MARZ | Book 1 | MARZ

by Davis, James

  “What about provisions? I don’t want to starve the entire trip,” Roosevelt asked. Tanner chuckled.

  “Way ahead of you there too, we'll have plenty of food on board plus a full hydroponic garden. Once we take off, we're completely self-sustainable for at least two years. Even with an extra-large appetite like yours,” Tanner reassured, reaching over and slapping the large man's stomach. "Wow! That is solid, good for you, big guy!"

  “Alright! We're in there like swimwear, let's get this party started,” Roosevelt said with a smile.

  “Let’s do it. I'll hook you up with Tyler. We gotta get you set up, quarters, training schedule. He'll take care of all that. Jimmy is waiting out front. He'll get you on a plane and home for dinner,” Tanner replied.

  "Thank you, Mr. Washington, Johnny said, reaching out his hand to shake Tanner's.

  "Thank me when we get off the ground. Tyler's gonna text you the info, be on the lookout for it."

  A short time later, Johnny and Roosevelt were boarding the same jet they had arrived on.

  "Good evening, gentlemen," Jenelle greeted the men as they entered the cabin. "Mr. McBride had some things sent over for you to look over, and a celebratory drink from Mr. Washington. Enjoy your flight and just let me know if you need anything at all," she said, flashing a beautiful smile and disappearing into the cockpit.

  "What is this?" Roosevelt asked, noticing to stacks of papers, both several inches thick on the table beside the white sofa.

  Johnny reached down and picked up one of the stacks. "More NDA's, contracts, a noncompete, liability waiver, protocols and procedures, training schedule," he said, quickly flipping through the pages.

  "I ain't signing my life away to these guys, man," Roosevelt sighed.

  "I don't know if I want to either, you think this is a mistake?" Johnny asked.

  "Most definitely a mistake," Roosevelt said, nonchalantly.

  "So, we shouldn't do it? We can still back out."

  "Oh, I didn’t say that. We should do it. I just have no doubt it’s a mistake," Roosevelt said, a grin creeping onto his face.

  "Thanks, pal." Johnny joked. "Better sign some lives away."

  "Are you kidding? No way I can sign on an empty stomach. Gonna find something to eat, then we can delve into these stacks of dead trees," Roosevelt said.

  Johnny sat down behind the table, looking over an uncorked bottle of expensive looking champagne in a silver bucket of ice, two tall glasses sat beside it. He grabbed the bottle and filled one of the glasses, watching the bubbling liquid for a few seconds. He picked up the glass, brought it to his mouth and gulped down the entire drink before placing the glass back on the table and smacking his lips a few times.

  “Not bad. Not bad at all,” Johnny said in a low tone before he began reading the first page, another NDA, not dissimilar to the first one, only half paying attention as his mind was mostly pondering his question.

  Was this a mistake? His thoughts were quickly interrupted by the feeling of his phone vibrating in the pocket of his pants. He pulled it out and opened it to a new text message.

  Hey Mr. Truman. Tyler again, glad to have you on board. I had a few papers sent over for you to look over and sign. I know it seems like a lot, mostly standard stuff. Take your time and read through them, no rush. I'll work on getting everything arranged. You will need to be back at ORL 8 A.M. sharp next Monday, don't be late, we have a lot to do. Physical and mental fitness tests start as soon as you arrive, and after that...well, it's all in the schedule I provided. Let me know if you need anything. -Tyler McBride. Before he put his phone away, he sent his wife, Tracy, a quick text explaining that they were about to take off and that he would be home in a few hours. He hit send and stuffed the phone back in his pocket just as Roosevelt turned away from the table of food.

  “Jesus Christ man did you save me something to eat over there?” Johnny exclaimed when he saw the two plates his friend was holding. The plates were piled high and to the edges with finger sandwiches, fruits, veggies, cheese cubes and several different types of sliced meat.

  “What? I told you I’m starving over here!” Roosevelt said with a chuckle as he watched a cheese cube fall from the edge of the plate and roll across the floor.

  “Grab that for me, would you?” Roosevelt asked, nodded his head toward the cube. Johnny rocked forward in his seat and stood up.

  “I don’t understand how you’re not a big fat bastard as much as you eat,” Johnny replied as he grabbed the cheese and tossed it in the trash can.

  “Hey!” Roosevelt protested when he saw the cheese cube flying through the air toward the trash can.

  “Man, shut up. You have enough food here for both of us!” Johnny replied, quickly snatching a handful of items from Roosevelt’s plate while he was trying to sit down.

  “Get your own food, jackass!” Roosevelt said in an overly serious tone. Johnny put his hands up and took a few steps back.

  “Alright, alright. Geez, it was just a couple of cheese cubes, you big baby,” Johnny replied, turning to make himself a plate before they took off. His plate was nowhere near the size of either one of Roosevelt's plates when he turned around and took up his own seat next to his friend.

  “You give Ruby a call and let her know we’re on our way?” Johnny asked as they each shoveled food into their mouths.

  “Yep. Sure did,” Roosevelt mumbled through a mouthful of cheese and meats. Johnny chuckled and started to reply but the jet’s speakers cut him off.

  This is your captain speaking. We have roughly a two-hour flight ahead of us so just sit back and enjoy the food and drinks. We’ll be wheels up in fifteen minutes. Thank you. Johnny finished what was on his plate and stood up to throw the plate away just as the speaker went silent. He grabbed one more of the sandwiches and looked back over his shoulder.

  “Want anything else while I’m over here?”

  “Nah, man. Thanks though,” Roosevelt replied as he popped the last handful of cheese cubes into his mouth. Johnny finished the last bite of his sandwich and grabbed two bottles of water before finding his seat across from Roosevelt. He slid a bottle across the table and opened his own. He took a long swig from the bottle and sloshed the cold liquid around in his mouth before swallowing.

  “Let’s get this shit over with,” Johnny said, setting the bottle down and grabbing the papers and a pen to sign them with.

  “You excited?” Roosevelt asked as he signed his own papers.

  “Excited about what?” Johnny asked, confusion covering his features as he signed.

  “The mission, man. These papers make it all real now. I can’t wait to get my hands on that shuttle!” Roosevelt replied with a huge grin.

  “It’s not real until you guide the shuttle off the ground,” Johnny explained, flipping another paper over face down next to the stack he was signing. The jet’s speakers crackled to life again before Roosevelt could reply.

  Alright folks please take your seats and buckle up. Please stow all loose items until instructed otherwise by the lovely Jenelle. The speaker went silent and they each watched as Jenelle closed the jet door and found her own seat. Minutes later they were in the air and gaining altitude.

  Chapter Seven

  6:18 a.m. July 13, 2048

  Truman Residence

  Cocoa Beach, Florida

  “Good morning,” Tracy said as she leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the cheek.

  “Mornin’, babe,” Johnny replied, most of his attention zoned in on the TV as he watched Tanner Washington gloat on Fox News about their upcoming mission to Mars.

  “Are you excited to start this new project?” Tracy asked, a hint of excitement in her voice.

  “Yeah, I suppose I am,” Johnny replied with a smile as he slid on his socks. Next, he put his shoes on and tied them before grabbing his coffee mug and turning it up to the ceiling, draining the last few drops of the liquid into his mouth. He wiped his mouth and then headed up the stairs to brush his teeth and grab the bag
he had packed the night before. Tracy came in behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest and laid her head against his back.

  “I’m going to miss you so much, Johnny!” she said, her eyes filling with tears as she began to sob. Tracy did this almost every single time Johnny had to go out of town. He understood her grief and spun around wrapping her up in his arms planting kiss after kiss all over her face. She began to laugh and squeal as she tried to break free from his embrace but he had his hooks set in deep and she wasn’t going anywhere until he said she could.

  “Stop!” Tracy wailed between laughs and was surprised when he did just that. She slowly started lifting her head to gaze up at him again and quickly realized it was a mistake because he started in on her again.

  “Johnny Truman! Stop it!” she shouted in her best stern voice. Johnny chuckled and looked down at his wife.

  “You’re cute when you try to act mad at me,” he grinned, stealing one last kiss from her.

  She looked up into his eyes and said, “I love you Johnny. You be careful up there and come back home to me!” Johnny nodded.

  “You know I will, babe,” he replied, before taking a step toward the bed to grab his bags. On the other side of town Roosevelt was going through the same motions with his wife before walking out to his truck and heading to meet Johnny at the airport.

  “You nervous yet?” Roosevelt asked as they each walked to the private jet Tanner had once again provided them with.

  “No not really, but Tanner is really starting to spoil us with this private jet,” Johnny replied with a chuckle. Jenelle stood outside of the open door to the jet looking eager to take their bags.

  “Nice to see you two again. We have to hurry Mr. Washington does not like to have his time wasted as I’m sure you are already aware,” Jenelle explained as she took their bags and guided them on to the jet. Ten minutes later they were taking off back to Houston to get started on the mission that would change their lives forever.

  ****

  "Welcome back,” Tanner said, looking up from his laptop only for a moment before diving right back into whatever he was working on. Johnny and Roosevelt looked at one another and then back to Tanner expectantly but the man gave no indication that he cared that they were still standing in front of his desk. Johnny cleared his throat and pulled out one of the guest chairs in front of Tanner’s desk and sat down. He waited for Tanner to acknowledge him but the man still wasn’t paying any attention to him. Roosevelt pulled out a chair of his own and sat down next to Johnny. Roosevelt's hand shot out and slammed down on the desk making a loud smack sound causing Johnny and Tanner to jump.

  “The man is trying to talk to you!” Roosevelt scolded, pointing a finger at Tanner.

  “Sorry, sorry. I didn’t realize y’all were still here. Duty calls ya know?” Tanner said with a nervous laugh. Johnny cleared his throat once more and then sat forward in his seat with his elbows on his knees.

  “Look, we need to have a quick chat before we go any further with the mission,” Johnny explained, bringing his hands up, interlacing his fingers and letting them rest on Tanner’s desk.

  “Okay, what’s up?” Tanner asked as he leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. The position was meant to disarm Johnny and make him feel comfortable as he spoke.

  “Alright, so I’ve noticed that you seem to enjoy being in charge of everything and everyone around you,” Johnny started.

  “I mean, it comes with the territory,” he said with a grin, gesturing to the four walls around them.

  “I think what he’s trying to say is that you enjoy being in charge and telling people what to do a little too much,” Roosevelt said, cutting into the conversation.

  “Well, I wasn’t going to be so blunt about it, but that’s exactly right. You seem to get off on being the man in charge,” Johnny added. A thick scowl crept across Tanner’s face before he spoke again.

  “So, what the hell is your point? I like being in charge, so what?” he asked with an arched eyebrow. Johnny let out a long breath before speaking again.

  “Look. I know this is your company, your shuttle, your money, your everything but when we get on that shuttle, I am taking over command until we return,” Johnny stated. Tanner began to laugh deeply until tears started to run from the corners of his eyes.

  “You think I’m going to allow you to take command of my shuttle?” Tanner asked, still laughing.

  “You will, or we walk,” Roosevelt stated with finality. Johnny glanced over at him and then back to Tanner.

  “Listen, you haven’t ever been to space, much less commanded a mission up there and frankly you act as if the only reason you are doing any of this is for the money and prestige that will come with it,” Johnny explained.

  “I don’t care. My shuttle, my money, my mission. Simple as that. Don’t like it there's the door,” Tanner shot back and then returned to the work he was doing on his laptop. Johnny shrugged and stood up from his seat.

  “Alright then, thank you for your time,” he said before turning and walking out of the room, Roosevelt right behind him.

  “Smug little bastard!” Johnny hissed as they stormed back to the front office to grab their bags.

  “Get us a cab, would you?” Johnny asked Roosevelt as he knelt down to retrieve his wallet from his bag.

  “Can you believe the nerve of that guy?” Roosevelt asked as he scrolled through the options for requesting an Uber on his phone. Johnny didn’t reply. He stood up, shouldered his bag and stared out of the front windows in disbelief. He could not believe that arrogant little prick would not see things his way. Rapid footsteps clapping down the hall caught Johnny’s attention, breaking him from his thoughts.

  “Fastest Uber I can find is at least an hour away.” Roosevelt stated, looking up from his phone.

  “Hold on a minute before you schedule that ride,” Johnny said as he watched the hall entrance. A short man with wire framed glasses and salt and pepper hair rounded the corner and shoved a hand in the air as he shouted.

  “Johnny, wait a minute!” The man shouted over the clapping of his hard-soled shoes as he bustled down the corridor. Roosevelt looked at Johnny and smiled.

  “I figured he would give in at the last minute,” Roosevelt said with a chuckle as he put his phone away. Johnny sat his bag down and glared at the short man breathing heavily before him. The man was leaning over, hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. After about a minute he stood up straight and fixed his shirt.

  “Mr. Washington would like to have another word with you gentleman.”

  Chapter Eight

  9:13 a.m. July 14,2048

  A51 Technologies

  Houston, Texas

  “Mornin’, boys!” Tanner said as he approached Johnny and Roosevelt. A short, athletic man with plain features and a head full of light brown hair, appearing roughly the same age as Tanner.

  "Good morning." Both men replied simultaneously.

  "This is my boy, Tyler McBride," Tanner said.

  "Good to finally meet you guys in person," Tyler said, brushing a lock of his shaggy brown hair away from his forehead and reaching out to shake hands.

  "Tyler is my business partner, co-founder, and my brotha from anotha motha. Guy’s a genius and he'll be taking care of us until launch, and more importantly throughout our entire trip, from the ground of course," Tanner continued as the men exchanged handshakes.

  "So," Tyler began, "I hate to skip the pleasantries, but we really do have a lot to do. They're working on Gungnir's final assembly and if all goes well, we launch in three weeks," he said.

  "Let’s do it!" Roosevelt exclaimed.

  "First things first, we gotta get you down to medical. Draw some blood, run some tests, physical and mental fitness analysis. After that, we'll meet up with Erik and Rebecca for lunch, and then we gotta get you guys fitted for your suits. They'll be custom made to fit like a glove---," Tyler started.

  "He designed the suits himself, they
're next level shit," Tanner interrupted.

  "From there, we'll get to your quarters to get settled in. I'll have to check, but they should have delivered your things already," Tyler continued.

  "After that?" Johnny asked.

  "After that, you do what you want. Training starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp, mostly just systems and equipment exclusive to our technology. That will last three days, the fourth day, your suits should be ready, we'll be running some tests and simulations in them. You'll have the weekend free, and quarantine starts midnight Sunday. It will last one week and you won't leave the quarantine bay until launch day. If you enjoy seeing sights, I suggest you do so before then."

  "Damn, that’s a tight schedule!" Roosevelt said.

  "It was all detailed in the paperwork I sent you. We have a lot to do and very little time to get it done. Now, if you’ll follow me," Tyler said, walking down the hallway toward the elevator, which was already open and waiting. The four men entered the elevator and the door slowly closed behind them. A loud ding filled the room and a jolt signaled that they were going up. A few seconds later, one more ding came and the doors sprang open. They followed Tyler down the long empty hallway before stopping in front of a wall. The door opened, this one lifting from top to bottom.

  "That’s quiet! I need to get one of them for my garage!" Roosevelt said as they filed through the open door into a brightly lit room with a few white chairs, each chair sat beside a small metal table. The room was white, as every other room so far had been, only this one had a long pane of glass across the back wall, looking into an attached room.

  "They're all yours, Kelly," Tyler said, alerting a woman with long, straight blonde hair in a lab coat.