by T I WADE
“We have stocks of all you need apart fromcobalt and tungsten,” replied Captain Pete. “Those should still be easy to procure down here on Earth.”
“Thanks, Pete. The carbon graphite layer is also double thickness relative to your craft, and these extra thicknesses are necessary for the larger mass of area inside this spacecraft, including a thicker two-inch honeycombed, carbon nanotube structure. Before I bore you guys—I know I’m talking to the pilots and not the designers and builders—let me say that these plans came to us from Ryan. He actually designed this ship before he had to tighten his specifications down to mate the shuttle to the cargo area of the C-5. This was your father’s first plan for your three shuttles, Lunar. He gave them to me before he left Nevada, in case he never returned. At that time he didn’t expect to return. Let’s go inside. It has a walk-in entrance door underneath the cockpit, not the small cockpit side hatch you guys squeeze in and out of.”
Martin pressed a button on a hand control unit, and a door opened on the side below the high cockpit windows, lowering vertically from the top like the Gulfstream’s, becoming a staircase as it touched the ground. “An idea we copied from Ryan’s Gulfstream,” added Martin.
“That’s right. I forgot my father also has an old atmospheric Gulfstream jet,” stated Lunar.
“Well, it has changed a bit for the better, young lady. I arrived for the wedding in your father’s old jet.” That shocked all the astronauts.
Martin climbed in up the short flight of stairs through a small sleep compartment and rest area into the cockpit. The cockpit looked identical to the smaller shuttles’ but it was wider, the roof a few inches higher, and it had a tiny one-room captain’s cabin behind the cockpit wall with a door and space for beds. There were also three jumpseats on the rear wall of the cockpit instead of two.
“Room aboard for at least ten crew for long flights. These controls are basic compared to yours,” continued Martin. “Ryan didn’t give me his latest secrets in that department. These controls can fly the shuttle in atmospheric conditions only, but you guys are the expert pilots, and I’m sure Ryan has extra control gear stashed away somewhere. Her fuel type is identical to yours, either liquid or gas hydrogen, xenon for her two ion drives which we haven’t tested, helium and a spare tank for whatever secret fuel you guys have. I’m sure she might even run on ethanol, banana skins or whiskey,” he joked. “We estimate her cargo hold to carry double your mass at full vertical thrust, but with a limit of six tons into orbit from Earth. We have not flown her into space. We can’t, as we don’t have the knowhow or powerful enough thrusters to get her higher than a straight flight level of 60,000 feet. Nor vertical launch capabilities higher than 150,000 feet. She needs far more powerful thrusters than she has at the moment, and I know Ryan has a more modern thruster. He built them on your shuttles before he left Nevada.”
“Can she fly?” asked Mars excitedly.
“Fly, yes. Travel planet distances, no,” replied Martin. “We have everything she needs for low atmospheric flight up to 60,000 feet. Her outer body is ready for space travel, but she needs hundreds of modifications only Ryan’s build crew can give her. Mars, she flew secretly from here to your father’s airfield in the Sahara and back twice last year, no further. She could fly around the planet at about Mach 2. Her wings are fixed, not retractable, and three times larger than your smaller shuttles’ wings, as she doesn’t have to fit them inside an aircraft’s cargo bay. Due to her larger wing size, she is as much an atmospheric flying supersonic rocket as she is a space traveler. Let us continue the tour.” The astronauts mentally judged that she could still fit inside a blue shield on Mars.
They walked through the rear cockpit door to an empty space Martin said was designed for a docking port he didn’t have. As with the smaller shuttles, its purpose was to open and extend outside the top of the craft for docking. Captain Pete thought that he had seen two docking ports in the stores in Nevada, but said nothing. “The tail of the aircraft is semi-retractable for space travel, as it is higher than the maximum extension of the docking port.”
The cargo bay looked like the smaller shuttles, except larger and higher. Martin opened the roof doors, as well as side doors on one side of the shuttle.
“The roof doors and internal davit can rise out of the hold on hydraulics, extend 30 feet, and load and unload the ship’s cargo on Earth and up in space. It has a one-ton lift limit on Earth, fully extended. Each of the new panels for America Two fit in here and weigh one ton apiece. As Ryan’s team built into your smaller mining craft, these side doors allow for cargo movement from the side of the spacecraft.”
The cargo bay, Mars and Captain Pete noticed, was longer and could fit in larger pieces of machinery. Martin’s ship also had crew quarters in the rear with space for six vertical beds, or three horizontal beds. This area already had space “heads,” a small kitchen, and ample storage space for long distance travel, the astronauts noticed.
“The only design change, astronauts, is that the fuel compartments are below the cargo bay and fill the entire floor underneath us, up to the rear wall of the cockpit,” Martin continued. “The fuel tanks hold 240 percent of the fuel you carry in your shuttles. If Ryan could get his boys together, you could have her completing her maiden flight into orbit within a year or so. She has taken me ten years to build, and I’m dying to go up with whoever is her test pilot to orbit space a few times. Lunar, here are the controls to your new shuttle. Once she is out of here, we will start on a second body build.”
With the tour ended, he gave the shuttle’s door controller to Lunar and bowed jokingly. Lunar didn’t know how to respond, but hugged Martin silently.
“Can we move her somewhere else?” Mars asked, excited to fly her. So was Saturn, and she immediately headed forward into the cockpit. The left seat needed her butt imprint in it. It was her new ride.
“Mars, you guys own her now. My debts to Ryan are complete. I would just like to be helped with all your modifications when my ship becomes ready for flight. Captain Pete, are you ready to see the blueprints for America Two and America Three?” This time it was the captain’s turn to looked shocked. “Come on, Pete, do you think Ryan and I are friends for nothing? He left all his plans for me, even his design for the real ship he wanted to build but which was too big a project for his first mother ship.”
“Tell me, it’s the wagon wheel design?” asked Captain Pete.
“Yes, it’s the 360-degree design and we already have twenty of the 240 outer panels that will one day fit inside this shuttle’s cargo hold. Yes, Pete, the new ships will be built in space, not here on Earth. The gravity wouldn’t allow for a build down here. We are completing the outer panels at four per month, and will increase to eight if the finances and resources allow. Tell Ryan he already owes me close to $150 million, old U.S. value for America Two—the shuttle is my gift to him—and I’ll take it in rare earth metals, gold, diamonds, or even the flight secrets he keeps hidden from me. Actually, Pete, give me the specifications for those blue shields and I’ll pay for the entire body build of both mother ships.”
Pete smiled. “I’ll ask Ryan when I see him next.”
As unexpected as the last stop in Nevada, this visit was also extended for another 48 hours. Under Martin’s persuasion, the blue shields were closed, and SB-III was pulled by the same type robot as on the island into the hangar where the still really massive, pretty and very white-looking “Dead Chicken” now resided. There was even room for Mars to hover in the Matt ship. Mars laughed when he saw the large brown letters “Dead Chicken Freight” along both sides of the old aircraft and the abbreviation “DCF” on each side of the massive tail.
“Looks like my dad’s humor and artwork,” Saturn joked as she stood by her husband.
“We don’t have anybody here on Earth old or young enough to fly her,” said Captain Pete. “I was never certified to fly anything the size of her.”
“I’m sure Beth or Monica or all of them could ferry her
back to the island,” stated Lunar.
“Well said,” replied Captain Pete. “We need a few more hangars there anyway. There’s tons of room, so we might as well order them.”
Mars, as soon as he realized what was needed, got Hillary Pitt on the radio. Shelley Saunders was asleep and her co-pilot was in orbit above them on her shift. He and then Lunar gave orders that released her from her current patrol altitude to move upwards towards the supply pods all latched together on a similar orbit, but higher. He asked her to hook up to the docking port of Captain Pete’s old ship “The Office,” as that was where the extra blue shield had been stored once the mining craft were all down on Earth safely. They didn’t want the extra shield lying around on the planet.
This, she worked out, would take at least twelve hours to accomplish and then SB-I was to re-enter to deliver the shield to the airfield and launch back up again.
The next morning he got Beth on the radio, patched through from SB-II above the Indian Ocean, and asked her if they were still confident to fly the Dead Chicken from Tel Aviv back to the island. He told her it was a sight to see. Bob’s old girlfriend was now a bright white color.
“Bob’s eyesight is not as good as it used to be,” said Beth, “but being several years younger, both Monica and I have perfect vision and could still fly her with Bob in the engineer’s seat. Bob would love a flight in his old darling,” she laughed.
On finding out that their fishing boat was already on its way back to the island, and only a couple of hours out, Mars suggested that they fill Jonesy’s Gulfstream’s tanks and fly over to Tel Aviv. It was within the aircraft’s range. With three very competent pilots, they could fly and rest at the same time. Saturn could fly the Jones family vehicle back with Johnny Walls as a co-pilot under instruction, which pleased Johnny no end. Mars also asked Beth to bring Penelope Pitt, who was on a break from orbiting, and the Burgos sisters with them; he needed more astronauts.
A few hours later, with its blue shield glowing, SB-I could be seen high above the airfield.
“Running out of support up there,” stated Martin, watching with Pete and Mars outside on the hot apron.
“I don’t think so,” responded Mars, trying to look relaxed, which he certainly wasn’t. “That Matt craft in the hangar. It has all the firepower we need, and there are six more of them up there,” he lied, winking at Captain Pete. They never knew when friend Martin was just making a comment or gathering vital information. Ryan and VIN had taught Mars well—always leave the enemy on the wrong foot.
Saturn and Lunar had taken off ten minutes earlier in SB-III and were at 30,000 feet. This time a faint shadow could be seen by the radars in the area, as they had their shield semi-retracted and the laser ready for action. Martin smiled at Ryan’s professional crew. “The Israeli defense system is nearly as good as you guys. You never leave a hole in your movements. Well done, Mars. I’m going to put in a recommendation to your father when I see him.”
Nobody had told him what was about to happen, but when he saw Astermine’s security arrangements, he knew something important was about to be delivered.
This time, as the shield disappeared around SB-I and the side hatch opened, Dr. Walls and Johnny ran up with a large box of fresh fruit, a sealed thermos of hot coffee, sandwiches, a whole slab of baklava—something the young space astronauts flying the shuttle had never tasted—and several other items of fresh food. A black box, which looked like a briefcase of some sort, Martin guessed, was handed to Johnny who immediately headed for the hangar the other aircraft were in. He used the door opener, and as the second shuttle took off he disappeared inside. Still, nobody would tell him what was so important. He would learn soon enough, as Jonesy’s Gulfstream jet was heading over the Indian Ocean in their direction.
Seven hours after SB-I had disappeared into the blue sky, the Gulfstream came in to land. The sun was setting as the aircraft was refueled and then added to the complement inside the Dead Chicken hangar, now filling up with aircraft.
The next morning Martin’s private airfield came alive as the hangars were emptied of all the aircraft leaving. Bob Mathews had already set up a refueling point over the Indian Ocean for the C-5. The Australian air tankers were ready to get airborne in Darwin, and he had laughed out loud at seeing his old girlfriend’s new livery.
The smaller craft were pulled and hovered out first. Mars had no choice but to fly the Matt craft. Saturn had no choice but to fly her father’s aircraft back home and wasn’t happy that Lunar got the left seat in the new shuttle.
The C-5, looking more civilian than a military aircraft, headed out first with Beth and Monica flying and Bob Mathews being chauffeured in one of the rear engineer seats. He had sadly accepted that his flying days were over.
Saturn and Johnny Walls headed out 30 minutes later and would catch up and fly with the larger aircraft, but at a much higher altitude.
In the meantime, the new SB-IV went through a complete and careful ground inspection with the remainder of the astronauts present. Once the checkup was complete, Lunar and Jane Burgos entered the larger shuttle as the heat of the day mounted. Penelope Pitt and Jenny Burgos readied SB-III for launch, and Mars was back in the Matt craft with Captain Pete.
Martin watched from the control tower and was surprised when the astronauts said their goodbyes. He was completely shocked when he saw the same blue shield begin to extend from the very ship his team had just built, and then knew what had been in the black box or briefcase.
The shield enveloped the entire craft, as did the shields on the other two craft.
Mars Noble launched vertical first, ascended, and disappeared into the cumulus clouds at 8,000 feet. The smaller shuttle was next, and Martin crossed his fingers when Lunar began to increase thrust. Although the flight tower’s window was open, he could not hear any noise from the engines. Most of his personnel had worn ear protection when the two maiden flights had occurred.
“Lunar Richmond to Ground, thrust at 75 percent and heading vertical.”
“Only seventy-five percent thrust. It took us 95 percent to lift off!” exclaimed Martin Brusk as he watched his latest model Tesla slowly leave the apron. The blue shield enveloped it totally and within seconds it had disappeared into the cloud base. “Also, we have zero radar transmissions of you up there. Lunar, Mars, you didn’t tell me where you are going, over.”
“Oh! Martin, she is flying like a dream. I feel I’m flying a mother ship, this cockpit is so large. We are heading out of your airfield, and we will be in touch. Martin, thank you for everything.” And that was the last he heard from them for nearly a year.
Chapter 9
New Ships in Nevada and The Pig’s Snout
The three craft moved up to high altitude. Lunar, with the help of the shield, reached 90,000 feet, the highest the craft had ever flown. Pushing the wing thrusters from vertical to forward thrust, she steered the ship in a north-west direction at a slow 1,200 knots, first over southern Europe, then the cold Atlantic and towards Iceland.
“How is she flying?” Mars asked, once out to sea over the north Atlantic two hours after they had taken off. There was no intercom in the new craft, and this was the only radio communication they would make. The pilots knew the designated direction, height and heading each was expected to take, but not what Lunar’s ship could actually achieve. Mars didn’t want any radio communications that Martin or Israel could pick up, and a short transmission over the Atlantic would keep everyone guessing. They could be heading to Canada or over the North Pole down to Australia.
“Flight Level 90 (90,000 feet), speed twelve hundred and forty knots, ETA two hours 20 minutes, out,” responded Lunar curtly.
From that the others could figure out where she was. Mars was 60,000 feet higher than the new shuttle and 1,000 miles ahead. Penelope was 50,000 feet higher than Mars, and 500 miles ahead of him. They throttled back slightly to keep in touch with the slower ship.
Mars descended into Nevada two hours before the su
n was to set. Since nobody new was expected around the old base, and they were flying with the sun, he had no choice but to land in daylight.
Totally silent, on a cool winter afternoon, there wasn’t anybody to meet him. As he descended to the apron in front of the hangar, he noticed a dozen or more large trucks and several old cars parked between the two gates. They had only been away 72 hours and the parking areas were filling up.
Penelope landed several minutes later, and her blue shield disappeared as Mars ejected himself. As she exited, Sergeant Meyers and one of his armed guards headed over to Mars to greet him.
“Didn’t see you come down, young Mars, but saw the second landing. Who is that young girl? She isn’t Saturn?”
“Penelope Pitt, Michael and Penny’s firstborn,” replied Mars. “Sergeant, we need the old C-5’s hangar doors opened, and the tow vehicle. We have a new shuttle heading in.”
They waited. It took an hour before the blue shield could be seen, a pinprick in the sky at high altitude. Slowly Lunar brought the new shuttle in and placed her right outside the large hangar, now open and ready.
“That’s a big beauty,” remarked Sergeant Meyers, driving the old tow truck himself, ready to tow the new shuttle in. He towed the larger shuttle into the hangar before Lunar exited, and then proceeded to tow in SB-III once Mars had hovered in the smaller Matt craft.
The new shuttle was big, about the size of an old Boeing triple seven, Sergeant Meyers told the astronauts. They looked at him weirdly. The astronauts didn’t know the aircraft he was describing, and he shrugged his shoulders remembering that some of these kids hadn’t even been born on Earth.
Once the astronauts were ready, and the hangar doors closed, they went with the sergeant to be introduced to the arriving crew.
Lunar noticed that all of Ryan’s original build crew who had arrived seemed in their late sixties and seventies. A few were even in their eighties, and many had brought younger family members with them. There were 48 of the old crew, another 60 were on their way, and 20 new members, experts in their fields and the NextGens of the scientists and designers. That didn’t include the four Russians, who told Mars that through the new satellite radio hookup there were a dozen more scientists wanting to be picked up with the remaining thrusters back in Magadan, Russia.