“You almost said, ‘This Thing’.
“I know, see it’s crazy.”
“I know, define it as ‘What Thing’.”
“Very funny,” Carl groused. “That damn Hollsworth is gaining popularity as we speak.”
“He’s charismatic and has a good platform,” Amy pointed out. “The Shuttle Program is definitely in the spot light.”
“Speaking of the spot light, I wonder if Winston is going to be mellow tonight? He said he would,” Carl commented, using the remote to turn the television on. He sat back on the couch, Amy joining him. They nestled close, waiting.
***
“Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Winston Adams and this is the ADC Nightly News.” Winston was doing his regular nightly news. He did his regular twenty-five minutes and his information left the world looking unstable and convoluted as usual. Winston paused with a minute left and looked to his audience.
“I know that TSA is reeling from it’s tragedies, Rendezvous, Redoubt, and now Colonel Donald. This newscaster for one has been determined to find the truth. What happened, why is one of our brave Sons orbiting our world all alone? TSA has it’s policies, and although I may not agree with them, they feel they are right, and it is not a good idea to have safety procedures altered by the popular majority. TSA has assured us that Colonel Donald will be recovered, and that no additional calamities will befall us. To those that are listening to the Devil soothsayers, I say the Devil has been with us a long time and if he’s for real, he doesn’t need a poor, unfortunate individual to round us up. For ADC, this is Winston Adams and that was the news.”
***
Carl, his mouth agape, was sitting forward. He had been mesmerized and pulled to Winston as he had delivered his monologue.
“Wow!” Amy exclaimed. “You’ve got to like the guy because he is a force to be reckoned with now, and it looks like he’s on your side.”
Carl didn’t say anything, he was thinking.
“Carl, say something.” Amy sat forward, turning to look at him.
“I’m afraid I’ll start giggling like a little girl,” Carl said, sitting back, thinking again.
Amy sat looking at him, waiting.
“Carl?” she said, trying to break into his thoughts.
“Huh?” he responded
“What’s up, you’re off in another dimension?”
“Just thinking about Winston’s little play just now.”
“You should be hoping with joy, he just did you a great service.”
“That little feint was entirely for his own agenda.” Carl smiled. “He played me like a cheap fiddle.”
“Well, it didn’t hurt your cause.” Amy sounded disappointed in Carl’s lack of appreciation.
“No, it didn’t.”
Carl was silent again.
“Carl!” Amy shouted, smacking him hard on his thigh.
“What?” he asked, looking at her, rubbing his thigh.
“Earth to Carl Boroughs,” she yelled again. “What did you mean by feint?”
“It has to do with what Alice Smithers is looking for.”
“You mean the confusion with Donald and his status?”
“Yup.”
“Ah huh,” Amy proclaimed, grabbing his thigh, excited. “Tell me, tell me!” She was jumping about, excited.
“I can’t.”
“What!” Amy shouted, smacking him on the thigh again.
“Talk to Alice,” Carl said to her as the phone rang. “ I’m going to have to give him more strokes, that’s for sure,” Carl said, answering the phone.
Chapter 12
“THAT BUTT HEAD!” - Amy cried, peddling furiously on the stationary bike in the gym.
“He won’t tell you a thing,” Alice said, peddling the next bike over.
“Nothing, said I should talk to you,” Amy grunted, finishing with a flurry of rapid cycles.
“That butt head!” Alice agreed, also finishing her session.
“You didn’t come up with anything yourself?” Amy asked.
“Nah, all I’ve got is a bunch of readouts that don’t make any sense, and Winston’s acting just like Carl. Did he spill any clues?”
“I’m not sure. It’s hard to tell with Carl. He can be so aloof it’s hard to know if he’s stalling, telling you something, or just in his fog.” Amy grabbed a towel as she got off the bike.
“Damn, why would he tell you to talk to me?” Alice followed, grabbing her own towel. “Do you think it was a stall?”
“He said the grand show of concern by Winston was a feint.”
“Winston, there’s another tough nut to crack.”
“Maybe a little sexy persuasion might get you somewhere.”
“Oh yuk, Winston! Besides, that’s the last thing that would work with Winston. He’s not interested in conquering us, and certainly not interested in planting his seed anywhere.”
“He’s not interested in the thrill?”
“I’m fairly sure he’s not interested in anything protracted. My brother said he liked to pay the money and be done with her.”
“Really? Nasty boy,” Amy said, thinking. “What about the feint?”
“The only thing I can figure is that it’s important to Winston to have Donald brought back. What ever his agenda is, it serves no purpose to leave Donald out there.”
“You don’t see his spiel as a humanitarian one.”
“I did when he gave it, but now I’m not so sure.”
“That’s the same feeling I get,” Amy confirmed. “If Carl wasn’t so damn secretive, I might not be so damn suspicious.”
“Men just don’t get it, the less they say, the more we wonder.”
“Oh Carl knows that, he’s baiting me.”
“Rotten bugger.”
“Not really, he likes to keep me interested. If he didn’t want me inquiring for myself, he’d be more open. I wonder what he and Winston are up to?”
“Winston says it’s something big. It’s going to change everything.” Alice sighed. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”
“Do you think they’ll go ahead and grab Donald?” Amy asked.
“They pretty much have too, I would think,” Alice returned.
Chapter 13
THE REVEREND HOLLSWORTH - had one more shot because after Winston’s appeal weeks before, his platform had lost it’s momentum and he wasn’t able to garner any additional support. The three weeks to get the recovery flight up was also hurting his cause. He was standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, overlooking the Reflection Pool, and out there listening was approximately one hundred and fifty-thousand souls still believing the Devil was soon to visit them. The Reverend had gone back to his dirty, ill, fitting clothes and his overall appearance had reverted to the Doom Prophet. His petition was being televised on all the major networks as a news worthy item.
“I am appealing to the powers that be, to listen to me, before they commit this grievous mistake.” His voice still held the conviction that he had expounded throughout his bid to keep Donald in orbit. “They are bringing to this, our home, our life, our survival, an Entity that will run rampant and devourer us all. I am preparing to travel to the spot the Devil will disembark. Where He will enter our hallowed ground. Will my presence deter him? Will any of us deter him? I think not, but still we must stand in His face and say we don’t want you here.”
***
“Good evening Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Winston Adams and this is the ADC Nightly News. In less than fifteen minutes the Shuttle Reliance will retrieved Astronaut Ronald L. Donald and return him from his long ordeal in space. Donald was struck by space debris thirty-three days ago and was left to drift until today. Reliance has placed Donald in a special container and will be returning from orbit this evening. Then maybe TSA will give us the answers we have been waiting for.”
Chapter 14
THE SHUTTLE IS BACK IN ORBIT - the Earth slowly rotating beneath it. Commander Jerry Phillips an
d the Executive Officer, Major Mary Thomas were in the upper deck of the shuttle, controlling the craft as it approaches Colonel Donald still tumbling in the vacuum of space.
“Commander, we have visual of the pickup,” Thomas said.
“Any corrections necessary?” Phillips asked.
“Not at this moment. We will move over him in fifty-three seconds and stabilize our position at two-fifty away.”
“Roger, sounds good, Major Thomas.”
The shuttle maneuvered to match Donald’s orbit. When it was completed, the cargo bay doors opened, and the mechanical arm swung out. Then the end with a mechanical hand, swung back down into the cargo bay. The mechanical hand grabbed a cylinder ten feet in diameter and fifteen feet long. The arm pulled the cylinder out of the cargo bay, extended to its maximum length, then released the cylinder.
Two space suited astronauts, Henry Ackerman and Gill Peterson, moved out of the cargo bay and used thrusters to move toward the cylinder. When they reached the cylinder, they positioned themselves on both sides of the cylinder at the end facing away from Donald. Donald was still in a slow spin. One of the astronauts opened a panel on the cylinder’s side and reached in. The far end of the cylinder rotated open. The two astronauts grabbed hold of handles on the cylinder and using their thrusters, begin moving the cylinder toward Donald. As they neared Donald, they maneuvered the cylinder into a slow arch to match Donald’s tumble. When the cylinder matched the tumble of Donald, the astronauts started the open end of the cylinder toward Donald. They took great care not to touch Donald with any part of the cylinder. When Donald was completely inside, the end rotated shut and the cylinder was maneuvered back to the mechanical hand, attached and placed back inside the cargo bay. The bay doors then swung shut.
The cylindrical container, with Donald in it, was placed forward in the cargo bay, up against the bulkhead that separated the bay from the crew quarters. Three of the shuttle astronauts would sit in the lower crew compartment directly opposite the cylinder. The Commander and the Copilot were situated in the upper crew compartment.
***
Commander Phillips and Major Thomas were busy making final adjustments as the shuttle headed back into the atmosphere.
***
The Shuttle fell into the upper atmosphere at seventeen thousand miles per hour. It began to encounter friction from the atmosphere and was about to loose communications.
“Mission control, this is Reliance,” Commander Phillips said into his mike.
“Reliance, this is Mission Control, go ahead.”
“Mission Control, we are about to enter black out, do you acknowledge?”
“Roger Reliance, talk to you when you are clear again.”
***
The shuttle, with its nose high, began to glow, first on the front, then the glow spread back, and then around the wings. Inside the craft there was a rumbling that started softly and built up quickly, accompanied by an intense vibration. The noise and the shaking built to a peak and then quickly subsided.
Chapter 15
MAC, CARL, SPENCER, DENNIS, AND KENNY - were in Mac’s office watching Hollsworth.
“There’s an estimated million people trying to get into the cape to be there for the landing,” Mac said, shaking his head with disbelief. “We’ve pulled in as many law enforcement as we can find, and the governor will have the National Guard there within the hour.”
Spencer laughed. “One of the crew should step out in a Devils costume and yell boo!”
“Will you grow up!” Mac roared, cutting him off.
“This is getting to be less and less fun everyday,” Spencer leaned over and whispered to Dennis who nodded.
Mac gave them both a cold stare.
“Is there anyway to waylay Hollsworth, to keep him from getting down there?” Kenny asked.
“Oh man, don’t do that!” Carl said anxiously. “Can you imagine the uproar if anybody tried to stop that clown. Just let him be standing there when they open the door to the shuttle and nothing comes flying out. That’s the best thing for us all.”
“I have to agree with Carl,” Mac said, flipping the channels.
***
“I’m ready for the Devil,” an old man shouted, standing outside his car. It looked like he was down in Florida, close to the landing sight. “He might just have something good to add to this screwed up world.” The camera panned over to a pretty woman who tearfully proclaimed. “I’m ready for him and I will gladly have his children.”
“My husband’s been missing for a couple of years now, I’ll bet it’s him,” the next woman said, also tearfully. She was an ordinary sort, plain and unassuming.
“I just want to get it over with,” one man stated, obviously tired of everything.
“We are here to serve him,” said one couple, their four small children spread out in front of them in front of their camper.
“Is that their barbecue handy there?” Spencer quipped, pointing at the screen.
Mac looked at him. “Spencer, if anyone ever asks you to speak for the Agency, don’t.”
“What’s all the excitement about? We’re all in hell already,” the next man said.
One group off to the side didn’t say anything, as the camera panned them, they just wailed and sobbed.
“What I’d like to know,” one really old woman said, “is how’d he get up there?” She pointed to the sky, her hand trembling.
***
“Oh please, let that crate land softly,” Mac mumbled.
***
The Florida landing sight was surrounded by about three quarters of a million people, all there to be as close to the Devil as possible when he took control of their lives. The Reverend Hollsworth had arrived and was leading his flock forward. Fortunately the runway was surrounded by impenetrable marshes and swamp, keeping the throngs from getting too close. The dangers hidden in the murky, dank water, and accompanying tall grasses didn’t stop some of the frenzied participants. Already there had been three snake bites, two drownings, and numerous rescues. A couple of floating logs that turned out to be cruising alligators kept the majority out of the water. One man, dragged choking and spitting up brackish water, had immediately rushed back at the swamp. As he was driven off in handcuffs, he wailed that he was, “Being prevented from joining union with my redeemer.”
***
The shuttle came out of the communications blackout and radio contact was reestablished.
“Reliance, this is Mission Control, do you read?”
“Roger Reliance, loud and clear. Are we back on all the boards?”
“Affirmative Reliance. Wait a second please.”
“Ah Reliance, we have lost some signals from the lower deck. Do you copy?”
“We copy Houston. We show all normal down there. What is the problem from your end?” Phillips looked over to Thomas. “Now what!” he said.
“Reliance, be advised. Our life support systems telemetry show unsteady for all three crew down there.”
“I copy Houston, give us a bit.”
“Roger Reliance, we’re waiting.”
“Mary check it out.”
“Checking,” Tomas returned, checking her screen, moving the mouse about. “Commander, I’m not getting clear readings,” she said after a few moments.
“Now what!” Phillips repeated. “Did you check all three?”
“Affirmative,” Tomas said frustrated. “The boards are messed up all across! The telemetry is wavering.”
“What the hell! What do you call wavering?”
“They’re all cutting in and out!” Mary Thomas’s voice quavered.
Commander Phillips quickly reached above his head and punched an icon.
“Major Ackerman, do you read me?” Phillips was frantically looking over the computer screen just above his head. He touched another icon.
“Dammit Henry, answer me! . . . Do you read? . . . Over!”
Phillips turned to Mary and leaned over slightly. “Mary, rechec
k all the systems down there.”
“I already did . . . and I’m going over them again.” Mary’s voice was quivering more. She was working her computer screen frantically. “There’s nothing wrong with any of the systems,” Mary sounded very upset. “The ship is in perfect shape,” she added.
Phillips touched an icon. “Reliance, this is Mission Control, please respond.”
“This is Houston, what is the situation?”
“Houston, we have a problem. We cannot raise the crew down below.”
“Reliance, what is your summation?”
“Don’t have one Houston. The life systems now show negative, and there’s no answer on the comm link. What do you advise Houston?
“What is the status of the platform?”
“The entire system is up and running. We show no problems here, except the one downstairs. Please advise?”
“Reliance, you are on the long glide sequence. Please advise?”
“They’re supposed to advise us,” Mary squawked. She had her hands up to her face, breathing heavily.
Phillips could tell she was on the verge of breaking down. “Hang in there Mary, I need you here with me.”
“Roger Houston,” Phillips went back to business, “reentry is according to program, we’re on the mark. What do you read from the lower deck?”
“Reliance, according to our info, the lower deck crew is dead.”
“I copy Houston.”
“Reliance, come on home. Mission control out.”
Phillips looked over at Mary. “They’re wrong, it’s just some sort of electrical problem. They’re okay down there, I know they are.”
“Commander, I’ve checked the comm link to the deck below and it’s operational.”
“Can’t be Mary.”
“The computer says the link is okay. Do you think we lost them?” Mary was racked by a big sob.
“How Mary? How? You tell me that!”
“It doesn’t seem possible,” Mary responded, her voice breaking. “Two minutes to touch down Commander.”
“Thank you Mary.” Phillips reached over and gave her hand a squeeze.
***
The throngs of witnesses to the touchdown, convinced it was the arrival of pure evil, looked to the sky silent and apprehensive. There was a shout as one of them spotted the descending Reliance through his binoculars. His shouting and pointing didn’t begin a frenzy, as most of the crowd didn’t have his advantage, but within a minute the shuttle became visible with the naked eye. Then the vast crowd hushed, waiting for the white space-plane to touch down.
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