by Ben Winston
“Sort of,” she said. “Now, you're a science fiction writer; how much do you know about current space travel technology?"
The question was most definitely strange, but considering the situation, maybe not. “Let's see; I know we've developed a form of anti-gravity with mercury gyroscopes. I had heard the folks over at JPL had figured out how to create a warp bubble, but were having some kind of trouble with it.”
She nodded. “Pretty accurate, but a few chapters behind. Would you believe me if I told you that they'd figured out the problems with the warp field, and greatly improved on the antigrav?”
“Yeah, I'd buy that. Science is always well ahead of what they allow to be released to the public. I wouldn't even be surprised if they hadn't developed replicators and or transporters. Although, the last time I'd read anything about that, they had only managed to move a single photon across the country, even I didn't think that was an accurate test; after all, how do they know it was the same photon? Did they check the serial number?”
“There's a replicator behind the bar, and we're not in a normal C-141 aircraft,” Becky replied.
“Again, I can accept that. Take off wasn't anything like I remember it was, and there's been no turbulence at all. Which leads me to ask exactly where are we going?” Joe asked.
“We are going to dock with an orbiting space station,” Becky said matter-of-factly.
“Huh, I've always dreamt of going into space someday. Never thought I'd make it, though. Can you tell me why, or do I still have to wait for that?” Joe asked.
“They fixed the issues with the warp drive, but when they tested it, they discovered another problem; Hyperspace navigation has very little to do with Real Space navigation. In fact, once they tried to program a computer for the job, it wouldn't work. Even though the programmer herself could do it, she couldn't make the computer do it.
“It was later discovered that she wasn't your normal run-of-the-mill genius computer programmer; she had a special gift. One that only about one half of one percent of the total population has. She had the gift to make sense of all the variables involved in plotting a jump.
“That gift is only detectable in how the human mind handles data. Training since birth was tried with very limited results, so a test was developed to identify those few that had this gift.
“Once located, these individuals are recruited so the human race can reach out to the stars. Which is becoming a more and more important job as time goes by. I'm not sure you're aware of it, but there are too many people on Earth. We need to relieve the burden by moving them to another planet,” she said and paused for a drink.
“Okay, so where do I come in? I'm old, fat, out of shape, and I have some serious, incurable, medical issues. There is no way in hell I can perform my old duties, even though from the sound of it, that's not what I'm here for,” Joe asked. He reached into his pocket for his pills. He needed to take some pain pills because his stomach was really beginning to hurt.
She quietly watched him take the powerful narcotics. When he sat his soda back on the table, she continued. “I'm getting there, don't worry. A scientific research base was established on Beta Centauri IV, using that programmer as the Navigator to get us there. At the same time, several normal civilians were also relocated to establish our first off-world colony.
"The original Navigator was closely examined and tested. Her 'gift' was discovered and the part of her mind that handled the ability was isolated. It was discovered that hyperspace navigation had a rudimentary connection with how the game of Free Cell is processed...”
“Wait,” Joe interrupted her. “You’re saying that Free Cell is a test to see who has this gift you're talking about?”
“Yeah, the game itself is an old one, but if you'll remember it wasn't always included with computer operating systems. Only after the connection was discovered did the game become a requirement for every commercially available operating system.
“It took a few months but they started getting results back from internet connected computers. Within a year, eight people had been isolated as having the gift to navigate hyperspace. They were 'recruited' and taken to BC IV to learn how to do the navigation.
“Once those few people got trained, a rather odd side effect was observed; although the Navigators were not actually on a ship with a functioning hyperdrive, there was a slight warping of space-time around them when they practiced or worked through the equations. It had no effect on the Navigators of course, but the people around them started exhibiting potentially dangerous bursts of emotion.
“Dr. Herve Chaves, who was a very gentle, peaceful man by nature, beat one of his lab assistants into a coma for not putting sugar in his coffee. A couple of other scientists experienced memory loss, and one had an emotional break down because she stepped on a bug outside her lab.
“When these people had left Earth only a year before, they had been among the most mentally stable people on Earth. Now they were all rapidly going insane. Since none of the farmers or other folks were having any problems at all, the problem had to have been related to the Navigators.
“In order to test this theory, a small station was placed in orbit, and the Navigators were moved there. There was an almost overnight cessation of symptoms, which confirmed the source of the problem, however, another issue soon arose.
“The small station for the Navigators wouldn't stay put. The station had been created out of an orbital freight shuttle. It only had engines strong enough to get it to the planet's surface and back while carrying supplies and personnel. It had no hyperdrive to get anywhere else. However, at random times it would be in orbit of the planet, or in orbit of one of the moons, or other planets in the system.
When the Navigators would practice, it would open a small rift in hyperspace. The station would then 'fall' through the rift and appear wherever it felt like. Never in 'open space' though, always in orbit around something.
“Gravity was the answer. So one of the longest serving Navigators, suggested moving the station to the LaGrange point between the two stars of the binary system. They were far enough apart to not fry the station in radiation, yet close enough to hold the station in place no matter how big the rift got.
“That proved to be the answer and the shuttle was altered into a real station. Since then, it's been built up to handle our teaching and training facilities, as well as some housing facilities. There really aren't that many of us yet, but most of us don't stay at the Citadel unless we are prepping for a mission or debriefing from one." She paused to let him catch up.
“Okay, I'm with you so far, and I've even figured out that you think I'm one of these ‘Navigators’. But why was I 'recruited' like that? If they know my background like I know they do, they would have known I'd have jumped at the offer, no matter what was wrong with me,” Joe replied.
Becky nodded regretfully. “Yeah, we know you would have. But, there are other concerns you aren't aware of yet. First, your medical issues will be taken care of. There is a way to treat your condition. In fact, that'll be one of the first things that you'll be going through. However is only the first issue; the treatment is very, very expensive and the powers that be will not pay for it to be done to civilians unless they are part of the specially selected colonists. Your wife would have to go through it before she could survive the trip to BC IV. Once you go through it, you're not allowed to go back to Earth.
“If you had been offered the choice, you would have insisted that she come with you or you wouldn't have come. You will be strongly encouraged to propagate your abilities,” She blushed when she said that last part. “While Laura’s inability to have children would have also been repaired, she is not a Navigator.”
Joe shook his head, not understanding. “That still doesn't make sense to me. Laura is bisexual. I doubt she would have said much about my 'duties' once she understood them. Hell, if all of them look like you, she'd probably have been a willing partner! I know you might not understand exactly w
hat I mean, but I do love that woman more than my own life."
Becky nodded sadly. “Yeah, that's the one thing no one seems to care about in all of this. They also don't want you to be able to be influenced. Having your wife with you would leave you open to outside manipulation.”
“Yeah, you mean they wanted to make sure they were the only ones that could use her as a lever if I didn't play nice. I take it they read the report of my last mission with my previous 'employers'. Anyway, there's nothing that can be done about it. I'm sure she thinks I'm dead by now," Joe replied sadly.
“Honey! I’m home!” Laura said as she walked in the door. She was greeted only by a very sad looking dog.
“Hey Sweety, where's Daddy? Did he go somewhere and not take you with him?” She asked, bending down to scratch behind the small dog's ears.
The dog, Merry, had always been a very happy dog. She loved her owners and was always happy and full of energy when they got home. However, tonight, Merry not only looked sad, but she gently put her head next to Laura's knee as if for comfort.
It made the hair on the back of Laura's neck stand straight out and she got a feeling of dread in her stomach. “JOE!” she yelled. She almost ran to the back of the trailer house when there wasn't an answer.
It didn't take her very long to discover he wasn't there. She opened her purse, took out her cell phone and hit the speed dial for her husband. She immediately heard the ring coming from her jacket. Now she was really worried, because she knew Joe didn't even go to the bathroom without his phone.
Hanging up the phone, she dug Joe's out of her coat pocket and looked at it. She noticed that it had been left on the screen that was used for recording. She'd seen him use this function many times as he would often record ideas for the book he was working on.
Before hitting play, she sat down on the couch. Merry jumped up beside her and immediately snuggled up to her 'mother'.
Laura swallowed the sudden lump in her throat, and pressed the play button.
She was crying by the time the recording ended. She knew that he never would have left with those men if he'd had a choice. She also knew that he would be reported as dead soon; and for all she could do, he really would be dead. Yes, he might be alive, somewhere, but he would never be allowed to come back to her.
She had just finished replaying the message a second time when there was a knock on the door. She didn't want to answer it, but she knew she had too since whomever it was knew she was home. She managed to croak out a 'come in', and Jed, the park manager and one of Joe's best friends walked in.
He saw that she'd been crying and sat beside her, putting his arm around her to offer support and comfort. “There was a black suburban here earlier. I called the local police, but they had no idea what was going on. I saw Joe get in the truck with two men, but they were long gone before the cops could get here. What happened?”
She knew that Jed was one of Joe's best friends and she also knew he confided a lot in him, but she wasn't sure he knew about Joe's past. Hell, she'd never really believed it herself until now.
“Did Joe ever tell you about his past? His time in the military?” she asked.
“Yeah, he told me about a lot of that stuff. Wait, you mean about his being a sniper or some such?” Jed asked. “He mentioned it to me, but I never really believed it, I mean, if he had done all of that, he wouldn't have been allowed to live would he?”
In response, she hit play on the recording one more time. Through her tears, she watched his face as it slowly turned white.
Joe hadn't been lying. In fact, from the sound of it, he had barely touched the surface of that part of his life. Well, Joe had told him the only reason he could say anything at all was because it was so far-fetched that no one would believe it had actually happened.
But now, his friend was gone and wouldn't be coming back. Jed had tears of his own in his eyes for the loss of his friend. “Well, at least we know he's still alive somewhere.”
Laura nodded. “But he might as well be dead. If he tries to come back here, they'll kill him.”
Jed was about to agree with her, but a sudden thought struck him. “No, I don't think so.”
Laura turned to look at him. “How do you figure? They can't allow him to go rogue again.”
“No, if he is so valuable to them that they retrieved him after all this time, even with all his health issues, they won't kill him. However, they can accomplish the same thing by threatening to kill you,” Jed said. “You are their insurance policy on his behavior.”
After she thought about it for a moment, she nodded. “You're right. They got him to agree by threatening me. If anything happens to me, I think they might have a huge problem on their hands. But, what am I going to do without him?”
“Go on living your life. You heard the recording; he went with them so you could go on living. He made them make sure you would be taken care of. Really, if you stop to think about it, the only thing we can do is keep our mouths shut about this and honor his... uh, last wish,” Jed said with a tear falling down his cheek.
“So, what do we tell everyone when they ask about the mysterious black SUV?” Laura asked.
“This is a trailer park out in the country. Like the one man said, they wanted to foster the idea of the ‘men in black’ abducting Joe. Everyone knows how he was with the conspiracy stuff. Just play dumb and let them draw their own conclusions,” Jed replied. “I doubt there is any other way to prove otherwise.”
“Jed, I need him! I don't know what to do without him!” Laura cried. “We've been together almost every single day for the last twenty years!"
“I know, Laura, I know,” Jed said as the woman put her head on his shoulder and cried. “I'm going to miss him too.”
The trip up to the station had been mostly uneventful. Becky filled him in on the project he was now a part of, and Joe asked questions. By the time they reached the station, in orbit over the southern magnetic pole, he was more comfortable with the situation.
Joe winced as his right shoulder popped when he saluted the Admiral waiting for him on the station. “Good afternoon, Sir!”
“At ease and welcome aboard, Major,” the Admiral said returning the salute. He offered Joe his hand. “You know you haven't been officially reactivated yet, so you don't have to salute me.”
“With respect Sir, yes I do,” Joe replied as he shook the man's hand. He looked somewhat young for an Admiral, but then again, in the black services, rank usually came quickly.
The Admiral nodded his understanding and thanks. “I would like to introduce my companion and one of the more important people you'll be working with, Jared Small.” he turned to the thin greasy looking man that had stayed back from the greetings until introduced.
The moment his eyes made contact with Jared's, Joe knew this person was insane. He also knew he would kill him one day. Joe knew he had to play nice since the Admiral was there.
Jared stared hard at Joe as if he were trying to tell him something with his mind. The Senior Navigator said nothing nor even nod when the introduction was given. Joe felt an instant dislike for the man and hoped he wouldn't be spending a lot of time with him.
The men that had formed the extraction team were still asleep on the fake jet, but Becky had followed Joe onto the station. She seemed to be hiding from Jared behind Joe.
The Admiral noticed the reactions of the two new arrivals and smiled inwardly. Perhaps this Major would be the right person for the job he needed done. The young Navigator, Becky looked to already like and trust the new man.
Gritting his teeth and fighting the urge to see if he remembered his hand to hand training, Joe nodded to the smaller man, and looked back to the Admiral before Jared could reply.
“Well! Let's get you checked into the station and down to medical. I'm sure you're tired of being in pain all the time!” The Admiral joked.
“Yes, Sir, that I am, but I took a couple pain killers on the trip up so I'm good for a while if there is s
omething else we need to take care of.” He glanced quickly at Jarad. “What do you need me to do?” Joe said.
Hawklings smiled. He was beginning to like this man. “Follow me, son. We'll get you down to medical and get you started.”
Joe was aware of Becky's reaction to Jared, so he made sure the girl stayed close to him. At this point, he really didn't trust anyone, but he trusted Becky a damn sight more than he did Jared!
“Admiral, I'm sure little sister can find her way back to the Citadel once Mr. Anderson has been settled. I'll head back now and have the training department ready for his arrival,” Jared said and left without waiting for the Admiral to dismiss him. For some reason, that really irritated Joe.
It must have shown because the Admiral just sighed. “Relax Major; he does that intentionally to irritate us. I think he likes to think he's in charge around here most times.”
“I understand, Sir. Still, I would think even a civilian should at least respect your rank. After all, a Flag Rank usually commands respect from everyone,” Joe replied.
“You should see him when we have to be at the Citadel. He walks around like a little dictator or something. Everyone does tend to obey him, but I honestly don't know why,” Becky added.
“Excuse me, Sir, but may I ask a few questions?” Joe asked.
“Fire away, it's too late for you to back out now,” Hawklings said, grinning.
“You said I hadn't been reactivated yet. Will I be?” Joe asked.
The Admiral looked thoughtful for a moment. “To be completely honest with you, Major, I really don't know. I can tell you that your former skills are not the reason you’ve been recruited. You see, this situation is unique in the extreme. You are not only the oldest person ever recruited; you are also the only soldier. The fact that you are a black-ops soldier makes it even more unique and potentially far more dangerous. Let me ask you; do you want to be reactivated?”
“I don't think I can give you an answer to that, Sir. I don't have a grasp on what my duties will entail yet. I can tell you that I would like to sanction Jared. I don't know if you've noticed, but he's completely insane. If he has a position of authority there will be trouble with him.”