by Stan Schatt
Jack looked at Hawk before answering. “Earth’s kind of neutral territory with aliens from all over the place here legally and illegally including the Draconians. Our government apparently has made an agreement with them.”
“Many good people tried to discourage the President from signing that treaty. The military was too excited about the new toys the Draconians promised them, so they talked him into going along. I never trusted those reptiles or their creepy gray henchmen.”
“What about my father?”
Gerald began ticking off a laundry list of UFO sightings as well as other evidence of alien activity that he and Jack’s father had investigated. He then described the rumors of aliens on the Moon and how they two of them had gone about validating these rumors.
“What about the moon?”
“The astronauts who landed there were warned not to return. If you go through the photos on moonshots, you’ll notice many missing ones when it comes to specific sequences of certain locations on the moon. Some of the photos that are available are only available in very low resolution even though the lunar probes’ cameras have high definition capability. Ever wonder why?”
“Why?”
Gerald described the conversation that an aging astronaut had with Jack’s father in which he revealed to the professor that aliens had warned that the Moon did not belong to humans until they got their affairs in order on Earth and destroyed all nuclear weapons.
“We’ve chosen to ignore those warnings,” Gerald added.
“Who are they and what to they want?”
Gerald shrugged and described a conversation between government agents and a Draconian leader. The reptilian alien told them that the “old ones” mining the Moon were far too powerful even for them. Its advice had been to stay away from them and hope that they continue to ignore Earth.
“What does all of this have to do with Dad?”
Gerald sighed and shook his head. “I guess if you’re a billionaire, you can always find someone willing to sell out all our country’s secrets regarding the aliens.”
“What does it matter? You and Dad know.”
“It matters if you’re John Anderson and you’re an evangelical Christian who believes that everything in the Bible is the literal word of God. He wants the end of the world to come as quickly as possible so he can wrap himself in his savior’s bosom.”
“I still don’t understand what that has to do with Dad or with the aliens.”
“Your father knows a lot about the alien presence on the moon; he’s studied them for years as have I. At first Anderson seemed genuinely interested in alien life. Later, it became clear that he wanted to attack the alien base and bring about the end of mankind. He believes the aliens are Lucifer’s fallen angels that will bring about the Apocalypse. He knows that the aliens have warned us to stay away from the moon. He thinks that if we attack them, they’re bound to retaliate. Hell, if the Draconians are that afraid of those aliens and say that the ‘old ones’ have weapons far superior to theirs, then what chance does Anderson have of destroying them? Your father told him that the structures on the moon are embedded in the moon’s very tough exterior. Nuclear weapons won’t destroy them completely.”
“Anderson has nuclear weapons?” Jack felt his stomach heave. All it would take is one crazy man with a nuclear attack to destroy everything.
“Sure, with enough money you can buy anything on the open market. He has his command post set up on a private island near some Jamaican resort. He apparently has kidnapped your father because he needs his expertise.”
“You seem to have a lot of information. Does the government know what Anderson’s planning?”
“There’s one bullshit story about Anderson launching a commercial satellite and another one about him launching the first stage of a space elevator for commercial use. He’s paid off enough people that no one with any power is looking that closely.”
“How do you plan to stop him and save Professor Starling?” Jack said.
Gerald shrugged. “I’m not a SEAL. I have all kinds of logistical info on Anderson’s island and on the man himself, but I wouldn’t know the first thing about saving him. I suspect your father wanted me to brief you, and figured you could do something to save him.”
“Give me everything you have on Anderson and the island,” Jack said as he made a decision. He already had begun formulating a plan. He believed he knew where he could get help. Beauty and the Beast, he mused to himself.
Chapter 26
HAWK HAD INSISTED they watch Casablanca while Jack studied Gerald’s files. He shrugged and watched the opening scenes from Casablanca flash across the small screen, but soon he was hooked. When it finally ended Hawk said, “Do you understand now why I wanted you to watch this movie?”
“You’re saying that our country is kind of like Casablanca but instead of all kinds of spies running around, we have different kinds of aliens; I know that. It’s what I told Gerald.”
Hawk nodded. “I know, but I wanted you to understand how difficult finding a solution will be. The politics of this whole alien situation are really complicated. The Immigration sign we saw means that more than one kind of alien race probably comes through here. Others like the Androvians bypass the official channels and sneak in. It sounds like any alien race with transporter technology can come and go without detection. That doesn’t even account for the “Old Ones” whose home planet apparently is close enough to Earth so that they can use spaceships rather than have to rely on quantum transporters.”
“My father was from one of those alien groups, maybe even the ‘old ones.’ The first time Cassandra saw me, she muttered something about Gliese. Later I found out that the Sumerians drew pictures of people who looked like me 5000 years ago and said they were from the stars. There could be other aliens like my father hiding here.”
“That’s the other thing that bothers me. Anyone from the secret Alien Affairs part of our government will probably recognize you and try to kill you or capture you for dissection.”
“I have an idea on how to handle that part of our problem, but I’m going to leave the details to you while I focus on Anderson and my father.” Hawk listened while Jack described his plan and then began to jot down a list of what he had to do. He filled one page and began filling a second.
What surprised Jack was that in addition to having information, Gerald also had plenty of money. Despite his small isolated house deliberately located off the grid, he had a wealthy benefactor who believed in learning the truth about the aliens’ intentions. Jack revisited a place he thought he never would see again and lined up two members of his assault team. He also drew on alien technology to cover two key parts of his plan.
Saint Benedict’s Island is a small speck on the map in the Caribbean. A wealthy Englishman had purchased the land from the British government and later sold it to pay his gambling debts. John Anderson had bought it and then began constructing a huge complex that included an administration building, living quarters, a control center, and a launch pad. The press had accepted his cover story about the construction of a commercial space elevator. Surprisingly, reporters couldn’t find any reputable scientists willing to comment on the project. If they had dug more deeply, they would have discovered that many of these scientists had research grants from the Anderson Foundation or one of its many offshoots.
Jack marveled at how easy it was to put his plan into operation when money wasn’t a problem. He found plenty of people willing sell him what he needed with no questions asked. First class air tickets to Kingston meant expedited boarding and express luggage service once the plane landed.
Jack had chosen a moonless night for his operation. He and his crew of two identical looking women dragged the compact rubber boat up through the sand and hid it behind some rocks. The women moved gracefully and silently although each of them carried a full backpack loaded with equipment.
I sure hope this works; otherwise, we’ll have to use force, Jack thou
ght. Each of them carried Androvian weapons far superior to the Carl Gustav Ricky had provided on their battle with the Draconians. Jack also carried communications equipment as well as a small device upon which the entire operation would depend. If the alien who called himself Mark had wanted to avenge the destruction of his quantum transporter by destroying him, now would be his perfect opportunity.
Jack took out a penlight and studied the space center’s plans. It was late enough that Anderson would likely be in his master bedroom. He directed the device and aimed the narrow band antenna in the right direction. He had a microphone as well as recordings Hawk had made in his sonorous deep voice. The device’s screen displayed the complex’s architectural plans and a small blinking light moved until it was centered in the section labeled Master Bedroom. He flipped a switch and he saw the room displayed with an infrared image of a kneeling figure.
Jack pressed a button and began transmitting.
The monitor along with the whispered words made it clear that John Anderson was praying.
“Lord, I long for the Rapture so I can be one with you. Let me be your instrument!”
Jack pressed another button, and an illuminated object began to take form in the darkened room. Majestic and clad in traditional robes, the stately figure of Jesus began speaking.
Jack pressed a button and Hawk’s sonorous voice beamed into Anderson’s bedroom once more.
“You will be my sword that I might slay the Evil One.”
“Yes, Lord.”
“You have proof of Lucifer’s handiwork, my child?”
“I have photos and reports from NASA. I even have the only copy of an agreement Truman signed with the fallen angels.”
“You have done well, my child, but the real work has not yet begun. Are you strong enough in body and spirit?”
“Let me strike the first blow, Lord.”
“You are my loyal servant, and I will honor you in the next world for your brave efforts.”
Anderson spoke softly. “Lord, I am your humble servant. Tell me what to do.”
Jesus paused for a moment before speaking and then continued. “I have plans for Aaron Starling. You must release him immediately and send him to the beach without anyone nearby; they would not be able to see what happens to him and live. Your men must not hurt him.”
“Yes, Lord. I will do your bidding!”
Jack smiled when he heard those words.
“I know you plan to launch your weapon very soon. Lucifer is starting to muster his fallen angels. I want you to speed up your launch to 10 am this morning. That will still give your scientists time to do their recalculations.”
“It will be done.”
Jack stared through binoculars and saw his father coming out of the building. Lights were going on throughout the facility. Professor Starling walked by himself toward the beach. Security guards were nowhere in sight. Jack rose and beckoned for his father to come closer. One of the women with Jack led the professor to the dingy and rowed it toward a larger boat that was moored just beyond the horizon.
Jack and his accomplice stood behind a rocky outgrowth. There had been plenty of activity at the launch site. She pointed an object at the rocket and pressed several buttons until she seemed satisfied and then nodded to Jack.
At precisely 10 am, the huge rocket’s engines bellowed a deafening sound and flames pushed it up into the sky. Jack watched the rocket’s trail and crossed his fingers. As he followed the rocket’s path, he noticed it was starting to turn much too soon in flight. It continued to turn and then dipped as it headed down toward the ocean. It then seemed to accelerate before it hit the water and created a huge wave.
Jack and the woman waited until dark and then the dingy returned for them. The boat took them to Kingston and where they caught a flight back to the United States. Their flight plan included a three-hour layover at JFK in order to catch a direct flight back to San Diego
The TV monitor mounted across from Jack and the two women displayed an old Law and Order episode. Jack glanced up and saw that the actors had been replaced with the face of a very agitated reporter who was talking very fast. A map behind the reporter displayed an area in the Caribbean near Jamaica. Jack stood and moved closer to read the text crawling across the bottom of the screen.
“I don’t believe it,” Jack muttered to himself as he read the words flashing across the screen. The island where billionaire John Anderson had failed to successfully launch the world’s first commercial space platform had just been destroyed by what appeared to be a meteor storm. The firestorm destroyed the Space Development Corporation’s facility along with all employees. Billionaire John Anderson was reportedly among the dead.
We got Dad out just in time, Jack thought. He had a sudden thought, but it struck him as too wild to be possible. Was the firestorm an act of nature, or alien retribution?
Chapter 27
“THANK GOD FOR ARIZONA and its carry law,” Jack said as he eyed the group of heavily tattooed men carrying weapons. Ricky smiled at him and waved.
“My kind of state,” he said.
Jack had rented the grand ballroom of the largest hotel in Phoenix for the occasion. Hawk had been busy for several days making the arrangements. He had set up websites all over the world under several aliases so that they could not easily be shut down quickly. He also had arranged FTP sites in a number of countries. His handouts would include the website addresses.
“This makes Wiki Leaks look like a drop in the bucket,” Hawk said proudly.
Gerald and a number of his friends had been an active part of the plan. Professor Starling had lined up several key scientists who had flown in for the event. He had squirreled away his blockbuster secret guests in an adjacent room backstage.
Professor Starling and several of his scientist colleagues had cashed in all the favors various media personalities owed them. Jack looked around and saw signs on cameras that identified all three major networks as well as all the major cable networks. He smiled when he saw that chance had stationed MSNBC and FOX adjacent to each other. Then again, maybe that had been Hawk’s idea of a joke.
Hawk put an arm around Jack’s and pointed to a section of chairs that had been reserved for print media. He pointed to the New York Times science reporter as well as a famous science writer who had joined Yahoo News. The Los Angeles Times’ seat was between seats reserved for reporters from the Washington Post and USA Today.
Jack saw a figure motioning him over with a wave of her hand. “That’s Sally Thompson from the Associated Press,” Hawk whispered. They walked over to where she sat.
“You gentlemen promised something of ‘earthshaking significance.’ I hope you can deliver. I have a deadline in two hours.”
“You won’t be disappointed,” Hawk assured her. He led Jack back to the stage.
“It’s been like this all morning. There are a million things that might go wrong. What if the government sends goons to break up the press conference?”
“They’ll have to shoot their way past Ricky and his gang. I know they’re just itching for a chance to make the evening news. If worse comes to worse, I’ll shoot the Draconian weapon and make everyone fall flat on their face.”
“How come it didn’t make you sick? I’ve been wondering that ever since our trip to New Mexico.”
Jack smiled weakly. He had wondered that as well. He thought he might know the answer, but he didn’t really want to believe it. “I guess it’s just good conditioning.”
Jack saw his mother talking to someone who looked like another lawyer. Marjorie Starling had been her usual meticulous self once she had learned what would take place; she had assigned her law firm’s staff to work with the press as well as to serve as a barrier to government inquiries. NASA had become curious when it saw so many astrophysicists listed in the initial press release, but the Starling law firm had replied in very vague legalese and refused to be specific.
Professor Starling stood on the stage and looked at the audi
ence. He saw several men in dark suits who appeared to have wireless microphones and ear buds. His normally placid face flushed as he motioned Jack to his side.
“Do you see those clowns in their dark suits and ties talking into those ear pieces? They can’t hide who they are. I’ve been fighting those nameless, faceless government bureaucrats my entire life. I wouldn’t be surprised if one of their goon squads killed Frank Buchanan.”
“It’s time to start, Dad. Give them hell!” Jack said and handed him the microphone before walking off the stage. Professor Starling introduced himself and then began his presentation.
“This press conference is being streamed throughout the world and you will find in the press packs being passed out a list of websites located in several countries where you will be able to download support materials that provide undeniable proof of what we will present today.”
Professor Starling signaled and lights dimmed as his presentation appeared on a large screen behind him. The first slide showed a couple of NASA’s recent photos of the Moon.
“The slide on the left is the one currently present on NASA’s website; you’ll note the low resolution that makes it impossible to see concrete details. Of course NASA also has some high-resolution pictures that it failed to include on its website. The picture on the right is a photo of the exact same moon location, but this time it is the high-resolution version that has been provided to me without NASA’s knowledge or approval. You’ll note the vague shadows in the first picture now reveal the presence of definite structures as well as the outline of an enormous spaceship.”
The room broke into bedlam. Starling called on the CBS reporter.
“Professor Starling, what proof do we have that you haven’t used a photo editing program to create this image, especially if NASA denies that this second photo is legitimate?”
Jack had anticipated this question, and the team had prepared a strategy for every question they could imagine.
“I will provide you with statements from people who have worked with NASA that will authenticate this photo along with the statement and video recording of an astronaut.”