making sure it had as many men on it as he could stuff into her hull.

  The virus reached the pacific coast as the last of the men were tied in for the crossing to the Moon. Otto was watching every available report on the virus advance and he took the call from Ashley when she pulled the plug on Earth personally. “Patch me into my Son’s ship, patch this through to the PA system base wide and rebroadcast it for their use on Earth.”

  They were ready for him and the tap of a keyboard had him communicating to everyone watching any broadcast at one time. “You are live to everyone Sir.”

  “Ladies of Earth, we know there is nothing to compare with the hell you are all living through from the loss of all the men on the planet. Please don’t let it destroy your drive to find a cure to this virus so we can again walk hand in hand with you on our planet. It’s going to get real rough down there for a while; we all know that by now. But know that it was you on Earth that made it possible for us on the Moon to have a chance at survival. When the Earth has recovered from the next few months we here on the Moon will be ready to help you in any way that we can. Ladies we all want to come home. But at this point we had all better just batten down the hatches and pray. This is Otto signing off from the Moon and good luck Earth... Ashley, Shianne, I love you so vary much. Watch your six.” He ended the broadcast.