by Jack L Knapp
“Let’s talk about it then, okay? That comes under swamp drainage, but first I’ve got to chase off the alligators.”
Colonel Ponder chuckled. “I’ll talk to you later, then.”
#
General Stroganoff called Colonel Kotcheff into his office.
“What does this mean, Kotcheff? Why are we interested in what American agencies are doing?”
“They’re going after the company that makes the device, general. I’m not sure why, but it’s a complication. One good thing, we know where they’re located. It’s a considerable distance from here in a place called New Mexico.”
“Ah. I’ve read of this place, a wild west place with outlaws and gunfighters. Even kids carry guns out there, worse even than the Cossacks. Do we have anyone out there we can call on?”
“No, general. We have two people, deep cover, in Texas. I don’t know the names or their assignments, just that they watch the operations at the Pantex plant. That’s where the Americans build their nuclear weapons.”
“Hm. I don’t think our headquarters would look favorably on disrupting such an important assignment. How long will it take to establish others in this New Mexico place?”
“Not long, general. I can have a better answer later today, if that’s acceptable. I’ll need to make a few phone calls.”
“If that’s the best you can do, then go ahead. But I want to know what you find out, just as soon as possible. This might be the opportunity we’re waiting for! Just think of it, Kotcheff, actual antigravity!”
“Uh, antigravity, General Stroganoff?”
“It’s obvious to the trained eye, Kotcheff! You must pay closer attention. That’s very disappointing, colonel, but you have work to do, so get to it.”
“Yes, general. Right away.”
#
“Sorry to disturb your weekend, gentlemen, but something has come up,” said General Fuller.
He had called a meeting of the committee charged with investigating the impeller-powered craft. The others had departed, but Fuller had recalled them. Admiral Sessions glowered at him; the others accepted the recall with equanimity. Unlike flag officers, colonels and majors could expect recalls from time to time.
“What’s up, Fuller?” asked Admiral Sessions.
“I’ve become aware of a development that may affect our project. I can’t say anything about the source of my information, but it appears we’re not the only ones interested in the impeller system. Our eastern friends are also stirring about, and they’re interested in New Mexico.”
“Goddamn it, Fuller, just say Russians. I don’t have time for cuteness, I’ve got a sailing date. My boy is home from the academy and he’s got a girl with him, first time that’s happened. Might be serious, and settling down would do him good. I don’t want to be tied up this weekend, so let’s cut to the chase.”
“I hadn’t realized I was being cute, admiral.” General Fuller’s tone was frosty. “But according to my source, this same group was behind that attempt to hijack the barge they used for testing the marine system. I would think you’d be interested in that.”
“I am, Fuller, I definitely am. But let’s get on with it. Are the Russians making another try?”
“That’s what my source says, Admiral Sessions.” General Fuller’s tone was curt.
“You’ve got a source in the NSA, eh?”
“I didn’t say that, admiral, and I’d prefer that none of you speculate on things you don’t understand. Suffice it to say I have a source, and the intelligence is good.”
“So what do we do about it, Fuller? Got a plan, or are we supposed to keep nattering?”
Damned fighter jocks, thought Fuller. Just blast straight ahead, bomb the hell out of everything, let God sort out the victims. But none of this showed in his tone.
“I don’t have a firm plan, but I think we should prepare a couple of just-in-case options. The Navy doesn’t have assets near the plant, and since my source thinks the plant is the Russians’ target, this is what I propose...”
#
Frenchy sighed and answered the phone. Would the thing never stop ringing?
This call was not expected, nor was it particularly welcome. But it was the result of a short conversation during the DARPA visit.
He’d mentioned idly that applications from veterans were encouraged, so perhaps when the major retired he might consider coming to work for New Frontiers? There were several options, all well-paying jobs, and all competitive with salaries paid to retired military officers by defense contractors. Perhaps contract manager? But of course, no direct offer could be made before retirement, it was just something to keep in mind. And to pass on to his associates, all of whom would be welcomed should they decide to apply after their military career ended. Chuck was a veteran, after all, a former Marine, and he was now a senior official with the company.
Frenchy had not expected the conversation to pay off this quickly. First the officious regulators, then the DARPA committee, now Russians? What could possibly go wrong next?
He shouldn’t have asked.
#
“Frenchy, I can’t fly the Farside out of here. I’ve got battery power, but the fuel cells aren’t working. I’m thinking it’s something we did when we moved everything outside the hull. Maybe it’s the piping, I don’t know. But I’m getting no output from one of the pumps. Joe and Lina are checking, but until we know what’s wrong I can’t fly. Not very far or very high, anyway.”
“How far could you fly on battery? If you had to leave in an emergency, I mean. I don’t know how long we’ve got before someone shows up to shut down the plant. Could you fly over to my ranch house, do the repair work there?”
“I don’t know, probably. But we can’t reach space without the fuel cells, and we don’t have wing area enough to glide in for a landing. It would all have to be done on battery power. We’re getting a little bit of lift, enough to get off the cradle and out the door, but pushing Farside hard enough to even get the airfoils to work is questionable. She’s a brick until speed builds up.”
“I understand, but I don’t know how much time you’ve got.”
“They’ll be driving, right, the people that intend to shut down the plant?”
“I assume so. They could bring in a plane, maybe a helicopter.”
“First thing to do, then, is close the runway so they can’t land. Park your Gator in the middle, and if anyone has a car available, park that on the runway too. Maybe use that trailer you’ve been using to bring in the PV panels to block the factory’s doors. Maybe even block the front gate so they can’t get through. If they ask why, tell them we’ve had a threat. That’s real enough.”
“I can’t do that, not yet. I think the sheriff’s people are still at the crash site.”
“Oh, shit. You said the Bedstead crashed in an arroyo?”
“That’s what I was told, but I haven’t been out there. Why, what difference does it make?”
“Frenchy, I had a spot of trouble a while back. It was just before Lina and I had that misunderstanding. I...ah, it could be a problem. I never expected anyone to be snooping out that way.”
“Chuck, the investigators are technicians, they’ll be interested in the crash debris. They already removed Mel’s body, they might even have finished by now. If they find something that creates a problem, it just makes it more important that you not be here. For that matter, unless there’s some way to tie you specifically to...whatever they might find, they’ll be looking for me as the property owner. I can honestly say I know nothing of whatever they might have questions about, but I also need to leave if possible before a subpoena can be served. He didn’t say so, but that’s what Colonel Ponder implied. If the busybodies can’t find me, they’ll be left spinning their wheels. On the other hand, if I suddenly disappear, that’s going to look suspicious to the sheriff’s people. Damn.”
“Damn indeed, Frenchy. Okay, I’m not doing anything productive here, I might be able to help get
the problem fixed on the Farside. I’ll be there if you want me.”
“I’ll send one of the gate guards over to the highway. He can park there and let us know as soon as any strange cars start down our road.”
“Good plan. See you later.” Chuck trotted away, heading for the assembly area, already thinking about the fuel problem. The fuel cells worked before and nothing had changed except where they were mounted. More than likely it had something to do with the fuel. The hydrogen supply was essentially the same except that the pipes now ran externally. But the oxygen system was different. New tanks in the wings, a new pump, new pipes...
Joe was tracing one of the pipes when he arrived. Lina was in the cockpit, monitoring the gauges, ready to report if he succeeded in restarting the fuel cells.
“Joe, I had an idea. Look, we went from drawing in ambient oxygen for the fuel cells to piping in oxygen from the port wing tank. Could we open the oxygen lines and draw in ambient air from the atmosphere?”
“Maybe. We can disconnect the oxygen line, but unless you’re feeding oxygen under pressure you won’t get enough for the fuel cells. You might get something, reduced efficiency, maybe even enough to fly at low altitude. I’d rather we worked on the pressurized oxygen system. Anything else is redneck engineering.”
“I may not have a choice. I may have to get the Farside out of here quick, but if I do I’ll fly it by myself. There’s just too much chance of crashing. You and Lina can meet me after things quiet down. You can fly into Andrews and I can pick you up there.”
“You’re sure? Chuck, I don’t like the idea of flying this thing without enough juice.”
“Joe, I like the idea of being locked up in a New Mexico jail even less.”
“Well, I can understand that. All right, I’ll do what I can.”
Thirty minutes later Chuck called Frenchy.
“That problem we talked about is still there, but I think I’ve got a workaround. If it comes to that, I’ll be working alone. You take care of Lina, Joe too.”
“Lina, yes. Joe, that’s different. Chuck, he knows too much. If you think you can...ah, solve that transport issue with a little more time, I think you should take Joe with you.”
“Shit. All right, Frenchy, I’ll ask him. He knows the risks. That workaround I mentioned, Joe’s still looking at the problem but we’ve got about 40% efficiency. That’s an estimate, and it’s based on where we are right now with no electrical load on the system. Low and slow, that’s all we’ve got.”
“I understand. Do what you can, and tell Lina to give me a call later. Will and I are leaving. I just got a radio message, a convoy of cars is heading here.”
“Damn. Did you block the runway? How are you going to take off?”
“Chuck, we don’t need the runway. Will says he can get us in the air.”
“Right, I must be more rattled than I though. Be careful, I’ll see you when I see you.
“What about you?”
“I’ll talk to Joe, but I think we’re out of here too.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Chuck cocked his head. “That’s the Twin. Will just started the turbogenerators.”
“Want to watch, Chuck? We’re just about done here, as much as we can do until we’ve got time to tear down the oxygen system.”
“Yeah. Will says he’s got room enough, using impeller trim assist during takeoff. Even so, he’s only got ten degrees of up-angle. It’s going to be tight.”
“Frenchy couldn’t wait?”
“No, if they serve him with a subpoena, he won’t have a choice. Even worse, someone might take it into their head to arrest him. Mel’s death was an accident, but that doesn’t mean someone won’t try to twist it around.”
The two watched from the rear personnel access door. Moments later, the Twin clawed its way into the sky, leveled off to gain speed, then soared north.”
“I thought he was going west.”
“He is, Joe. No use in giving whoever that is any more information than we have to. Time for us to buckle in. We won’t have much warning. Esteban is standing by the roof hatch controls and Lina won’t have him open the doors right away, not until we’re gone. Assuming this bird holds together.”
“Knock on wood, Chuck. No use giving fate a hint.”
“I hear you. We’ll turn on main power, the fuel cells and handle that, but leave the impellers powered down. Someone might hear them before Esteban gets the hatch open.”
“Hope we’ve got enough recharge power. You want to listen to the radios, I take it?”
“Yeah. Lina will have hers in voice-activate mode, so we’ll hear what she’s saying.”
#
“General, how long will it take you to activate Sudden Drop?”
“Less than an hour. Has something happened?”
“That helicopter, the Skycrane the Russians leased? It just took off from the Las Vegas airport.”
“Damn. If they’re heading for the factory, it’s going to be close. They’ve got a head start, and the factory is less than an hour’s flight time from Las Vegas. It’s almost due east of us. Cannon Air Force Base is closer and the Ospreys can fly faster than the Skycrane, but it’s going to be tight.”
“Cannon’s got troops, right? Are you sending troops along?”
“I will if they’ve got anyone available. That’s a special ops wing and they’re on alert this weekend. They’re tasked to participate in Desert Fury II and that kicked off two days ago. I’m not sure if they’re really all that involved, it’s mostly a ground exercise, but they might be there to pull the governor’s chain.”
“Governor?”
“Give me a minute, I’ll explain.” General Fuller dialed a number. “General, sorry to bother you. Request you activate Sudden Drop.”
“It’s happening, then? Wait one, I’ll get back to you.” The phone went dead. Moments later it rang. “General Fuller.”
“Stan, most of the wing is deployed. They did have one Osprey in the shed for maintenance, part of the special ops package, but it can fly. I ordered it sent your way immediately and Rich will divert a couple of others from the exercise. He says he can spare them. You’ve got your Sudden Drop, but be careful. We don’t want a lot of bad publicity over this. Or, for that matter, we don’t want questions being raised if we can help it. So far, we’ve just got a training exercise, easy enough to explain. Are you in position to oversee Sudden Drop?”
“No, sir. I’m in Washington. I got the word by phone. The Russians leased that Skycrane, you know about that, but an hour ago they loaded some people into the cargo pod and it took off. I might be overreacting, but if so, it won’t cause a problem. If we’re overwatching the factory and nobody shows, no harm done. If the Russians see an Osprey orbiting overhead, I hope they’ll be smart enough to head for home. No harm, no foul.”
“What if they get there first?”
“That...might present a problem. We can’t let them get that device.”
“I’ll get on the phone. Where’s the wing commander now, Stan? Is he taking part in the exercise?”
“He’s there. We’re not really expecting a problem with the exercise, but you never know. The Texas Air Guard is flying too, but they’re not part of the exercise. They’re patrolling just across the border, and so far our guys are watching them while they watch us. I hope that governor is just trying to make points with his voting base. But I can’t decide if that’s what’s going on or if their politicians are really crazy enough to open fire on federal forces.”
“Jesus. And the Russians are sticking their noses into this?”
#
“Chuck, can you hear me?”
“Loud and clear, Lina. Is that convoy here yet?”
“They’re stopped outside the gate, but they might have gotten creative. There’s a helicopter approaching, a big one. It looks like a huge dragonfly. It just circled the area, but now they’re heading back our way.”
“That sounds like a Skycrane. It’s not used
for personnel, it’s a cargo lifter that’s been around since the Vietnam War. Why would the FAA or DOT be using one of those?”
“I don’t know, but it’s slowing down. The people outside the gate are pointing at it, and some are on their phones. Maybe they’re working together after all?”
“No idea, but watch your step. Tell you what, why don’t you go over to the gate and stay with the guards? I’d feel better if you did. That cargo chopper, it might be here intending to take the...ah, things, by force.”
“Fat chance. They’re gone, or about to be. Chuck, be careful. I don’t like the looks of this.”
“I haven’t even seen it and I don’t like it. Let me know when they land, okay? I don’t want to open the roof hatch until they’re on the ground.”
“Will do. I’m heading for the gate now. I’m leaving a man on the door controls, he’s got a radio too.”
“Okay, head for the guard building. Where’s the helicopter now? I can hear him, but inside here, I can’t tell where he’s coming from.”
“He’s coming from the west, and there are two of them now. The other one just came in sight, it’s one of those funny ones with engines that pivot? It can take off or land like a helicopter, but it flies like a propeller plane?”
“The Marines use those, I think, call them Ospreys or something. Okay, I’m going to have to chance it. Love you, Lina. If I make it, you know where, meet me there as soon as you can, but don’t let anyone follow you.”
“Love you too. Chuck, be careful!”
“I will. I’m going to be kind of busy now, so...”
Motors inside the assembly building began their burring sound, opening the roof hatch. The impellers added their high-pitched whirr, not detectable until the double doors were fully open and the electric motors shut off.
The Skycrane began to lift, as if the pilot had changed his mind, then slowly approached a flat area outside the fence. Perhaps the pilot had decided there was insufficient room inside for the huge rotor blades. The engine spooled down and the cargo box beneath the fuselage lowered to the ground. The support cables slacked, but remained attached. The front hatch opened and six men trotted out, all carrying assault rifles. They headed toward the front gate.