“General Karver is fairly certain he can hold the launch centers,” Christy replied. “He is moving more loyal military units into position. He still controls enough naval and air power to hold off any attacks from the insurgents for the time being.”
“Any word from Senator Farley?” Steve asked, his eyes moving to the screen, which was still showing the work going on over at the Space Platform.
“Senator Farley is demanding that the general surrender immediately or nuclear weapons will be used to take out the launch centers,” answered Christy, uneasily. She couldn’t imagine the senator actually carrying out the threat. There was no way he would actually set off a nuclear weapon on American soil!
“The man is totally insane; I can’t believe that so many intelligent people have fallen for his lies,” retorted Steve, drumming his fingers on the console in front of him. “The neutron star is now common knowledge worldwide, but Senator Farley still refuses to believe it.”
“We have also picked up scattered news reports that President Kateland and the vice president were accidentally killed during the fighting in Washington,” Christy reported deeply saddened by the news. “Supposedly, the president was killed by friendly fire while trying to leave the Capitol. The vice president was reportedly killed in a car wreck trying to reach the president.”
“If they’re dead, I would bet Senator Farley was responsible in both instances,” muttered Steve, hoping that the reports of President Kateland’s death were incorrect. She had been an outstanding president and at one time extremely popular with the people. She didn’t deserve to die like this.
“General Karver has also sent word that there will be shuttle launches from both secured military sites tomorrow morning,” reported Christy, recalling the latest message from the general that Jane had relayed.
“How’s our communications?” asked Steve, looking over at Christy and noticing the tension on her face. He could see the worry and concern in her eyes.
“We have good communications with all three launch facilities. A computer virus disabled communications earlier with the other military command centers. With the special firewalls in the launch center’s computers, all three were immune.”
Looking at Steve, Christy continued in a more subdued voice. “The shuttles from the military launch centers will contain the nuclear interceptor missiles that General Karver promised us earlier, plus a small group of specialists to handle them.”
There had been a delay in sending up the missiles as originally planned. It had been necessary to modify them significantly so they could be deployed from Star One.
“We may damn well need them now,” muttered Steve, shaking his head, still trying to grasp in his mind everything that was occurring down on Earth.
“The group is to be placed under Captain Gerald’s command,” continued Christy, repeating what General Karver had told Jane. “There will be twenty specialists on the shuttles bound for us. Four shuttles will be launched in all. Two for Tycho City and two for Star One. He also requests that all four military shuttles be returned to their launch points as soon as possible.”
“We can do that,” replied Steve knowing that, if necessary, they could turn the shuttles around in just a few short hours.
“He wants to try to get the final parts for the Space Platform’s fusion reactor loaded on them and back up to us while the launch sites are still secure,” explained Christy, wondering how much longer all three launch facilities would stay under General Karver’s control.
“We need those parts for the Space Platform,” replied Steve, gazing back at the main viewscreen and the work being done on the two shuttles. “Todd needs that fusion reactor so we can install the ion thrusters.”
“The general also says he still controls enough of the country’s nuclear arsenal to prevent the rebels from using the nuclear weapons they have seized against his positions,” Christy said.
A sudden shimmering began next to Steve and Teela appeared in her uniform, looking unhappy. Her rich blue eyes looked almost dark. “I’ve analyzed the data from the nuclear exchanges down on Earth. Most of the Middle East and some areas of Europe will have to watch out for radiation. The loss of life will be in the tens of millions.”
“So many,” said Christy, repressing a shudder and drawing in a deep breath.
“The exchange between Taiwan and China did little harm to China itself, but Taiwan was nearly wiped out,” Teela continued. “Very little of Taiwan’s population will survive the radiation. The death toll will be over 25 million. The soil will be poisoned for years. The only good news is that because most of the nuclear weapons used were small, the radiation levels outside the affected areas will only increase slightly.”
“Can you tell how the fighting in the U.S. has been going?” asked Steve, knowing that Teela could access nearly any satellite she wanted to now.
“I’ve taken over all the military spy satellites to monitor the situation,” confessed Teela, knowing that Commander Larson would not have a problem with that in this current situation. “Controllers on the ground have tried to retake control of the satellites, but they can’t succeed. I imagine they are highly aggravated at the situation.”
“You are to keep control of those satellites,” Steve ordered. “I want them used to keep an eye on what is going on down on Earth.”
Looking at Steve and Christy with a very serious look, Teela continued. “I can tell you that Senator Farley was at the White House when the president was supposedly killed. His forces have taken the White House, and he was seen going into it and coming back out.
“Senator Farley was at the White House?” Christy repeated, her eyes narrowing. “Are you sure Teela?”
“I have video taken by a satellite that shows his presence there,” answered Teela, knowing that according to her simulations the senator had probably been responsible for the president’s death.
“That doesn’t surprise me,” replied Steve with anger showing in his voice. He wished there was some way the man could be brought to justice for his crimes.
“Senator Farley’s forces do control some of the country’s nuclear arsenal and almost the entire country now,” Teela continued.
“That’s not good news,” commented Steve, taking a deep breath. He wondered how many people that were supposed to come up to Star One and Tycho City were now unable to reach the launch centers.
“Many of the loyal units were cut off by the insurgents and forced to surrender,” Teela continued to report. “Many refused to fire on fellow Americans.”
“That’s not too surprising,” said Christy, knowing how difficult it would be for American soldiers to fire upon one another. “It’s hard to blame them.”
“General Karver is rushing all of his remaining loyal military forces to the launch sites,” Teela added. “He still controls several major nuclear launch sites that should hold the insurgents at bay, or at least prevent them from using nuclear weapons. My own estimates indicate that the insurgents will need several days to a week to consolidate their positions before they dare move against the general’s fortified positions.”
“Will they be able to take the launch sites?” Steve asked deeply concerned since they still had a lot of supplies stockpiled at the cape waiting for shuttles to bring them up. There were also quite a few people, who worked at the cape, he would like to bring up to Star One if possible.
“Eventually,” replied Teela calmly, hiding her fear. “If the insurgents are willing to accept the heavy casualties involved, General Karver will not be able to hold for long. They will need to move in a lot of heavy armor and reduce General Karver’s air cover considerably. Fortunately for General Karver, he has a large force of attack helicopters at his disposal that should give the insurgents fits. The two carrier groups off the cape are loyal and will provide the air support he needs for now.”
Steve and Christy were both silent, staring worriedly at one another. They each knew that their lifeline to Earth would soon be
cut permanently. There was also no doubt in Steve’s mind that Senator Farley would not care about the casualty count as long as he could take and destroy the launch centers.
Farley would be utterly uncaring about the casualties; nothing would keep him away from his fixation on wiping out the nation’s space launch facilities. They both knew that they had a long night still ahead of them; the situation on Earth would have to be monitored extremely closely.
“Keep us informed, Teela,” Steve ordered. “I want to know instantly if anything changes.”
-
Later that evening, Teela was sitting in Jennifer’s quarters feeling very worried. She knew that all of her friends were in immediate danger and that there was very little she could do about it. Even worse, the neutron star and black hole threat were still months away.
“Commander Larson and Commander Jones are very worried about what’s going on down below,” explained Teela, watching Jennifer change out of her uniform and into more comfortable clothes. “We may even be attacked here on the station by the insurgents.”
“It might very well happen, Teela,” replied Jennifer, pulling a loose fitting, light sweater down over her head. “But the commander has taken steps to protect the station. We knew that eventually we would be more or less on our own. It’s just going to happen a little sooner than we had originally thought.”
“I just wish there was something I could do!” Teela said, sounding upset. “I have all this information in my core memory, and it doesn’t seem to help us at all.”
“Sometimes all the knowledge in the world is of no use,” responded Jennifer, sitting down in a chair across from Teela. “People have to use their experience and instinct to survive. New challenges have to be met by strong, dedicated people willing to sacrifice to overcome them.”
“Experience is what I’m short of,” admitted Teela, quietly. “Even when Todd and I are talking, sometimes I don’t know how to respond to what he is saying, I feel so unsure of myself around the lieutenant commander.”
“I’ve noticed that you and Todd have become very close friends,” Jennifer said cautiously, not sure how to proceed with her questions. “How do you feel about him?”
“I enjoy every moment we spend together. He’s even asked me to go to Jensens several times. He treats me like a real person, not a hologram,” Teela said excitedly with a smile on her face. “We even sat in one of the observation lounges last night looking at the stars and talking about the FarQuest mission late into the evening. He has even installed hologram projectors on the Space Platform so I can appear over there.”
“Teela,” Jennifer ventured carefully, not sure how to put the delicate question. “Are you in love with Todd?”
“In love!” Teela exclaimed, surprised, with a scarlet flush appearing on her face as she considered the unexpected question. “How can a hologram fall in love with a real human, or the other way around? It isn’t possible, is it?”
“What do you think?” Jennifer asked, her eyes focused on Teela.
Teela became silent as a sudden dawning realization came over her. Reviewing Todd and her actions for the last several weeks, she knew that Jennifer was right. “It can’t be true Jennifer, can it? I mean, I can’t really fall in love, can I?”
“Teela, you are so very much like a real woman. Beautiful, intelligent, pleasant to be with and yes, it could be true. You have demonstrated many of the other human emotions. Your program is so advanced, why couldn’t you fall in love?” replied Jennifer soothingly, waiting for Teela’s reaction.
“What am I to do?” asked Teela quietly, looking into Jennifer’s eyes. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. I thought Todd and I were just good friends, but now I realize it’s much more than that. I think I do love him. How can he ever love me? I’m not real!”
“Teela, this is an important phase of your development. For the time being, I don’t see any harm in it. You and Todd should have all the fun you can, but it’s important that both of you remember that your body is a hologram and not real. The physical part of love can never occur between the two of you. You need to remind him of that occasionally,” answered Jennifer, hoping that Teela wouldn’t be too disappointed and that she understood what she was saying.
Teela was silent for a moment, thinking about how Todd had been treating her, and remembering that he had said several times that he knew she was a hologram but a very beautiful one. “I don’t think that will be a problem, Jennifer,” she replied, calmly. “But I will be very careful where Todd is concerned. I don’t want to hurt him, but I do want our relationship to continue.”
Jennifer nodded, satisfied. She was amazed at this development. She would keep a watchful eye on it. Teela didn’t need to be upset or severely disappointed at this stage of her development. She was a valuable member of Star One’s crew.
-
In Main Control, Steve and Christy were preparing to go to their quarters for some well-deserved rest. They had been monitoring various Earth communication networks trying to keep abreast of the fighting raging around the globe. Many governments had fallen, and the work of the peacemakers for decades had fallen along the wayside. Ethnic unrest, age-old enemies, tyrants waiting for an opportunity to attack their weaker neighbors had all taken advantage of the situation. Chaos was sweeping across the globe.
Todd had reported finally that he and Captain Gerald would have two shuttles armed with six Black Knight interceptor missiles, each prepped and ready to launch in 72 hours. Crews would be on permanent standby, and the shuttles could be launched with a 30-minute warning. Captain Gerald’s people would be working around the clock with Todd’s to complete the work on the shuttles.
Down on Earth, the fighting had died down in the United States. Senator Farley’s people now controlled everything except the three heavily defended launch facilities, two strongly held nuclear launch sites, and several deep underground bunkers in the mountains that had been constructed to survive the neutron star threat. The two secret bunkers he knew nothing about.
The bunkers had been completed and staffed before this latest round of fighting broke out. They had been built in secrecy to prevent the general public from learning of their locations. For the time being at least, they were safe. Steve also knew that now, with Senator Farley in charge, no more would be built.
On the main screen, a display was presently being projected showing Star One and the six shuttles currently in transit. All six had gotten off safely and responded properly with code Omega responses. The four military shuttles were scheduled for launch at 0:800 hours in the morning and two more cargo shuttles would be launched from the cape around 10:00. The two cargo shuttles were bound for Tycho City.
Jane Kinsey was in control at the cape and wanted every shuttle currently there to be prepped and launched within 72 hours. Steve knew that six more shuttles were available to launch if time permitted. Knowing Jane, if there were any way possible, she would get them up. Two of the shuttles would be coming up to Star One, and the other four would go on to the Moon.
If they still controlled the cape after the shuttles were unloaded, they would be returned for a second cargo trip. In all they had, counting the military shuttles, 26 shuttles available for use.
“We need to get some sleep, Steve,” spoke Christy, putting her hand over his and squeezing gently. “We need to be rested for tomorrow; it could be very a long day. Things seem to have quieted down for awhile down below.”
Nodding, Steve stood up, and the two left Main Control as Lieutenant Commander Miguel Hernandez took over Steve’s command chair. Minutes later, they were both in their own quarters sound asleep from exhaustion.
Chapter Six
John Gray fought the shuttle controls as the interceptor destroyed the inbound missile, exploding it less than a hundred yards from the thundering boosters. The explosion threatened to topple the shuttle and push it off its course. Already, in the past four weeks, five shuttles had been shot down during launch and two more atte
mpting landings. Shuttle debris littered the landscape around the cape and the ocean floor. The cape’s defenses were being hard pressed to protect the defenseless shuttles as they continued their neck-breaking launch pace.
“John, are you all right?” a worried Jane Kinsey’s voice came over the com.
“We’re okay,” replied John, scanning his instrument console for any amber or red lights. He glanced over at his shaken copilot who was also checking her instruments for any signs of damage to the shuttle or the boosters. “The interceptor caught the inbound about a hundred yards away. It rocked us, but we are stable and still climbing.”
“We still have two more shuttles left to launch,” Jane said worriedly. “General Karver says he can’t hold his defensive lines too much longer. There have already been two human wave attacks this morning. The last one nearly broke through.”
“Jane, just make sure you’re on that last shuttle, you and Tim both. If Senator Farley gets a hold of either one of you he won’t hesitate to kill you, just like he did the president and vice president,” John warned. “We’ll see,” replied Jane, calmly. “We have a lot more people that deserve those last 80 seats than we do.”
In the distance on the shuttle’s main screens, John could see defensive interceptors knocking down more incoming missiles in brilliant fireballs as they exploded. At their current rate of climb, the shuttle would be out of range in another minute.
Julie and Steve had both objected stringently when he had volunteered to fly the shuttles back and forth between Earth and Star One these past few weeks. However, John was the best pilot they had and it was hard to argue with his logic.
They desperately needed the stockpiled supplies from the cape. John and the handful of shuttle pilots he led had volunteered to fly, even though it meant dodging missiles as they landed and took off. This was John’s seventh flight in the last four weeks. The sky above gradually darkened and John felt relieved as they slid into the black safety of space. The rest of the trip should be uneventful.
Star One: Dark Star Page 12