by Saxon Andrew
Eric looked around and said, “Let’s go inside, and by the way, that fake midsection you have on is not becoming, but I must admit I would have never recognized you.”
“Thanks,” Tag said. “Don’t worry, Eric; they stopped watching your house a year ago. We’re not being watched right now.”
“So what we’ve heard about you is true,” Leila said. “You can see when you’re being watched.”
“Yes, I can.”
“Then why haven’t you come see me?” Eric demanded.
“I wasn’t willing to place you and Leila in danger.”
Eric got a funny look on his face and asked, “And now you are?”
“I’ve tried to minimize the risk. I’ve watched your house for three days and it has not been observed by security during that time. I decided I would come and talk with you to see if you could help me.”
“Before we go into that,” Leila said. “I want an answer as to why you took my test booklet. I’ve been troubled by that since I found out.”
Tag looked at her, then looked at Eric, and then looked back at her and said, “Leila, I loved you since the second level when I sensed you looking at my picture one night in the school annual.”
“You never said a word to me about it, Tag.”
“Me either,” said Eric.
“I know. It was something I kept in my heart for years. I heard you talking to Tara on the floater coming home on the day of the test. I just couldn’t allow your future to be wrecked by something that you couldn’t help. I decided to do something about it. But for those men attacking me on the way back to my house that night, I don’t believe I would have been caught.”
“Tag, why didn’t you tell me you loved Leila?” Eric said. “I’m glad you didn’t because I would have probably never asked her out if I knew, and I would have missed the most wonderful thing in my life.” Leila smiled and kissed her husband.
“While all this was going on, I met Danielle. I loved Leila without ever really getting to know her. I fell in love with Danielle after getting to know her. I stole your test booklet, Danielle stole my heart.”
“She misses you so much, Tag,” Leila said. “She has a hole in her heart only you can fill. She has been promoted three times during the last three years. All she does is work, never taking a day off. It seems every case she’s assigned, she solves. We hear that she has been slotted to take Inspector Connor’s job when he retires.”
“Danielle probably doesn’t realize it, but she also has psychic skills. I can actually see the field around her. She has the ability to see the truth in any situation. That gift will serve her well in the profession she has chosen. But to the issue at hand, I can no longer hide on Earth. There are too many electronic traps waiting to be sprung. I have lost my hiding place, and I know that it’s just a matter of time before they arrest me if I stay. Leila, you work in spaceport operations. Do you know of any way that I can board a ship or take a ship off planet without being caught?”
Eric said, “Tag, you can’t put Leila in that position. It could cause her to lose her job and get arrested.”
Leila put her hand over Eric’s lips and said, “Hush, darling, but for Tag taking the chance he took, I would have never had this career. Did he take a smaller chance when he took that test? Look at what it cost him. He lost his parents and Danielle. He deserves our help and I’ll not turn him down.”
“Leila, I feel terrible. Eric’s right, I can’t ask you to do this.”
“Give me two days, Tag. There may not be anything I can do, but let me at least take a look and see. You can hang out here since no one saw you come in; it’s probably safe as long as you stay inside.”
Tag looked at Eric and saw him nod. “We have a lot of catching up to do, old friend. You need to take off that fake belly and glasses so we can recognize you. Then we’ll sit down and eat.”
Tag smiled, “Sounds good to me. It’s really good to see you again.”
Leila came home from work the next day and told Tag while they were eating dinner, “I don’t think there’s any chance of you being able to board a ship. Anyone that enters must have their retinas and palms scanned for identification. There is only one entrance and only one person at a time may approach the scanner. There’s no way you can hide behind anyone like you did our teacher when we were seven.”
“You remember that?” Tag said.
“Yes I do. And I only really thought about it after I found out that you had stolen my test booklet. I assumed that you used that skill to steal it.”
“I did. And you’re right. If only one person can go through the scanner, there’s no way I could hide behind them. I’m sure there will also be overhead cameras that would also make that impossible. Are you saying, Leila, that there’s no way for me to leave Earth?”
“Just before I left work I ran across a situation that might have some merit. But before I discuss it I want to take another look tomorrow to make certain.”
“Okay,” Tag said, but now he was starting to worry that there was no escape.. “Be patient,” he thought. “If there’s a way, Leila will find it.” He didn’t sleep very well that night.
Leila came home the next day and Tag was waiting for her at the door. “Aren’t you the inpatient one?” she said.
“I’m sorry, Leila. Did you find anything?”
“I think so. But let’s wait until Eric gets home to discuss it. I think he can add insight without letting his emotions color his thinking; like Danielle, he really is quite adept at seeing things clearly.”
That evening at dinner Leila announced, “I think I’ve discovered a possible way for you to leave. We have a ship at the spaceport that has been there for reconditioning. It’s a small one, but it does have interstellar capability. Its owner is a security official that lives on one of the planets we’ve settled out towards Andromeda and he is currently living there while the reconditioning takes place. It was completed last week, so the only thing that remains is for a cleaning crew to go in and clean up the mess that was made by the construction crews. The ship is fully fueled and fully stocked with provisions. If you could enter with the cleaning crew, then you have a chance to take off.”
“When is it due to the cleaned?” Tag asked.
“I scheduled it for tomorrow night at 8 p.m. That’s when the shift change takes place and the monitors won’t be closely watched. You’ll have to use your skills to get in without being seen by the cleaners.”
“That doesn’t give me much time. What information do you have on the cleaners?”
“They board a bus outside the spaceport and then are dropped off at the various facilities that are scheduled to be cleaned. Since the ship is out on the edge of the landing field, it will be the last stop. Security is lax getting on the bus and once you’re on, the bus is usually just waved through the gate. Where security is top-notch is boarding ships. However, construction and cleaning crews have the ships opened and waiting for them. If you can get with the cleaning crew you should be able to get on board. Once on board, you’ll need to hide and stay behind once the crew leaves.”
“I should be able to handle that,” Tag said.
“There’s more,” said Leila. “Once they leave and close the ship you’re going to need the operation codes to be able to power it. I found out that the logs with the new operation codes are in the control room under the pilot’s seat cushion. When you turn on the power, the ship’s computer is going to demand the codes. First enter the bottom code, then the top one, and finally the middle one. You will then have control of the ship. I’ve neglected to ask you, but do you know how to fly a ship?”
“Yes. During the last three years I used one of Richard’s children’s names and enrolled in several commercial pilot schools. Although I’ve never actually flown, I’ve had a lot of simulator time so I feel comfortable that I should be able to handle the ship. The controls are actually very similar to those of a floater. The main difference is when you energize the star drive.”
“Remember, you cannot energize the star drive closer than the orbit of Jupiter. The sun’s gravity will disrupt it if you’re any closer than that.”
“I know it; we went over all that in my classes.”
“I have one more thing for you, Tag.” With that, she opened a box that she had placed in the living room when she came home from work. Inside the box was a white uniform with green lettering on the back that read Spaceport Cleaning Crew. “You’ll need this.”
Tag and Eric both looked at her and Eric said, “How did you get that?”
“Don’t worry, my love, I have my ways and no one can trace it back to me.”
Tag looked at Eric and said, “You really are a very lucky man.”
“I know,” Eric replied.
“There’s one more thing, Tag. We have a large commercial freighter due to lift off at 5 a.m. the morning after you enter the ship. Most of the controllers will be focused on getting that ship lifted through the shipping lanes. Time your liftoff with that freighter. Lift off at low altitude and move out over the city. Your ship is small and there is some commercial traffic over the city that is actually larger than your ship, so you shouldn’t be noticed. Fly south until the spaceport and its sensors are no longer in view, then leave at an angle that keeps the planet between you and the spaceport. After that, head for Jupiter’s orbit and enter the coordinates of where you want to go into star drive. I wish I could give you another alternative, but I don’t see one. Even this one is risky. One thing in your favor is that there is a lot of traffic that comes and goes from Earth every day. Hopefully you’ll be able to hide.”
“I need to start getting ready, but there’s one more thing I need to give you,” Tag said as he handed a sheet of paper to Leila. He told her, “These are the directions and instructions on how to get into my storage space. Inside you will find an armored safe, and I’ve written the combination for you.” He then handed Leila a key and said, “This unlocks the entry to the facility and also unlocks my storage unit. Inside the safe are some funds that I want you to have. The floater outside is also yours.”
“Tag, you don’t need to give us anything,” Leila began, and Tag interrupted.
“Yes I do. I suspect that if I’m not successful in my escape that those funds will go to waste. If I am successful, then I’ll never have the opportunity to use them. Either way, I want you to have them.”
Eric asked, “How much is in there, Tag?”
“Two million credits in one-hundred-credit denominations. Use it whenever you need it, but I caution you to use it wisely and don’t draw attention to yourselves. This will ensure that whatever happens to your jobs, your future will be okay.”
Leila looked at Eric and then said to Tag, “Thank you. We’ll use it when we need to, but we’ll watch over it in the event you return and might need it. My hope and my prayer is that someday all that has happened will be forgiven and you can come home.”
Tag sat on the bus as it approached the spaceport gate. It had been remarkably easy to get on. He just got in line with the other workers and walked right on. “I hope it’s this easy to get on the ship,” he thought. The bus passed through the gate uneventfully and he settled back to wait until it was his turn to get off. He thought back to saying goodbye to Eric and Leila. He could tell they were both worried, but they hugged him, wished him well, and said goodbye. Leila was crying and Eric was trying to comfort her.
Leila was holding her test booklet and she handed it back to him. “Keep this for good luck,” she said. “This really belongs with you.” He took it and put it in his back pocket, hugged them both, and left.
Now he could see the ship he was going to take. She was right, the ship was small; it was only 105 feet long, but that could be a good thing because it would be hard to see. The cleaning crew got off the bus and walked over to the ship that had its port open and entered. Tag walked behind the last cleaner and used his skill at not being seen. Once they were on board he opened the door to the storage bay and climbed in. He moved behind one of the boxes that held the food provisions and lied down. Then he closed his eyes and sensed the three members of the cleaning crew as they moved about the ship. Three hours later the crew left and the port to the ship was closed. Tag waited for an hour, then left the storage bay and went to the bridge to remove the codebooks from under the pilot’s seat. It was 12:30 a.m. so he still had over four hours until the scheduled freighter lifted off. He settled in with the manuals and began to familiarize himself with the ship.
“Four forty-five a.m., it’s time,” Tag thought. He entered the bottom code and waited a moment, then entered the top code and waited again, and then entered the middle code. The control panel in front of him came on and he quickly checked all the gauges to ensure that everything was working. He pulled lightly on the elevation lever and felt the ship rise a few inches, then he lowered it back to the pavement. He looked out of the viewport in the direction of the huge freighter that was preparing to lift off. He was amazed at its size. It was over 2,800 feet long and 350 feet wide. He understood why everyone’s attention would be focused on that liftoff. Then he saw it start to move upward. He immediately pulled the elevation lever and rose to the level of the surrounding fence, then moved in the direction of the city. The ship moved smoothly over the field surrounding the spaceport, and once clear of the perimeter, he took the ship to the upper levels of the traffic lanes and headed south, away from the spaceport. He moved into the commercial level, where most of the traffic was actually larger than his ship and traffic was extremely dense. He avoided going too fast so as not to attract attention, and in less than ten minutes the spaceport was over the horizon behind him. He started to gain altitude moving upward through the atmosphere, keeping the edge of the planet between him and the spaceport sensors. “So far so good he thought.” He added some more speed and turned in the direction of the moon. “I just might make it!”
“Commodore, I have something peculiar here,” Lieutenant Mikado said.
“What is that?” Commodore Kosiev asked.
“I have a ship leaving Earth and heading toward the moon that is not listed on our schedule of flights.”
Kosiev and his squadron of ships had been sent back to Earth for refitting and recreation time. They had been there thirty days, and the only duty they performed was patrolling incoming and outgoing traffic. “Are you sure it’s not on your list?”
“Yes sir.”
“Scan that ship for its identification code, then contact spaceport authority and ask them if they’ve approved this ship’s departure.”
Lieutenant Mikado lifted a com and spoke for a few minutes. “Sir, spaceport authority says that that ship is supposed to be landed at the port. They just now checked and discovered that it was missing. It has absolutely no clearances. They request that we stop the ship and investigate what’s going on.”
“Sound general quarters, pull in the screen. Take us to that ship, helmsman.”
Tag felt the scan of his ship and knew that he had been discovered. He closed his eyes to see if there were any shadows around the ship that he could use to hide and didn’t see any. He went to full speed and ran straight towards the moon.
“Sir, that ship has just increased speed and is accelerating towards the moon.”
“Contact the Destroyers Red Sea and Yellowstone. Tell them to get under way and to move out to the sides of that ship. Contact spaceport authority and get the transponder code.”
“I already have it, sir. “
“Then transmit it and open a communications channel.”
Tag could see the moon getting larger when he heard a voice over his speakers. “Earth ship 12148, you will cut your drives and prepare for boarding. If you fail to comply immediately you will be fired upon.” Tag sensed that they had somehow remotely turned on an electronic beacon on his ship and there was no way to hide from their sensors. He couldn’t let them capture him because they might be able to link Leila to his escape. He decided
he would rather die than run that risk so he continued to speed towards the moon, which now filled his view screen. He put the ship on autopilot and went to the back closet and took out a spacesuit, which he quickly put on. Then he sat back down, placed his hands on the controls, and closed his eyes.
“Sir, they’re not responding.”
“Target one of our lasers on the aft engine mount.”
“Ready, sir.”
“Fire.”
Tag sensed the laser was about to be fired and jerked his ship up just as it went through the space his ship had just occupied.
“Sir, the laser missed.”
Kosiev looked at Mikado and said, “How?”
“I don’t know. The ship changed direction just as we fired.”
“Use three lasers; I want that ship disabled. Fire when ready.”
Tag was rolling his ship in multiple directions to avoid the lasers. He could sense where they were going to hit before they actually fired and he moved his ship out of the way. He simply flew into the psychic shadows he saw ahead of his ship.
“Sir, we are unable to hit him with a laser,” Mikado said with frustration in his voice.
“You can’t be serious,” Kosiev said. “Our sensors have confirmed that ship is nothing more than a civilian transport. It doesn’t even possess a screen. How can you be missing it?”
“I don’t know,” Mikado answered. “But it is able to avoid every shot.”
“Then use all eight lasers.”
“Sir, I authorized use of all the lasers more than three minutes ago. We have still been unable to hit him.”
Kosiev was amazed. There was no possible way for that ship to avoid being hit, but there it was, still headed full speed towards the moon. “Arm two missiles and set them to target the transponder on that ship; fire when ready.”
Tag was now flying low over the surface of the moon when he discovered that his time was up. He could avoid the lasers because he could see where they were going to be and knew the path that would avoid them. Missiles were different. He could see that they were locked on his ship and there were no psychic shadows in front of him; there was no way he could avoid them. Not only were they faster, but they could outmaneuver him. He pressed the eject button on the console, felt the floor open out from under him, and felt his chair accelerate out of the ship and drop towards the surface of the moon. The chair automatically turned and fired its small maneuvering jets to slow his forward velocity down so that he could land safely. Tag sat in the chair and saw his ship explode overhead as the two missiles impacted. Then he watched as the surface of the moon flew by under him at a dizzying speed. It began to slow down as his chair’s jets continued to fire; they finally stopped firing at six hundred feet above the surface. He saw a huge crater below him and realized that he was going to land inside it next to the crater wall. The chair released him one hundred feet above the crater’s floor, and he started to fall slowly towards the moon’s surface. He used his suit jets to land him softly in the crater.