The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1)

by P. M. Johnson

  The cadets came to full attention, each one stamping his or her right foot at once to create a great booming sound. Patriotic music played over the loudspeakers. The audience members stood and put their right hands to their hearts. Cadets saluted. After a few notes had played, they all sang the national anthem, after which the audience sat down. The image of the national seal on the main view screen and the smaller ones stationed throughout the hall was replaced by the image of a tall thin man standing behind a lectern. He had clear blue eyes and white hair, which was combed straight back. He wore a dark suit and a red tie. Three colorful ribbons and several medals adorned his suit breast pocket. Behind him, a large PRA national seal covered the wall.

  “Good evening, citizens of the People’s Republic of America,” he said in a strong voice that belied his thin frame and advanced years. “I am Grand Guardian Harken, and I am honored to once again stand before you to celebrate another year’s achievements.”

  Thundering applause reverberated throughout the auditorium where the Grand Guardian was speaking. The camera view switched to show a huge audience full of smiling people enthusiastically clapping, including the full membership of the Congress of Representatives, who occupied the first few rows. The people in the Weller Academy hall also applauded. Grand Guardian Harken held up his hand for silence and continued.

  “The PRA continues to be the world’s shining light when there is still so much darkness. The world looks to us to lead it though the continuing challenges flowing from the Impact and to help it regain the glory and unity of the pre-Impact era. The world sees what we have achieved here in the PRA and the world’s people are inspired. They see that we now enjoy a quality of life superior to that of pre-Impact society and continue to build on our achievements, year after year. The world sees we are one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!” shouted the audience as they clapped and cheered.

  Grand Guardian Harken continued after a moment. “As you well know, the peace and stability we have secured has not been easily won. Indeed, it has been secured at great cost, including the ultimate price in many cases. But our sacrifices have produced astounding results. We enjoy higher manufacturing production, higher crop yields, and longer life spans. Our years of unwavering dedication and toil have provided us with stability and prosperity.

  The people again applauded and cheered.

  “I am proud to report that in the past year crop yields are up four percent; production of consumer goods is up three percent; and our all-important military production capability has increased by an astounding seventeen percent. These great leaps forward are due in large part to our commitment to rapid reindustrialization and the successful military campaign to recover Detroit with its ancient but still robust industrial might. We are one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!”

  “And we will build on the success of the Detroit campaign,” said Grand Guardian Harken. “We are a shining beacon of hope to the people still living in darkness. We are the liberators of those enslaved by petty warlords and bickering clans. We are the steadfast foes of tyrannical governments which prefer the violence and chaos of disunity over the peace and order of one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!”

  “We have achieved much, but there is much more to do and the road ahead is a difficult one, for our success is also our commitment to the people of the world. To them I say, we who stand in the light of prosperity have heard your calls from the dark wilderness. We have seen how you suffer under the yoke of tyranny. To these desperate people, I say be strong. To those who oppress them, I say the time of reckoning is at hand. We are coming, and we will not give up the fight until we are all once again one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!”

  “To our nation’s mothers and fathers I say, continue to raise your children in the spirit of our great visionary redeemer, Malcom Weller. Continue to encourage their growth and commitment to our great cause. And do not weep when they are called to protect what we have achieved. Do not fear when they are called upon to grapple with our foes. For it is their strength of arms, their zeal, their unwavering dedication to our great cause that will secure ultimate victory and a lasting, permanent peace. They are our shield and our sword. Our hopes rest on the strong shoulders of this generation and on as many generations to come as may be required until we are once again one people, one nation.

  “One people! One nation!”

  After a few more moments of applause, the Grand Guardian said, “And now I invite Guardian Castell to speak a few words.”

  He nodded his head and raised his left hand to someone off camera. A tall heavy-set man in his fifties with dark wavy hair took Harken’s right hand in both of his and gave a slight bow, smiling as he looked into Harken’s eyes. The man then stepped forward to the lectern as Harken walked out of the camera’s view.

  “Thank you, Grand Guardian Harken, for your inspiring words,” he said after the cheering had subsided. “Our great thanks to you and your enduring leadership and guidance.”

  He folded his hands on the lectern and looked into the camera. “Citizens of the People’s Republic of America, I am Guardian Castell and I will speak to you about the state of the nation’s security. As Grand Guardian Harken so eloquently stated, we enjoyed outstanding successes in the past year. We not only strengthened the security of our borders against the tyrannical rulers to the north and south, but we also brought Detroit and its industrial might back into the embrace of the People’s Republic of America.”

  He paused as the audience enthusiastically cheered.

  “But we must be ever vigilant,” he warned. “Our successes are the envy of many. The very fact we exist is a danger to our enemies’ iron grip on their suffering people. Yet, whispers and rumors of our achievements filter through our enemies’ false propaganda and reach the ears of the oppressed. Our promise of unity and freedom beckons them to our doors. Defections to our great nation are commonplace, and of course we welcome them. We welcome the oppressed, the weary, and the disheartened into our community, for we are one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!”

  “But as Grand Guardian Harken said, we have a long and hard road ahead of us. We have heard his challenge and we are prepared to meet it. We will continue to expand our borders to the west and northwest. Last year we recaptured Detroit. Two years ago it was Chicago. Three years before that it was Nashville. We will continue until we have reached the great Mississippi River and beyond, for we are one people, one nation.”

  “One people! One nation!”

  “We have achieved great victories on our borders, but let us not forget the danger within our borders. A free community such as ours is strong because of our freedoms, but it also leaves us vulnerable. Vulnerable to saboteurs. Vulnerable to enemy agents sent to sow discord among us. Vulnerable to the rot of undedicated thinking. Our visa travel rules and other protective measures have inoculated us against the worst of such efforts, but we must remember that security and safety is everyone’s duty. Be vigilant. Be ready. For we are one people, one nation.

  “One people! One nation!”

  Logan’s mind began to drift as Guardian Castell continued to talk about border security, new defensive and offensive weapons systems in development, and so on. Now and again his attention snapped back to the speeches when he and the others enthusiastically chanted the mantra of “One people! One nation!”

  After Guardian Castell finished his speech, he introduced Guardian Bishop, the Justice Guardian, who spoke for twenty minutes about internal security, expanding on what Guardian Castell had said regarding visa controls and increased SPD presence. He read through statistics indicating general crime rates were at record lows but that there was a troubling uptick in the number of terrorist cells the SPD had rooted out. He promised to redouble the efforts of the Justice Ministry to ensure the nation’s security and asked for everyone
’s support and cooperation in achieving that great goal.

  Guardian Bishop was followed by Commerce and Industry Guardian Hoffman, who talked at length about increased industrial production, crop yields and consumer goods. He lamented the terrible loss of life and reduced energy production cause by the recent Appalachian coal mine collapse. He vowed to continue to work with Guardian Bishop’s Special Investigators to capture all of the perpetrators, many of whom were already in custody or dead. He promised a public trial and swift execution for the ringleaders of the horrific attack.

  Commerce and Industry Guardian Hoffman was followed by Information and Public Affairs Guardian Hyatt and Health & Wellness Guardian Feldman, each of whom spoke for only five minutes and largely echoed what had already been said.

  When Guardian Feldman was finished, Grand Guardian Harken returned to the lectern. He smiled at the faces in the audience. “We have achieved more than anyone could have possibly imagined in the years since the Impact, but there is much more to do. And make no mistake, we will all be put to the test. Each and every one of us. Every morning you must look in the mirror and ask yourself, ‘Am I prepared? Am I ready?’”

  He looked into eye of the camera. “You see, we all play important roles in our great community. Everyone from the tough and dedicated farmers and workers in developments sprinkled across this great land all the way up to our highest military and civic leaders. We must all do our duty. Myself included. For I have the greatest duty of all, the duty of service to each of you. But it is a calling which I accept with a cheerful heart.

  Harken looked at the crowd and smiled. “Now let us stand side by side, arm in arm, and bravely march forward. A new dawn awaits us, for we are one people, one nation!”

  “One people! One nation!”

  Grand Guardian Harken nodded and stood back from the lectern. The people in the auditorium chanted the phrase again and again. The camera swept across thousands of adoring faces. Many of them were weeping as they all chanted. “One people! One nation!”

  The camera view changed to show the entire stage and all of the Guardians standing in a line, waving to the crowd. Then a new location was shown on the view screen. It was a large auditorium full of people in some other city. They all cheered and waved at the camera. Other similar gatherings popped onto the view screens.

  Logan looked at the large light above the main view screen in the academy hall. It began to flash yellow and then it turned green. The crowd around him suddenly screamed in ecstasy. They waved at the camera, their delighted faces beaming with joy in the realization that they were appearing on the view screen. A few moments later, the light turned red. The cheering continued, but after thirty seconds it began to dwindle. They heard a chime. Music began to play and they sang the national anthem one more time. After they’d finished singing, the sergeant at arms dismissed the cadets. The crowd filed out of the assembly hall, excitedly discussing what the Guardians had said.

  Chapter 14

  Lena joined Logan and Cap as they exited the auditorium. “What did you think of the speeches?” she asked.

  “Time well spent,” said Logan.

  “I’m still giddy,” added Cap.

  Lena knit her brow but did not pursue the subject. Then she asked Logan, “When do you have to report to your active duty station?”

  “Next Wednesday, but Cap and I have to be out of the apartment by Sunday at midnight.”

  “So you have to wait seven days before reporting, but you’ll be homeless in just four days. That’s well coordinated. Will you go home after Saturday’s graduation ceremony?”

  “Maybe, but I might go straight to my duty station at the National Defense Research Center. They’ll accept early arrivals.”

  Cap asked, “What about you, Lena? You going straight to your AD station?”

  “Not sure,” she said as she adjusted her red shoulder braid. “I have two weeks before I have to report. I might go to New York and visit my cousins.”

  “You’d better decide fast,” replied Cap. “I hear it’s getting very hard to get nonessential travel visas.”

  She shrugged her shoulders, and then she looked at Cap. “What about you? When are you supposed to report?”

  “I’ve got about two weeks. Then it’s advanced flight training for six months.”

  “You’re that good?” she said.

  “He’s better than good,” said Logan. “During AD last summer they had him testing the Phantom 2. Fastest thing we’ve got. He’s the only cadet they would let near it.”

  “It’s a thing of beauty,” said Cap. “New everything. Heads up-controls, anti-missile defenses, fire-control, all radically different from anything we’ve had before. And fast. The engines combine traditional thrusters with a gravity dampener, making the plane fifteen percent lighter and twenty percent faster.”

  Lena raised her eyebrows. “Gravity dampeners are already in production? I knew they had worked out the theoretical kinks, but I thought they still faced big engineering challenges.”

  Cap shrugged his shoulders and said, “I don’t know how they got it done, but it’s fun to fly.”

  “I suppose we’ll be using them against the Southern Union,” she said. “They stuck it to us last year at Lake Seminole.”

  “Two divisions pinned down with their backs against the water and no air cover to support,” said Logan. “What a catastrophe.”

  “I wouldn’t talk about it too loudly,” said Cap. “The official word is that it was a hard-fought stalemate against a vastly superior force.”

  “In another year they’ll be saying it was a stunning victory,” said Logan. He looked at Lena to see if he’d gone too far, but she didn’t seem perturbed.

  “You guys interested in getting a drink or a bite to eat?” asked Lena.

  “Sure,” said Cap without hesitation.

  “Great,” she said. “Where should we meet?”

  “Just come over to our place,” answered Cap. “You know the building. Unit 205.”

  “Sounds great.” Lena smiled and turned to walk down a sidewalk toward her dormitory room.

  “See you in a few,” said Cap.

  When they’d walked a little farther and were out of earshot, Cap said with a grin, “She’s coming around to my charm.”

  Logan laughed and shook his head. “She takes things too seriously, and you don’t take anything seriously. You’re incompatible.”

  Cap waved his hand dismissively and shook his head. “Not a big deal,” he said.

  “In the four years we’ve been here, have you ever known her to have a single drink or go to one party?” asked Logan. “In that same time, have you ever missed an opportunity to have a drink or go to a party?”

  Cap was undeterred. “She’s a good student, and I respect that. But now that school is behind us, it’s time for her to start having some fun.”

  “And you’re the one who’s going show her how?”

  “I am,” said Cap. “I’m a passionate man. She’s a reserved woman. We’re like yin and yang. We balance each other out perfectly.”

  Logan chuckled and shook his head. “More like oil and water, but your enthusiasm in the face of such poor odds is truly inspiring.”

  “Dig it,” replied Cap.”

  “But you’d better lose the ancient hippy talk if you want to win her,”

  “Maybe that’s what she likes about me,” replied Cap. “Don’t mess with the formula.”

  Chapter 15

  SPD Colonel Alexander Linsky sat behind his desk with his hands resting on the arms of his high backed chair. He had a slender build with a thin nose and high cheekbones. His light brown hair was cut short and combed straight back, and his blue uniform made his light blue eyes seem to glow.

  “And you interviewed the accident witnesses again?” asked Linsky.

  “Yes sir,” said Lieutenant Fischer, who stood facing the desk.

  “Nothing new emerged? No fresh recollections?”

  “No sir. I don�
��t think the old woman saw much of anything. It was dark. It had just stopped raining. She heard the screech of tires on the road, looked up, and saw Chambers’ car pile into the bridge’s right suspension anchor.”

  “What about the couple that reported the accident? Anything new?”

  “No, sir.”

  “And we’ve thoroughly investigated the woman and the young couple?” asked Linsky as he stood. He walked over to a window where several potted plants rested on the sill. He plucked off a few brown leaves from one of them and watered it out of a small cup.

  “The woman is an eighty-three-year-old grandmother,” said Lieutenant Fischer. “No indications of anything unorthodox. The young man and his wife also checked out okay.”

  “And the car?” asked Linsky. “You’ve reviewed the reports again?”

  “Yes,” said Fischer. “I also talked to the investigators. They still think it was bad luck. The connection between the tie rod and the left wheel was heavily rusted. It just broke and he lost control.”

  “What about suicide?” asked Linsky.

  “Can’t rule it out completely,” said Lieutenant Fischer. “But we double checked Chambers’ annual psych evals and interviewed the doctors. There’s never been anything to suggest he was suicidal.”

  “No evidence of unauthorized communications? Was he talking to anyone?”

  “Only colleagues and friends. All known. All vetted.”

  “What about the grandson?” asked Colonel Linsky. “What did you learn from him?”

  Lieutenant Fischer consulted his PDD. “Smart as hell. Big guy. Good athlete. But mostly keeps to himself. A professor at his school thinks he wanders outside the lines a little. Asked me to keep an eye on him, but nothing concrete to go on.”

  “I read your scan of the note Chambers sent him,” said Linsky. “Don’t you find it strange that he included childish riddles in a note to someone about to graduate from Weller Academy?”

  “A little,” replied Fischer.

  “Yes, a little strange,” agreed Linsky. “And let’s not forget the boy’s father supported the Nine and paid the price. The acorn does not fall far from the tree.”