by Ted Iverson
Earlier Zach and Ed had argued over how to stop them. Ed had wanted an old-fashioned road block, but Zach had argued that the convoy would see it or be informed of it and find an alternate route, or would even just kill Ty. He felt that surprise would be their best bet. In the end, Ed agreed. Surprise attack it would be.
The first hover was about fifty yards from Zach and Ed, approaching quickly, when the attack began. From behind the convoy they saw a flash and a white ball arch in the sky racing to meet the lead hover. Within seconds it exploded. At almost the same second, the transport hover came to a stop. Six men poured from the back of the vehicle, followed by another man dragging someone. They were firing randomly to provide themselves with cover. The two rear hovers also stopped and the men from it were running to find cover with the others. Flashes streamed across the highway and smoke followed every blast.
Zach and Ed had moved across the highway and were making their way toward the hovers when they saw two of the men leaving the scene, pushing Ty ahead of them. The three were heading down the embankment, through the field, and into some water. Zach and Ed ran after them, leaving the rest of their small detachment to finish the job back on the road. As they ran, they noticed a canal lock. The three men ahead were on the other side of it and headed into the local state park. Zach and Ed ran harder, not wanting to lose the three in the small wooded area.
The pursued men turned and headed north back through the canal. Once they made it to the other side, they ran a short distance and then stopped. One of them threw their prisoner down hard onto the ground, lowering his weapon until it rested against Ty’s head. The other stood in front as Zach and Ed arrived.
“That’s close enough!” the guard yelled. “We’ve nothing to lose now. Axion will just have us killed anyway.”
Zach and Ed stood motionless, weighing their options. Ty’s captors were on railroad tracks and seemed to have an advantage.
“If Axion’s going to kill you for getting ambushed,” Ed said, “it seems that it would be only logical to release Ty and make a run for it. All we came for was him.” Ed pointed at Ty, who was exhausted and was lying motionless on the ground. “I know you think we’re going to fire on you if you run, but you’re wrong. We’re really not the bad guys, contrary to all you’ve been told. I’ll show you.”
Ed threw his weapon away and put his hands behind his head. Zach’s mouth dropped open. Ed nudged him hard. Zach followed suit, shaking his head in dismay.
“See, you’re free,” Ed said. “I’m confident that if you really fear he’ll dispose of you, you won’t go to Axion. If you do as we say, you have a chance of living a long and healthy life. The alternative, of course, is to shoot Ty and then I personally will see to it that you have a very short, unhappy life.”
The two guards looked at each other, then back at Ed. They could see dim pinpoints of lights as more men approached. Glancing back to the highway, they saw the glow of burning vehicles. The decision wasn’t hard. The guard standing over Ty ran off into the darkness. His partner didn’t hesitate to follow. Zach ran over to Ty and gently rolled his brother over onto his back. Zach could see that he too had been beaten badly. “Ty, we’re here.”
Ty tried to smile. Looking at Ed, he said weakly, “The alternative is shooting him? It’s a good thing I like you, Ed.” He added more seriously, “Can we go now?”
Zach and Ed helped him up and, with arms supporting Ty, made their way to a hover that was on its way down to pick them up.
They headed up highway 40 to meet Joanne. Zach handed his brother a bottle of water. “Ty, you’re not gonna believe some of the things that have happened. You know your assistant? Well, I have to tell you...”
Ty listened as Zach began the story. Closing his eyes and envisioning her face was enough to make him feel better, but knowing he’d see her shortly, well, that was a whole different thing. Zach continued to talk, but his words ran in a jumble as Ty drifted off.
It was Friday and Ty was feeling much better. He’d spent most of the previous day lying flat, sleeping and healing. He’d gotten cleaned up and was sitting on a chair in his room when there was a knock on the door. “Yes, come in.”
Joanne opened the door and peeked into to the room. “May I?”
“Yes, of course!”
She walked over to him and stood, her eyes sparkling. Then, looking at his battered and scabbed face, a saddened and tender look spread across hers.
He could wait no longer. He hobbled over to her, reached out, and pulled her close into a warm embrace. He didn’t say anything. When he finally let her go, he acknowledged, “I missed you. I’m sorry about the other day. I just wasn’t myself. I really don’t remember a whole lot about the rescue and all.”
She gently grabbed his hands and smiled. “It’s okay. You were in pretty bad shape. We’re all just lucky to be alive. I still can’t believe everything that’s happened.” Looking into his eyes, Joanne asked, “So, you really missed me?”
He let go of one hand, reached up, and caressed her cheek. “I really did and when this is all over, I’m taking you out for a really nice dinner. We’ve got a few things to talk about.” He leaned in and tenderly kissed her on the cheek.
A blush was her only answer.
“Now,” Ty went on with determination, “we’ve got a lot to do. Do you know where Zach and Ed are?”
Joanne regained her composure and led him to a conference room. Once Ty was inside and sitting, Zach retold him everything that had happened. At one time the story would have been a shock to Ty, but not now. Now bizarre seemed to be the norm.
“Well,” Ty said, glancing over at Joanne, “that’s quite a story. I can see we’re in for a real fight. If Axion is aware of the prototype, then you and Orion have made all the right decisions in my absence. So, what’s the next move? Bringing in that ship? Zach, you say you’re ready, so then let’s get to it. We’re just wasting time talking. Where exactly are you going to be running this operation, and are you certain it’s possible to interrupt communication to Earth and on Earth for that long?”
“Yes, I believe it is possible. I’m leaving right away. I’m not telling anyone where I’ll be, because if I’m followed, Axion will be all over me. Better only one of us gets caught. I’ll meet you all back here when I’m done. If I can pull this off, I’m better than even I think!
“Paul Spencer has more contacts than anyone I have ever seen,” Zach continued. “Somehow, he’s managed to get all the world’s leading solar experts to convince the holonet that the Earth will be bombarded with the worst solar flares in history. While it won’t harm us, it will cause widespread damage to satellites and all Earth-based radar and tracking. To prevent that damage, the FAA has taken a proactive approach and grounded all air traffic. They’ve shut down the radars as well. They’re hoping nothing will get fried. Less I have to worry about.”
Zach shrugged. “As much as I dislike the media, it’s sure helping us out on this one. Even the military is ceasing operations for a day. It’s the trending news of the day, so no one will suspect that we’ll be bringing in a ship. I’ve been working with the Lab to take out satellites one at a time as they approach the horizon. I’d like to keep the destruction to a minimum. After this is all over, we just might have to pitch in for some government and international satellites,” Zach added with a laugh as he left the room.
Chapter Thirty-Two
The holocom showed signs of activity as Captain Banning Powers sat behind his desk doing his usual mound of paperwork. “Captain Powers, Captain Cyrus Lyet here.”
“Banning Powers, Captain, nice to finally put a face to a name. What is your ETA?”
“We’re actually in the process of lunar insertion now. We plan to hold steady here, behind the moon, until the supplies have arrived. At that time, we can discuss the final steps of our flight.”
“We have the transport ready,” Powers informed him, “and will be launching within the next fifteen minutes. It will take about one a
nd a half hours to reach your position. We will then dock and begin transfer of all requested supplies. The thirty men that were requested will be on board as well.”
“Has Zach made the necessary arrangements for our arrival?”
“Yes, Operation Earthbound will begin as soon as we’re finished with the supply transfer. You and I will have our final contact verifying all is a ‘go,’ and then I will make the call. Fifteen minutes after that, you’ll begin your approach and descent. I’m uploading the coordinates now.”
He tapped a few plasma buttons and rotated the holodials. “There, you should be receiving the information now.”
After a few minutes, Lyet’s voice acknowledged receipt. “Uplink completed, coordinates have been received and are being input into the nav computer. We’ll be back in touch after the supply transfer. Lyet out.”
The holocom went blank. Powers sat there for a moment then established a holocom link with the Luna Base commander. “Scramble the men. Operation Earthbound has begun. God speed, Colonel.” As the man acknowledged him and the image began to fade, Powers could hear the sounds of klaxons blaring. Now he could only sit behind his desk and wait.
Zach had his makeshift control room ready in the most unlikely of places, one he’d discovered when he’d explored Space Tech as a child. Back then he’d run across several tunnels and back entrances to the company and had never forgotten about them. One in particular stuck in his memory: it ran into the lower and the least used level. Back then, it seemed a frightening place. Now, the space was used for storage of old, outdated computers and machines. At this moment, it was his holy grail. He’d been sneaking in for days, avoiding guards and employees at all times. Of all the places they’d be looking for him and his brothers, certainly right under their noses would not be on the list. It was, after all, the only place where he’d be able to find enough components to build a command center, even if the equipment was old and antiquated.
He’d been waiting for hours and was feeling a bit cramped when he finally received the encrypted message, “Operation Earthbound awaiting departure.”
He punched in his answer on an old laptop he’d refurbished for this operation. “Earthbound departure in T minus twenty minutes. Let the flares begin.”
He tapped the old computer’s keyboard and began transmitting his virus to the holonet. Even though everyone else in the known world was shut down, the holonet had flat out refused, daring the flares to take it out. Well, seeing as there really were no flares, it was up to Zach to take it down.
Zach typed in codes at a fevered pitch. The old equipment wired into his small laptop responded with blinking lights and strange noises as the old computers loaded.
With each passing minute, he prayed harder. He had several holopads surrounding him, each with different sites from around the globe, so he could see the virus’s effect. After about fifteen minutes, he began sweating a little. Then, as if by command, one site went down, then another, and another. It had worked!
He toggled quickly back to the contact screen and typed in, “Operation Earthbound, a go for departure. The clock has begun, you have two hours, fifty-five minutes. Say hello to my brother.”
He kept monitoring the mass of instruments that surrounded him, while continuing to input a multitude of codes to keep the holonet down as droves of network administrators started hacking him, trying to reestablish hololinks. He also needed to track all the approaching satellites and send coordinates up to the Lab’s solar disruptor. It was going to be a long night.
Captain Cyrus Lyet was on pins and needles. He and the thirty men from the Outpost hadn’t been back to Earth in many years. He wondered if, after the mission was over, he would or should try to contact the wife and daughter he’d left behind a lifetime ago. He’d never regretted the decision he’d made back then. After all, he’d left them financially secure, though without a husband or father. That part still haunted him.
“One minute until departure from the dark side,” announced his copilot.
Lyet pushed a plasma button on the panel. “Strap in, men. We’re taking this in hot and I guarantee it’ll be bumpy. Just relax and let your captain take you home.”
He took out a small crystal disc, looked at it for a moment, and then placed it into a slot in one of the forward panels. It held hours of music. He felt one song in particular would be appropriate for this moment. It was a song from Smokey and the Bandit, one of his father’s favorite movies from the late 1970s.
“Four, three, two, one, go for ignition,” the copilot announced.
Lyet and his copilot simultaneously worked the controls as the four large plasmats ignited, forcing them back into their seats. Lyet touched one last plasma button. The audio came loudly across the ship: “Eastbound and down...” As Jerry Reed blasted overhead, The Blue Marble appeared in front of them. A grin spread across Lyet’s face as he thought about his family. He truly was Earth bound.
Back at the Lab, the crew was busy with their tasks. In a short time they had developed a solar disruptor designed to harness the sun’s power and intensify it. A disruptor aimed at an object would have the same effect as a massive solar flare. When pointed directly at a satellite, it would jam the satellite’s signals as it passed through the large bandwidth the weapon produced. When multiple disruptors were placed at different locations, their bandwidths would overlap, creating massive blackout areas. Which is exactly what they’d done, created a massive blackout of the satellites. The resulting umbrella effect was meant to mask the transport as it accelerated from behind the moon and raced for the Earth.
As the ship passed the OBL, they launched an enormous, dense, metal object carrying low-grade radiation. It trailed directly behind the transport, following the same trajectory. They were planning ahead. They knew that because they’d arrive at dusk, many would see the fiery object racing through the atmosphere. The object was a decoy. If found, it would most certainly be identified as a satellite that had failed due to the solar flares.
Ship and orb entered the atmosphere and raced toward their final destination. It had been well planned and executed.
It was now Saturday morning and, once the holonet had come back online, Axion watched the previous evening’s events unfold. News reports poured in from everywhere, but the one that intrigued him was the report from South Dakota: two fiery objects had come screaming across the sky. One interview in particular made him lean toward the image. The man being interviewed swore this was the second time he’d seen the exact same thing. The first time had been several years ago.
The man was still talking when Axion reached over and stopped the transmission. How had they done this? A scheme so large that even the holonet had been shut down? He was sure now that this was only a diversion, but it didn’t matter at this point. He would join his men tomorrow and they would find the prototype. It would be over once and for all. He’d enjoyed the little game. The fact that these boys were formidable opponents had made it fun.
Captain Lyet was the first to exit the large transport ship. He emerged from the forward section, which housed the bridge and some crew quarters. The second section, about a third the size of the other two sections, was cylindrical and reminded Orion of one of the rings on the StarDancer. The third section was for the droids.
Despite its size, the ship had landed perfectly in the deep quarry. Lyet made his way to the top via a small shuttle. As he stepped out, Orion greeted him with a warm handshake. Following him moments later was DES. “DES! Good to see you!” He slapped the droid on its back.
“Good to see you as well, sir,” DES responded.
Orion turned back to Cyrus and motioned to the land around them. “We’ll have to house the men in tents. Separate them around the area here.”
“Sir, that is dangerous and totally unnecessary,” DES said.
“DES?”
“You see, sir, I believe people will be searching the area. To camp outside the ship would not be wise. We could all stay in the ship.
The rest of the droids are deactivated and the sixty humans aboard, well, the ship was constructed to maintain a human’s every need for at least three weeks.
“I see that you’ve accounted for everything, except one. Won’t they see the ship?”
“That issue was also taken into consideration, sir. While you were away I had another recollection. I remembered a program that Jeff and I had been working on. He felt that FTL was for exploration and that, at times, we might not wish to be seen. So we developed a prototype cloaking device. With the help of some of my fellow droids, I was able to adapt it to this ship. If I’m correct, when we find the prototype we’ll be able to adapt this to it as well. That is, if isn’t already installed.”
“Cloaking device? You’re kidding me, right?”
Cyrus had stood quietly while the two conversed. “Gentlemen, I think we should go inside before company arrives. DES is right: the ship can be cloaked. We can’t do it in flight—it takes too much energy, but when we’re on the ground, Presto!”
Orion looked and his jaw dropped. He could no longer see the ship. He looked at Cyrus, who was grinning ear to ear. He looked at DES, who was standing there emotionless.
“We do need to go now. We can discuss it inside.” Lyet made his way back onto the small shuttle, with DES and Orion behind him.
After returning to the larger ship, they settled themselves around a small table. DES reached into a case full of holofilms and pulled out a thick binder. “I know that you might be interested in browsing through this.” He placed the thick binder before Orion. “We know your affinity for real paper at times.”
The title read Magnetic Cloaking: The use of Nanometer Metamaterials for Cylindrical Ship Building and Magnetic Ferroelectrics for Cloaking.