Impact (Fuzed Trilogy Book 1)

by David E Stevens

  Greg said quietly, “That’s still 250 short.”

  “Well, those numbers assume some fuel left for approach and landing.”

  “So we’ll be almost empty when we land?”

  Josh hesitated. “Yeah, we probably need to talk about that.” He paused. “Greg, do you like extreme sports?”

  “Yeah, love to watch them.”

  “Ever wanted to try any of them, like bungee jumping or ... skydiving?”

  “No, I’m more of a gamer.”

  He decided to bring it up later. “By the way, Greg, we’ve got another small challenge. The same guys who were trying to intercept us in the Falklands are almost certainly headed to the Polar base right now.”

  “I don’t understand. We’re trying to save the world. Are they terrorists?”

  “I’m afraid it’s much worse. They’re from the government and they’re here to help.”

  With obvious confusion, Greg said, “But you’re from the government.”

  “Uh, in the government, the left hand doesn’t always talk to the right hand. Normally, we could work this out with some emails and a couple conference calls, but we’re a little short on time.”

  Australian Flight Lieutenant Tommy Harper was climbing in full afterburner. He followed the ground-based vector from the airport’s radar, but they’d lost contact shortly after it took off. Using his jet’s powerful radar, Harper picked up a very faint target moving due south at 35,000 feet. He was still 90 nautical miles away but closing fast. Looking at his fuel, he realized it was going to be close.

  He called back to base. “Boss, I got him painted. He’s headed due south, angels 35, doing about 500 knots.”

  Wing Commander Gulick replied, “Roger. How’s your fuel?”

  “I’ll have to jettison my drops.” He paused. “If I don’t get within range in 10 minutes, I’ll have to turn back.”

  “Keep pressing and you’re cleared to jettison.”

  As he manned-up, they had told him it was two guys posing as Boeing technicians. Before the attack on the World Trade Center, he would never have thought terrorists had the sophistication to steal and fly an aircraft. As he blew his drops off, he asked, “What do you want me to do? What’s my ROE?”

  Gulick replied, “We’re trying to figure that out now. Just be ready and try to get him on the radio.” There was a pause. “Tommy, we can’t let them use that jet against us.”

  “Roger that.” He shook his head.

  45

  INTERCEPT

  Elizabeth refused to sign the immunity from prosecution agreement.

  After six hours of interrogation, they put her in a locked room. There were no windows, one cot, a toilet and a sink. She was still wearing her pajamas with her blanket around her. She thought it was late afternoon and realized she had had nothing to eat, but she wasn’t hungry.

  She paced around the room for a while, and then, emotionally exhausted, sat down on the cot. She wanted to cry but knew they were watching and she wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.

  Antarctic Ocean

  Josh heard a low-pitched warbling tone. Greg said, “What’s that?”

  “We have company.”

  “Bad guys?”

  “No, just some seriously pissed off Aussies.” He noticed two drop-tanks were empty and jettisoned them into the ocean. With less drag, the computer recalculated their maximum range profile allowing him to speed up and climb another 1,000 feet.

  Loud and clear on Guard, the emergency radio frequency, he heard, “Super Hornet flying south, we’re intercepting you. If you return to base, you won’t be harmed.”

  Josh didn’t respond. Their confusion about who was in the cockpit might still be an advantage.

  Greg asked, “Have they launched a missile at us?”

  “No, you’ll hear a high-pitched warbling tone when they lock us up for missile launch.”

  “Can’t we just stay out of their range by using afterburner?”

  “Greg, with our burners lit, we’d go through 10 tons of fuel in twelve minutes. We wouldn’t even make it to the Antarctic coast.”

  Greg volunteered, “We’d retain consciousness for 15 minutes in freezing water.”

  Josh shook his head. “Discovery Channel?”

  “Titanic.”

  Flight Lieutenant Harper radioed back to base. “He’s not responding. I don’t have enough fuel to join on him, but I’ll be in missile range in a couple minutes.” He looked at his fuel gauge. “I’ll have just enough time to squeeze off a missile before I’m emergency fuel. I need to know what you want me to do.”

  At the base, Commander Gulick said to the pilots around him, “Where the hell could he be going? He’s heading south! There’s nothing there.” He shook his head in frustration.

  “Boss, I’m at the edge of radio range. Can barely hear you. Need the ROE.”

  Gulick sighed. He had to make the call. His career was already over for losing the jet. “Haven’t heard anything back from Command. On my authority, if they don’t return, splash ‘em.”

  Harper replied, “Roger.” Then pulled off his oxygen mask and said to himself, “Root me!” Like all fighter pilots, he looked forward to testing himself in combat, but shooting one of his own bloody jets in the clacker wasn’t what he had in mind.

  He had a radar lock and selected an AMRAAM missile. The HUD immediately showed the range circle, indicating he was still out of range but closing. He flipped the Master Arm switch on. The missile launch button on his stick was now hot.

  Josh heard the warning tone shift to a higher-pitched warble no pilot wanted to hear. The Aussie had locked him up in preparation for missile launch. He once again pictured in his head the course of action needed. At the same time, he heard another transmission. “Super Hornet headed south, this is your last chance. Return or I’m going to shoot you down.”

  Josh came up on the radio. “Aircraft in pursuit, break off your attack. I’m a U.S. government agent on a critical mission. Please contact the United States government immediately and they’ll explain the situation. Really apologize for borrowing your aircraft. We’ll replace it.”

  Harper used his other radio. “Boss, did you hear that transmission?”

  He heard nothing but static.

  It was going to be his call. If they were just crazy Boeing reps, they’d crash or eject in the ocean and freeze to death. Blowing them out of the sky would be merciful. But this guy didn’t sound crazy, and he couldn’t imagine any situation that would require stealing a fighter without a U.S. government heads-up. The transmission had to be a ploy to give ‘em time to escape. In either case, the answer was clear. He came up on the Guard frequency and said, “Mate, that’s bull and you know it. There’s no way we can confirm that before I have to launch.”

  The computer determined the missile was now in-range. In his HUD, he had a “Shoot” cue. Harper, with his thumb over the launch button, thought to himself, this sucks. He keyed his mic. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t put this AMRAAM up your ass?”

  Josh had a flash of illogical insight. When he was an F-18 instructor, he flew with an Australian foreign exchange pilot. They’d become friends. The Australian Hornet community was tight and there was a chance this pilot might know his friend.

  Josh replied, “I’ve been pinched on the butt by Mel Gordon’s wife, Vivian.”

  There was a moment of silence, then laughter on the radio. “Fair dinkum? Vivian pinches everyone! That’s how she says g’day.”

  Josh replied, “I know. She’s an amazing lady, probably smarter than both of us combined.”

  The radar warning tone ceased.

  “Ain’t that the truth? Don’t know what you’re doing, mate, but hope you packed long underwear. Gotta go. Good luck.”

  Josh breathed a sigh of relief, adding, “Thanks. When we get back, I’ll buy you a pint.”

  “You’re on.”

  Greg said, “We made it!”

  Josh said wryly, “Yup, all
downhill from here.” He checked the distance to the base. They were four hours away and the navigation computer was still telling him they didn’t have enough fuel to make it.

  “Greg, how much time do you need to get the tracking system software online?”

  “About two hours.”

  “Can you do it faster?”

  “Maybe cut a half hour off, but it’ll take a few hours to charge up the capacitors from the reactor anyway.”

  “It’s going to be really close. Tell you what, why don’t you review anything you can. We still have a ways to go.”

  “I’ll be ready when we get there.”

  “Good. By the way, can your computer fit inside one of your coat pockets just in case we have to move quickly?”

  “Sure.”

  “When you’re finished with it, why don’t you go ahead and put it in there and button it up tight. Then see if you can get some sleep.”

  “OK.”

  Josh jettisoned another tank. Their predicted range improved, but the computer was still coming up short.

  Mount Howe

  As Smith helped him finish installing an access panel on one of the reactor control stations, Bobinski said, “Spah-see-boh,”

  Smith replied, “You’re welcome, but I’m afraid I wasn’t much help.”

  Switching back to English, Bobinski said, “Every bit helps.”

  Smith’s Iridium satellite phone rang and Bobinski watched him pull the oversized phone with its bulging antennae off his belt.

  “Hello?”

  Bobinski heard Smith ask, “Carl, are you sure?” There was a pause as he listened. Then, Smith asked, “How much?” Exhaling heavily, he said, “Yes, I know.” Disconnecting, Smith stood there staring at the phone in his hand.

  Bobinski asked, “Something wrong?”

  Smith looked up and said cryptically, “Not yet.” He grabbed his parka, picked up the small duffel bag he always carried with him, and headed toward the door.

  Bobinski went back to work but watched Smith out of the corner of his eye. He saw Smith glance around, then pick up an adjustable wrench and put it into his bag. Pulling an automatic pistol from the bag, Smith checked the clip and slid it into his shoulder holster as he left.

  46

  METEOROID

  Jesse hadn’t responded to his calls in several days. He was relieved, when he finally reached him. “Thank God, you’re back again, but it may be too late. My house of cards is collapsing.” He paused. “Isn’t that comet fragment supposed to arrive soon?”

  It enters the atmosphere in 10 hours.

  “Any distractions would be welcome right now. Where’s it headed?”

  The coordinates and trajectory appeared in Josh’s mind.

  He plugged them into the Hornet’s navigation computer. Expecting it to be over the ocean by statistical odds, he was surprised when the display put the coordinates almost on top of London. “Well, they’re not going to be able to miss this. How big is it?”

  Like the comet, he suddenly saw it in his mind. It looked like a slowly rotating, lumpy, black boulder. He immediately sensed it was about 70 meters across.

  Startled, he said, “Oh my God! That’s the size of a small building.” Three times bigger than the Chelyabinsk meteor, he was sure it could cause massive destruction. “We need to get the word out!”

  He tried his UHF and VHF radios but got no response. He tried different frequencies and the emergency Guard channel, but knew he was in one of the few places in the world where there was no one in radio range. “This is a nightmare! You knew this thing was coming in over a city but didn’t tell me. Why are you giving me this information now when we can’t do anything about it?”

  Can’t you?

  Josh paused. “Are you suggesting we can deflect it?”

  Can you?

  “I have no idea. They haven’t finished installing it much less testing it! The tracking scope may not be able to see something this small, and the beam’s probably not powerful enough for something this close. Even if it works, they’ll shut us down before we can fire it. Tens of thousands will die. We’ll lose all credibility and never have time to stop the comet.”

  Is this the outcome you wish?

  “Of course not!”

  Then why are you rehearsing it?

  Josh took a deep breath and slowed his breathing and anger. As he thought about it, he sighed. “It’s my fault. I never asked how big the comet or fragment was until too late.” He paused. “I don’t want help ... I just want suggestions, and you’ve honored that. Because of it, we’re playing catch-up with the survival of the human race hanging in the balance.” He paused again. “I envy Elizabeth and her ability to believe without constant analysis.” With a small laugh, he added, “Bit late to ask for relationship advice, but got nothing else to do until we’re in radio range.”

  He sensed amused attention.

  “She’s been open, kind and trusting, and I repaid her by withholding the truth and keeping her at arm’s length. She lost her first husband and even if I survive, she’ll soon learn I’m not what she thought I was.” He shook his head. “One love believes I’m dead ... and soon another may wish I am.” He smiled. “Make a great country song.”

  Have you claimed to be something you’re not?

  “I lied by omission. I let her believe I was something I’m not.”

  What does she think you are?

  He frowned. “Umm ... I’m not really sure.”

  What are you?

  “I’m....” He laughed. “As if it matters. I’m being chased by SEALs in a stolen fighter over Antarctica without enough fuel. Even Dr. Ruth wouldn’t waste her time.”

  Bitching Betty interrupted his pitiful conversation with, “Bingo. Bingo.”

  He checked their distance to Mount Howe and reset the Bingo warning. A headwind hadn’t helped. The navigation computer indicated they were going to be 150 miles short.

  Greg woke up and said, “Did you say something?”

  Josh said, “No. Did you get any sleep?”

  “Yeah, but I had weird dreams. I was flying without an airplane.”

  “Interesting ... Greg, got some new information while you were sleeping. Turns out that one of the comet fragments is going to strike near London in about nine hours.”

  Greg asked, “Is it big enough to cause damage?”

  “I think so, but Chandra will know for sure.”

  “Can we deflect it?”

  “Don’t know but it’s going to be critical that our first firing succeed.”

  Greg said, “It’s going to be risky pushing full power through it on its first shot.”

  “Just make sure you’re ready to go when we get there.”

  For several minutes, Josh tried the radios on various frequencies but still heard nothing.

  Then Betty repeated, “Bingo. Bingo.”

  Greg asked, “Are we out of gas?”

  “No, Betty’s an alarmist. We still have 2,500 pounds left.”

  “How long will that last?”

  “Another 20 minutes.”

  Greg asked, “Why is the computer warning system a female voice?”

  Josh thought his question was a bit non sequitur, but realized Greg was a computer whiz. Explaining it would delay having to worry him about their impending method of debarkation. “Greg, years ago, before there were female fighter pilots, they did studies and discovered men respond better to women’s voices.”

  “Why didn’t they change it when women started flying fighters?”

  “Hate to break it to you, but the studies showed that women didn’t respond any better to men’s voices.”

  “Well, that’s not fair.”

  Josh laughed. “I agree.”

  He tried again to reach the pole base on his UHF. “Base, this is Josh Fuze, over.” He repeated his call several times. Finally, he got a static-filled but understandable reply. “Commander Fuze, this is Major Crow, we weren’t expecting you.”

  “I
know. Change of plans. Is Chandra there?”

  “She’s on top of the mountain.”

  “Please patch me through. This is an emergency.”

  A minute later, Chandra’s voice came on the radio. “This is Chandra, is that you, Josh?”

  “Yes, Victoria, I just learned the comet fragment we’re expecting is 70 meters across and will enter the earth’s atmosphere in less than nine hours.”

  Chandra said, “Seventy meters? It could be bigger than Tunguska!”

  Josh said, “Is that likely?”

  “I’m afraid so. The Tunguska object created a 10-megaton blast and flattened everything in a 40 kilometer radius.” She paused. “Where’s it headed?”

  “London.”

  “Oh my God, we have to evacuate London!”

  Josh said, “Let me give you the coordinates so the observatories can back this up.”

  After he gave her the coordinates and trajectory, she said, “I can’t reach the observatories. We’re having communication problems.” There was a pause. Then she said, “If these coordinates are right, the shockwave could level much of the city. It could kill hundreds of thousands. Josh, your source has informed the authorities already, right?”

  Josh said, “No! We have the same problem you do. You’ve got to get this information out somehow.”

  “Josh, we got word that the program’s been compromised. Shortly after that, we received a strange message from people claiming to be from the government. They told us to stand down, but they didn’t have the correct authentication passwords. We knew they weren’t real and ignored them. Unfortunately, they killed our satellite link. We have no way to communicate!”

  Josh said, “Keep trying. See if anyone has a satellite phone that’s working.” He paused. “Victoria, can we deflect it?”

  “Deflect it?”

  He heard Katori in the background. “We don’t even know if it will fire.”