by C. G. Mosley
“Yes, it will,” Hightower agreed. “President’s Callahan and Hiro have appointed myself as captain and you as executive officer,” he added, staring back at Madigan.
The expression on the colonel’s face was a cross of bewilderment and astonishment all at the same time. Roger could not tell if he was exactly happy about the appointment or not.
“Furthermore,” Hightower continued. “Commander Stellick, Doctor Holtz, and Lieutenant Carter have also been appointed as additional officers. Other crew members will be assigned over the next two weeks.”
Roger immediately looked over at Phoebe and could see the concern on her face.
“Sir, I assume this is a direct order?” Roger asked.
Hightower glared at him with an icy stare. “Of course it’s a direct order Commander. Are you suggesting that you’re unwilling to join us?”
Phoebe glanced over at him, her eyes wide. She immediately realized he’d asked the question for her benefit.
“No sir, I’m not suggesting that at all,” he said. “I just want everyone in this room to be sharp and focused on this mission. If someone doesn’t want to be there, I feel that maybe some consideration should be given to replacing that individual.”
General Hightower crossed his arms and breathed in deeply through his nose as he scanned over the room. He seemed to take Roger’s words to heart. “Is there anyone in here that opposes their appointment?”
The officers in the room slowly looked around the room at each other. The room was extremely silent. Phoebe crossed her legs and looked away at the wall. She was visibly uncomfortable.
“Alright then,” Hightower said when he was satisfied no one was going to speak. “Since it seems we’re all on the same page, there will be another briefing tomorrow. Are there any other questions?”
“Yes,” Roger answered. “What are we going to tell Captain Steiger?”
“The truth,” Hightower said immediately. “And part of this plan hinges on whether or not you can convince him to share some of their technology.”
Roger clenched his jaw and shook his head in disbelief. “I told you that the deal required our assistance before any technology is shared. That’s the terms we were given.”
For the first time the general smiled. “Well I guess you need to renegotiate the terms,” he said. “According to Captain Steiger, the Pinnacle can travel at light speed. We need our ship to be able to travel at light speed also.”
“I think that’s a reasonable request,” Lieutenant Carter said. “If they truly want our assistance, they should be willing to bend a little and give us what we need to meet in the middle, so to speak.”
Roger gritted his teeth and popped his knuckles as he felt perspiration begin to form on his forehead. Suddenly it seemed a lot was riding on him. “I’ll do what I can,” he said finally, obvious concern in his tone.
“That’s all we ask,” Hightower replied. For the first time he seemed sympathetic to Roger’s uncomfortable position. “Let me know if I can help,” he added thoughtfully.
Roger looked up at him and gestured his thanks.
“What’s it called?” a young officer called out from the other end of the room.
Hightower cocked his head and stared at him, confused.
“The ship…what’s it called?” the young man clarified.
“It’s a Star Cruiser…SC Titan is what they named her,” the general replied. “She’s named after the very soil you’re standing on now. So far, the colony here on Titan is Earth’s greatest achievement. The SC Titan should be the first of many other Star Cruisers and since she is the first, what better way to commemorate what we’ve done here so future generations will remember.”
There were murmurs in the room, but the general consensus seemed to be positive regarding the vessel’s name.
“Let me remind you that what you’ve been told thus far is confidential. I better not get an inkling that anything that was just told to you is leaked beyond the doors of this room. If I do, the consequences will be severe. If there are no other questions, you all are dismissed,” Hightower said.
Everyone rose to their feet and began to file out of the room at once. Roger was one of the last to stand and as he approached the door, the general called after him.
“Not you Roger,” he said.
Roger turned to see the general motioning for him to sit back down. Colonel Madigan had remained where he was seated.
“I require a few more minutes of your time,” he said.
Roger sighed and watched as Phoebe winked at him as she shut the door.
Chapter 8
“As commander of our Comet fleet, you will be third in command aboard the Titan,” Hightower explained just as Roger sat down.
“That’s a big responsibility,” Colonel Madigan said, and he held out a hand. “Congratulations to you.”
Roger shook the colonel’s hand and smiled. “I—I don’t know what to say,” he said.
“The SC Titan will have a landing deck for a fleet of forty Comet fighters,” Hightower said, seemingly keeping the conversation all business. “I want you responsible for those pilots and it’ll be your job to relay my orders. It’s your responsibility to see that those orders are followed.”
Roger nodded. So far this was nothing different from his current responsibilities.
“Obviously, if anything happens to myself and Merrill, you will become captain of the ship,” Hightower continued. He then held up the file folder that had been in his hand during the entire meeting. He gently tossed it across the table. It slid across the slick surface and came to a stop right in front of Roger.
“What’s this?” he asked as he picked the folder up.
“That’s the orders from the presidents,” the general answered. “And there is also schematics and a lot of general information about the SC Titan. I want you to read every word in the file and then read it all over again. Merrill and I will be doing the same. We need to know that ship inside and out.”
“Of course,” he replied. “I’ll start tonight.”
“In addition to that,” Hightower continued. “I need you to compile a roster of pilots you think will be up to the task. We don’t know what we’ll get into once we cross through that gate and I want the best pilots available. All I want at this point is names. Merrill and I will have the final approval, but we’ll almost certainly agree with your choices. Once we are all in agreement, we’ll discuss the mission with each one individually.”
Madigan nodded in agreement, then said, “Seeing how there are only twenty Comet pilots on Titan including yourself, you’ll obviously need to look at who is available on the Mars and moon colonies, as well as Earth.”
“And don’t feel that you have to use all twenty pilots here on Titan,” Hightower chimed in. “We want the best, and if the best isn’t here on Titan, then find it elsewhere. Understood?”
Roger swallowed and nodded. “I understand,” he said.
“That’s really all for now,” the general concluded. “I don’t want to overwhelm you with anything else. Complete the tasks I’ve assigned and we’ll meet back again tomorrow. I’ll communicate the time with you later. Dismissed.”
Roger stood and headed for the door. He felt as if he were in a dream. It was as if he were walking through a fog that he could not find an end to.
“And Roger,” Hightower called after him.
He looked over his shoulder. “Yessir?”
“Nothing we just talked about will matter if you can’t convince Steiger to work with our engineers to get our ship ready.”
Roger frowned, and it felt as if the fog he was in just grew thicker.
“I’m headed to the comm room now,” he said.
“Record the entire conversation. When the opportunity presents itself, give him clearance to come to the base,” Hightower said. “He may bring a small crew of his own men if he sees fit. However, this time Merrill and I will join you. And the meeting must occur in the empty silo on th
e outer edge of the farming district. I won’t risk having them near our people.”
“Alright,” Roger replied. “I’ll be in touch.”
The general nodded, and Roger finally disappeared into the hallway.
***
Sabre stepped off the railcar and immediately marched through the automatic doors that led into the marketplace. The dome housing the building was set up in a similar fashion to a twentieth century mall. The marketplace was enormous and ultimately the largest dome on the Titan colony. The railway encompassed the entire facility and there were numerous stops where patrons could gain access to a variety of store fronts to meet their every need—including grocery. Much like the malls the marketplace was modeled after, one of the main attractions consisted of the food court. There, pretty much any food imaginable was available in the fifty plus restaurant fronts that lined both walls. The tile floor in the center space was covered with tables of various sizes. Among the tables there was a variety of plant life; everything from palm trees to rose bushes. The ceiling was constructed of mostly glass, exposing the tangerine hue of Titan’s later afternoon sky.
Sabre knew of Lauren’s fondness for Mexican food and he had a hunch he knew exactly where to find her. As he walked along the restaurant fronts that lined the eastern wall, as he approached the midway point, he spotted her. She was seated alone among the hundreds of other patrons. Lauren was watching the news on one of the pop up digital screens that rose from the center of the table and was completely oblivious to him watching her. Sabre briskly approached from behind and quickly placed his hand over her eyes.
As she startled he said, “Guess who?”
She smiled and said, “Well, since I only know one man that uses lavender scented hand soap, I’m guessing you’re the one and only Christian Smith.”
Sabre immediately pulled his hand away and smelled his palm. “Holy crap,” he said with genuine surprise. “The smell is quite strong, isn’t it?”
Lauren laughed. “Yes, it is. What are you doing here?”
Sabre sat down across from her and grabbed a corn chip from her plate. He took a bite and then gave her his best sad face. “You don’t want me here?” he asked theatrically. He then looked around in all directions. “Are you meeting someone else here or something?”
Lauren rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’m out of bread and you know I can’t resist this place,” she said, glancing over at the bright neon signage over the Mexican restaurant.
“Yeah, I figured as much when I heard you were over here,” Sabre replied as he reached for another chip.
“Who told you I was here?” Lauren asked as she plunged her fork into the small pile of fried rice on her plate.
“Charlie did,” he answered.
Lauren immediately dropped her fork. “What?” she asked, sounding half panicked.
Sabre smirked and raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on,” he groaned. “He’s your little brother, not your dad.”
Lauren crossed her arms and her smile disappeared. “No, my dad is dead and so is my mom,” she snapped. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t remind me of it.”
He slowly stopped chewing and leaned across the table, reaching for her hand. She didn’t exactly reach for him, but she didn’t pull away as he grabbed her either. “Hey,” he said softly. “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes drifted away from him and down toward the table. A collection of stray blonde hairs fell over her eyes as she lowered her head.
“Lauren, I just don’t understand why what he thinks is so important to you,” he added, and he took a moment to brush the hairs out of her face. “I’ve got nothing against Charlie, but he seems to have something against me.”
She returned her eyes to meet his. “He constantly tells me that you’ve got a reputation of breaking hearts,” she replied. “He’s trying to protect me. And I care a lot about what he thinks. He’s all I’ve got left.”
Sabre slowly pulled his hand away and sunk down into his chair. He picked up a napkin and dabbed at his mouth. “Okay, it’s true,” he said, sounding defeated. “I do have a bad reputation and a lot of what he’s told you about my past is true. But please believe me when I say that you’re not like other girls. You’re the first woman I’ve ever met that I can truly picture spending the rest of my life with.”
Lauren blushed and her smile returned. “Really?” she asked with a silly grin. “We’ve only been seeing each other six months.”
Sabre nodded and suddenly sat up straight again as he realized he’d regained the upper hand in the conversation. “Yes really,” he said. “And six months is the longest I’ve ever been in a relationship...” he paused and looked up as he seemed to be in thought, “…by at least five and a half months,” he finished.
Lauren rolled her eyes, but it was a playful response. “I don’t know,” she said. “Sometimes I don’t know if I can trust you.”
Sabre gasped—again for show. “What?” he asked. “How can you not trust me? I have complete trust in you and you’re hanging out with muscle bound good looking guys all day at the gym.”
“That’s because it’s my job,” she snapped back.
“Sorry,” Sabre quipped. “I’m just insecure…it’s been a problem since I was a child.” He closed his eyes for a moment and then opened one to look at her. “And it’s not helping my insecurity by having the one woman I love doubt my affection for her.” He then snapped his eye shut again.
Lauren laughed again. “Okay, I believe you,” she said.
He opened his eyes widely and smiled. “About time,” he replied.
“But,” she cut in, “you’ve got to convince Charlie that you’re a good guy.”
“Oh, for crying out loud,” he groaned.
“I mean it,” Lauren said, and her tone was serious. “If we’re going to work out, you’ve got to get Charlie on board. I know that sounds terribly unfair, but I’m just telling you the truth. My little brother is the other man in my life and it’s important to me that you both get along.”
Sabre crossed his arms and bit his lip. “Oh, alright,” he said, sounding exhausted. “I’ll make him see what a good guy I am if it’s the last thing I do.”
“Good,” she said, and she again returned her attention to the fried rice.
“I suppose I better get back to work,” he said as he thought again about the U.F.O. Commander Stellick had intercepted almost ten hours ago. It was still a secret to the civilians on the colony, but he was unsure how long that would last. He wanted to tell Lauren badly, but knew how severe the consequences would be if he did.
“Seems that’s all you do is work,” Lauren said as she chewed a mouthful of rice.
Sabre raised from the table and leaned over to kiss her on the forehead. “It’s the life of a Comet fighter pilot, honey,” he said as he leaned over and kissed her on the forehead. He turned to walk away and then stopped dead in his tracks as something suddenly occurred to him. He spun on his heel and leaned close where only Lauren could hear him.
“Sweetheart, I almost forgot,” he whispered. “You need to go to the medical ward when you leave here.”
Lauren’s eyes widened as she looked over at him. “Okay,” she said, worried. “Why?”
He stared into her eyes. “Because I’m afraid you now have the mumps.”
***
Roger could not shake the overwhelming feeling of dread as he put on the headset and prepared to give Captain Steiger the news. Jake Crosby was more than happy to leave the room upon Roger’s request for privacy. Once alone, he’d taken a few minutes to rehearse what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. He knew it was cliché, but for the first time in his life, Roger truly felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. So much was riding on him convincing Steiger to agree to Earth’s terms without actually committing to helping them. When he was finally satisfied that he was ready, Roger flipped a switch in front of him and spoke into the microphone.
“Captain Steiger, this is Commander
Roger Stellick, are you there? Over.”
After a few seconds, there was a chatter of static followed by Malcolm’s familiar voice.
“I’m here commander,” he said. “You have news?”
Roger drummed his fingers on the counter and thought, Boy do I ever…
“Affirmative,” he replied. “The leaders of Earth have made their decision, and though it may not be exactly what you were wanting to hear, I believe it’s a good starting point to both of our races ultimately getting what we want.”
There was a long awkward silence that spoke volumes before Malcolm said anything at all. Finally, he said, “Very well. I’m listening.”
“Captain Steiger, first I want to remind you of my race’s unusual predicament. Only hours ago, we discovered that we are no longer alone in the universe. Though we’ve always suspected it, having it now confirmed is a lot for us to process. You may see this as a weakness, but I tend to believe it’s one of our greatest strengths. It’s allowed us to take our time and think this through before any rash decision is made. With that in mind, please understand that Earth wants to help you. But to do that, we need more evidence to confirm that everything is exactly as you say. We are a cautious people and we want to do what is in the best interest for humanity.”
“I see,” Malcom replied without any hesitation. “You do not trust me?”
Roger winced. This was the response he was expecting. “If you’re referring to me specifically, of course I trust you,” he said.
“Then are you saying your leaders do not trust you?” Malcolm asked.
Roger suddenly felt a headache brewing. “No, that’s not what I’m saying,” he replied. “I’m saying that the people of Earth want to help, but we just want a clear picture of what we’re getting into first.”
There was a long moment of silence as Malcolm seemed to mull over what Roger had said.
“Alright,” he said finally, and his voice sounded slightly annoyed. “What sort of evidence do you want?”
“Well,” Roger replied, his pitch rising slightly. “Earth would like to send a crew over to the Ara Constellation to verify your claims.”