“I have been alive through the rise and fall of many civilizations Mark. Every one of them has risen due to one thing and fallen due to only one thing. ” She waited for Mark to turn and look at her before continuing with only one word . “ Freedom.”
“Oh, ya, thanks. That answers everything.” Mark looked down as he passed over to see the row of the
Queen’s old airtrucks airtruck’s and then looked up to see with some 50 odd APC's and 12 APCC's landing in rows along the side of the big mile long building not far from the row of loading docks and the transport he had flown earlier still docked there. The much bigger transport boats lined up on both sides of the now very short looking transport boa t he had flown to orbit and back . The bigger, longer transport boats making the smaller transport boat look like a toy to Mark now, deflating his ego about flying the smaller boat into orbit . Frowning , Mark watched the Queen’s crews getting out of the APCC’s and APC’s and gathering off to one side around a bus. Probably to be taken back to the Ship. "Damn!"
Mark landed next to the milling group as the bus took off and opened the drivers hatch and climbed out. An English officer met him a few feet away from the APCC. "You can't park there Tramp. Take it over and line it up with the others. Your transport bus will be back in about a half hour to take you back to the ship, after they drop off the English training crews at f light control ." The bus was just taking off.
Mark looked over to where the man was pointing at the end of the row of parked APCC's and noticed the 3,000ton Transport Boat sitting beyond where he had parked it at the dock a life time before line of now ju nk airfan trucks a quarter mile father away across the otherwise empty tarmac . They were sending him and the Star Queen ’s crew home empty handed. Not even with their old airtruck’s. Fighting down his rage that was welling up in him Mark remembered his father's dinnertime statement. "Be polite and find a way around the Wall." Smiling Mark said. "Ya sure Mack. Aah… But we can't leave good equipment out in the weather. We need to park them inside." Turning to the truck crews standing around grumbling about wasting their time and having to leave the ship’s airtrucks. "Your attention please. We need to get these APC's And APCC's you have been training today in , under cover and out of the weather. Get back into the same rig you got out of and follow me. Now!"
"Who the hell do you think you are?" Said one of the senior regular truck pilots that loved to give Mark a bad time while criticizing him for every thing he did flying . "Let them park their own rigs. It is late and I just want to go back to the ship."
Mark realized that as an officer , he out ranked the S enior First Class. "I am Commander Collins and I want to go home to , o so get your fucking asses into the APCC's and follow me now." Mark climbed up onto the APCC he had climbed out of. Hanging on the door hatch as he stood on the cabin deck with his head above the top of the cab as the English officer walked up to the APCC.
"If you try leaving the base I will have you arrested Commander. You don't need to park it under cover. Just drop it at the end of the line." The English Lieutenant said.
"Now Lieutenant , these are supposed to be our APCC's that I paid for already and I hate to see them get wet before we can take possession of them." P p ointing up wind. "Looks like a storm coming. Makes a big mess to mop up inside the truck deck." Mark closed the hatch in his face, not being able to slam it with the automatic arm preventing him. Mark started it up as he noticed that none of the truck drivers had moved. "Mickey; get those drivers on the phone please. We don't have much time."
"Sorry Mark but all none authorized phones are jammed while on the base. I cannot call them."
"Well authorize them then. I need to talk to all of the drivers." Mark took off and circled the lined up armored trucks as he watched the crews reach for their phones in mass. "Ok. This is Commander Collins. Get in to your new Armored Trucks that I have paid for and follow me home to the ship. I don't want to miss the Steak and Lobster dinner tonight. Or you can stay here and let the English cheat us out of our equipment and explain it to the Captain when you finely get back to the ship about midnight ."
The Star Queen drivers hung up their phones and stood there talking for a few seconds and then a few of the original cargo handling crew men headed for their APC's and took off. As the first climbed up to take formation to Mark’s side, more drivers headed for their APC's and finally the larger APCC's.
“Well , looks like they are starting to see the light. S are doing pretty well s hall we head home Mickey?”
“Yes Mark that would be a good idea. You can make it there in plenty of time for dinner if we leave now.”
“ Damn , MM now that sounds is good. But then I should wait for the rest to get airborne before I tip our hand shouldn’t I.”
“Yes .. … You will take the blame no mater.”
Mark waited until all of them were airborne with the last APCC seaming to take forever to finely get off the ground long after the last smaller APC was already in formation. With some 6 2 0 APC ’s (the number of cargo handlers and mechanics assigned to the original trucks) and a dozen APCC’s keeping a rough formation off of Marks APCC’s short wings, he could not help but smile. “Damn, that is a beautiful sight.” As the last APCC climbed into formation , Mark realized that his it was the 13th APCC and wondered how that happened . Evidentially a nd realiz ed someone had not counted the APCC Tom trained in separately as the others trucks were grounded. But then the Captain had said to take his APCC and get off her Transport boat so that meant it was their mistake and not his. Something for the English to worry about later. Deciding that the 13th could replace the old Airbus instead of leaving it behind. Though it would have been nice to get a 14th to fill the empty slip that used to house a second Airbus. “All right guys . Let ’ s Better get going so we can get there before the chow line gets too long.” Mark pushed in the throttle. “Central City Control, This is Star Queen truck number 9 requesting clearance for a high speed direct lane to t T he Star Port please with some 60 plus trucks.”
“Star Queen truck 9 are you declaring an emergency.”
“Hell yes. I am starving and I am tired of missing chow. Besides they are serving steak and lobster tonight.”
“Sorry truck 9 , we do not recognize dinner as an emergency. Take the standard approach corridor at 100 knots.”
“Oh fuck.”
“What was that truck 9? Please repeat.”
“I just said I was hungry ok.”
“That’s what I thought Star Queen 9. Have a nice day. Traffic control out.”
Mark watched the mass of armored gravity trucks slide out from the base as his com light lit up. "Defense Command calling APCC's and APC's leaving the base. You are to return immediately to the base or charges will be filed."
"Sorry Defense Command but I am following Admiral's orders and taking my new gra v- vity trucks home. I suggest you check with the Admiral before you get yourself into any more trouble. Commander Collins out."
"Mark; the APC's are turning back toward the base." Mickey said.
"Well shit. At least I tried. Damn it. Get them on the com will you please. "
"Line open Mark."
"Come on guys we own these. They are not about to shoot us down in mass as long as we stay together."
"Sorry Commander, but we don't want to go without the trailers for these. We left them parked on the back side of the base."
"Ok. Mickey does this thing come with a trailer?"
"Yes Mark."
"Damn it. Crap." Keying his mic. "Ok good idea troops. Think I will do the same." Mark banked the APCC around and headed back for the base. The other APCC's following him. "Ok Mickey where are the trailers for these."
"Give me a few seconds Mark. I said they had them not that I knew where they were."
"Take your time and I will just follow the first APC’s and hope we don't get shot down and they know where they are going."
"Star Queen Number 9. Take your flight to the south north end of the base and land i
n the APCC storage yard please and we will have busses pick you up as soon as possible. Corse 1 25 7 6 true please."
"Thank you Base Control." Mark smiled. "Want to bet they have the trailers stored in the APCC storage yard Mickey."
The flight landed in a storage yard filled with hundreds of APCC's and their trailers not far from the APC storage yard the APC's landed at. As he t hey jumped out to started hook ing up his trailer , s Mark started hearing sirens in the distance as MP air jeeps headed their way. Tapping his comm. "Come on guys , the Cops are coming. Hurry up."
“How the hell do these trailers hook up? Nothing even looks like the airtruck latches.” A voice said over the comm in the open.
“A… Give me a few seconds to check it out.” With Mickeys help telling him exactly what to do Mark he had his trailer hooked and plumbed in a few seconds long before the ot hers even though as the fittings were completely different than what was on the old trucks. As the sirens got closer he ran over to the next APCC and showed him what and how, then ran to the next in line showing her what to do before continuing down the line .
Mark was over half way down the line when the MP's showed up in their air jeeps. "Mickey tell the ones that are ready , to get the hell out of here before we are all caught." Mark continued down the line as APCC's started taking off and following the APC's already headed North south . The MP's started chasing the APCC's that lifted off as Mark continued to help the ones having problems hooking up but one of the MP's finely realized that he could do nothing to stop the ones already airborne and turned around and headed back toward the one's still grounded.
Mark was just helping the last APCC hook up when an airjeep landed next to the front of the APCC. The MP stepped out and told them to halt what they were doing. Mark slapped the final connection in and held his hands up as he walked with the pilot toward the front of the APCC as the officer held his gun pointed at them. As they neared the closed front hatch Mark whispered to the pilot who had refused to cooperate when he asked them to follow him . The man that had given him a bad time his whole time in the truck division and even tried to keep him from getting his commercial license . "When I open the hatch you jump in and get the hell out of here." Turning to look at the pilot. "Got it ? . "
The man Mark thought hated him looked at him , running his eyes up and down his tattered blood stained uniform . "Yes sir but we don’t have time for both of us to climb up and in before that guy shoots one of us. It is 5 feet up to it."
"The Cab is armored Dick and the hatch is blaster proof. If anyone gets hit it will be me since I am not coming with you. Now get ready to jump."
The pilot looked at Mark as Mark took a step out ahead of him as they approached the front of the APCC. With his hands already up Mark reached over and grabbed the latch and opened the hatch toward the MP. As the pilot started climbing, the MP yelled for him to stop. Mark grabbed the pilot’s ass and shoved him up into the cab making him miss half the steps, then slammed the hatch shut.
With his hands already above his head, all Mark had to do was step away from the APCC and wait for the MP to decide not to shoot him.
As the MP held his pistol on Mark, the APCC powered up and without having time to run the check list , it shot into the air and slid a few feet up as it back ed ing away before coming to a hover as it dropped back down .
The APCC's external speakers blared to life as the front turret turned to aim at the MP Officer. "Drop your weapon or I will drop you!"
The MP raised his arms over his head as his weapon hit the ground.
Mark rolled his eyes as he turned toward the APCC and yelled. "Damn it Dick , stand down the weapons and follow orders. You heard me, lock out the weapons now!" The turret turned back around to its traveling rest position. "Now take the Star Queen’s new truck home."
"But sir. He was threatening you with a weapon and will arrest you."
"Only if he wants to be court-martialed for disobeying Orders of Admiral Edwards. Either way Dick, I am not going to get into a shooting match with the English over Property rights. Now let the man do his job and I will see you back on the ship in a few minutes . Besides I still have another APCC to get. Now follow orders and head home with the rest . and I will see you b ack on the ship . "
The MP was baffled as he listened to the exchange with his pistol laying on the ground and his hands up. "What. I am not going to let you take another English APCC. I don’t care if you do have a tank."
Mark smiled at him and then back at the APCC floating not far away. "You heard me Dick. Now go home." As the APCC drifted away backwards so the pilot could keep an eye on things.
Mark walked up to the MP. "Now pick up your weapon and fallow Admiral Edwards Orders and be a good MP and take me over to my other APCC. It has been a long day and I don't want to miss dinner. It is steak and lobster tonight."
"Oh sure Mack. Hop in. But I have to take your weapon and handcuff you first. Can't allow any weapons in the jeep. The rules." The MP reached down and picked up his weapon as the APCC drifted away. Another MP jeep drifted by checking on the officer and deciding that the officer had Mark under control, accelerated away after the APCC drifting north south .
Mark walked up to the officer. "Mickey can I still go into the self-hypnotic thing? If I can't, we are screwed."
"Yes Mark anytime you wish now. But I cannot let you hurt this officer."
"Contraire Mickey. The last thing I want to do is get into a war with the English but we need to get that APCC. So help me out here will you?”
“Come on Officer, we are allies, just give me a ride like a nice Sargent.”
The officer batted his eyes in surprise for a few seconds and then frowned. Holding his weapon on Mark. Take your weapon out of the hulster holster and drop it on the ground now and turn around so I can handcuff you."
"Sorry but I am an officer of the English Reserve Tr ansport Star Ship Star Queen and I will not let you arrest me."
The officer got a big grin on his face. "Ok you want to play stupid." He dug a can of pepper spray out of his belt with one hand with his pistol still pointed at Mark. Raised it up to spray Mark in the eyes but when he pushed down on pulled the trigger , he sprayed himself in the eyes. Not noticing as Mark leaned forward , with his hand jerking up to the bottom of the can, twisted it around then leaned back just before the officer pressed the trigger with his thumb .
The officer started screaming as he ducked away from his own spray as Mark twisted the officer’s pistol out of his hand almost brea king his trigger finger to keep him from firing it by accident. Then stepped around him to plop into his jeep's driver’s seat. Mark started it up with the key sitting in the ignition and drove away stopping at the side of the APCC he had left only minutes before . As Mark got out tossing the pistol onto the passanger passenger seat, he looked back to see the officer staggering around waving his arms all over the place trying to keep from getting attacked though no one was there. Mark climbed into the APCC and was air born within seconds and headed north.
Shaking his head. “We are too late for dinner now aren’t we Mickey?”
“Yes Mark you would have to do 200 knots with no additional delays to make it there in time”
Shaking his head. “Damn it.” Mark pushed the throttles forward taking the APCC from 50 miles an hour to 300 in seconds. Catching up to and then leaving the rest of the APCC and APC’s behind after counting them to make sure they were all there. Noticing that the driver Dick had hung around while he took out the officer before heading north, had caught up and was bringing up the tail of the flight.
“So Priestess. How is that freedom supposed to help me save the Galaxy?” The Priestess was still sitting in the copilot’s seat as if nothing had happened.
“Yes Mark. Freedom will save the Galaxy.”
Turning to look at the Priestess , Mark shook his head baffled as his stomach growled at him and the thought of Steak and Lobster tails took over his mind as he sat back and pouted as he watched the countr
y slid back behind him.
"The more people you free, the farther the Outback will be pushed back and the more planets you save ."
Mark was in no mood for parables or nonsense sayings and just sat there looking out the windows at the distant Star Port quickly approaching."
Port Control came on the line. "Star Queen Truck #9 you have been issued a speeding ticket, take up an orbit until a scheduled ship finishes launching and the port is cleared for an open corridor to the Star Queen."
"Would it help if I tried declaring an emergency again?"
"No Star Queen #9. Take orbit at 50 knots."
Half way past the port already, Mark took up an orbit as he arched around the north side , slowing to 50 knots . Then could not help noticing, and noticed (though he did not care at first) a lot of old space ships scattered around the port outside the inner fence and perimeter road on the back side of the port’s north side which was rarely visited. He had not noticed them before since none of the normal access corridors crossed that part of the Port nor had he approached the port at such a high altitude. Not as many ships as at the old Star Port but all of them were in a lot better shape. C c uriosity finely got the better of him and he turned to the Priestess . "What happened to all the crews of all those ships? This planet is listed as a none immigration planet and in a recession. They shouldn’t have all the ships just sitting around ." Mark shoo k his head He asked Mickey .
The Preistess Priestess turned to Mark. "During the war, if they did not have enough money to upgrade their ships to English standards or head back into the Empire, they were given the option to join the military space force or go to camps if they did not have money or relatives to pay for a ticket to some other planet."
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