“Very good news, General. We have located a Moon site that we believe will be excellent for our first base. Since we do not see the need to hide as the Chinese do, we believe that the Tycho Crater will work well. It has a constant unobstructed view of Earth, offers dozens of sites for our habitats, and is thought to be rich in lava tubes and caves. In addition, it is well south of the Chinese in Vallis Alpes,” reported the major.
“I can see the Earth observation value there, Mikhael. If the Chinese were not so secretive, I am guessing that is a site they would choose. What else do you have?”
“We have secured habitats like those the Chinese have, and the Pitchka can carry two at a time and deliver them by opening the cargo bay and inverting to let them fall free. No need to land, and we can quickly have as many as we need on-site,” said Mikhael with a smile.
“Very good, Major. Anything more?”
“Yes, General. Our intelligence sources have obtained the designs for the Passaro II, which we also think is the same as the Chang’e 5 and 6. The United Rocket and Space Corporation has been given top priority to produce at least five ships this year and another Pitchka-class ship by the following year.”
“That is very good, Mikhael. Let us hope our leaders in Moscow can actually do what they claim,” said the dubious general. “What are the possibilities that we can get a craft from Brazil?”
“We have looked into that, General. It seems that all their production is spoken for in the next year by India and France.”
“Interesting. In the meantime, talk with our intelligence people. Have them investigate the possibility of redirecting one of those early ships to Mother Russia. I am told that we have good friends in India.” Anikin sat back with eyes half-closed in introspective thought. “Especially when the price is right.”
“Right away, General.”
Back in the Site R Ops Center, Harry, Van, Stan, and Danny stood by as Harry made a connection with Dick and Brice.
“Dick, is Brice there with you…. and nobody else?” asked Van.
“Just us two, Van. The doors are locked and Barbara is off today.”
“Good. All four of us are here, so I guess we can get started. Let me begin by saying that this Chinese and Russian thing is becoming alarming to many on Earth. Earlier I hinted that such an escalation might be a good thing. My thoughts were that a scare might push Earth’s powers into thinking a united approach to space would be a good thing. However, we need to be in a control position as escalation rises and be able to control the outcome. And we aren’t yet.”
“What do you mean, Van?” asked Dick.
“I mean that our greatest capabilities to be used for control of this race are on the Moon, and we don’t have enough people to use them all yet. Harry and I and even Stan and Danny just aren’t enough.”
“Are you talking about the Aurora?”
“Yes, and the combat shuttles as well.”
“Don’t disagree with you there. The real questions are, where do the people come from and how many do we need?” said Dick.
“Bingo, Dick! Harry tells me that at a minimum it takes two just to man the bridge of the Aurora, but I think three to four would improve optimization. And that’s with only one watch section. We need a minimum of two watch sections. Then there are other positions that I think we need. For example, even though we have one or more medical chambers aboard, we still need at least one doctor and perhaps an attendant or two. We will also need a few engineering types, weapons officers, and galley attendants. Some of those positions like galley and medical attendants, as well as maintenance positions, can be filled by robotic crew. But we need many more humans than we have.
“I have a line on a couple of engineers, but I would like to bring on two more pilots, at least one of which we can train in astrogation. At a minimum I want two weapons/tactical officers and one doctor with aerospace experience. I haven’t even mentioned security needs, which I hope Brice can help us with. Stan and Danny have an idea for the two pilots. You or Brice have any ideas?”
“Regarding security,” said Brice, “and without letting anybody know any specifics, my whole team has volunteered for extended duty anyplace, anytime. In addition, I think that Ross and Jimmy could handle the weapons position, assuming they get chair training. Doctors, I’m not familiar with.”
“Nor am I,” said Dick.
“I might know one,” Danny said to everyone’s surprise. “What, you think I don’t know any smart people?” he asked with a slightly hurt look.
“Of course not, Danny. Who do you have in mind?” asked Van.
“My sister,” he responded, grinning like a cat that ate the canary.
After a short period of silence, Van said, “Your sister is a medical doctor with aerospace experience?”
“Yeah. She was a flight surgeon in the Air Force and left as a major. She’s working at what used to be the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio as a civilian doctor.”
“How come you never mentioned this before?” asked Van.
“Nobody asked.”
“Do you think she would be interested?” asked Brice.
“Knowing her, you couldn’t keep her away with a stick. She applied for the astronaut program but had to back out when the Air Force wouldn’t let her go. Want me to get hold of her?”
“Absolutely. But just set up an appointment and we can fly down and chat with her. You can tell her it’s a potential job offer of a lifetime,” said Van excitedly.
“I’ll do it today!” said Danny, matching Van’s tone.
Through Stellar Projects, Van rented a small conference room near the medical center in San Antonio. He and Danny waited for his sister to arrive.
“Tell me more about this doctor sister of yours, Danny.”
“Not much to tell that I haven’t already. We grew up on our parents’ ranch where she was a great horse enthusiast and rider. She is older than me and left for premed at Baylor in Waco. Smart woman. Had a scholarship and everything. She worked hard and got another scholarship to med school at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Following that she went to flight surgeon school. The rest you know.”
“Are you always such a minimalist?” asked an amused Van. But before Danny could say anything, the conference room door opened and one of the most gorgeous women Van could recall ever seeing entered the room.
At five foot nine, Rosantina Ramos was tall, especially in her heels. Her hair was jet black and rolled up in a bun for work. She had the same milky light brown skin as Danny, without any of the wrinkles pilots earn when exposed to constant sun while in flight. Her teeth were a brilliant white and exposed by a wide, gracious smile.
“Rose! Good to see you,” said Danny as they briefly hugged. “This is my friend I told you about, Van Childs.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Childs,” Rose said, nodding her head in Van’s direction.
“The pleasure is all mine, but please call me Van…. and take a seat.” He fumbled awkwardly to pull her seat out, momentarily distracted by such a striking woman. “Water, coffee, or anything?”
Rose took a nearby seat and put her purse on the table in front of her. “No, nothing at the moment. I may get some water later, depending on how long we meet. Please call me Rose.”
Van collected himself, hoping his fumbling had gone unnoticed. “OK, Rose. Danny has told me a lot about you, and based on what I’m hearing, he’s also told you something about me and Stellar Projects. Correct?”
“Yes. I also looked up Stellar Projects on the Internet and didn’t realize that you were the one who introduced the tricorder and the nanite process. Very impressive,” said Rose with a look of admiration. Or was it more?
“Yes, those were good and needed products, but they come from much research by people much smarter than I am.” Van’s introverted nature and time spent alone caused him to be awkward around strange women, especially beautiful ones. His bad experiences with women also made him conservative.
&nbs
p; “In my experience, people in your position are either blowhards or self-deprecating. You seem to be the latter,” said Rose, eyeing Van with a look that told him she missed nothing—including his bumbling.
With his face turning a bit red, he continued, “I know a doctor’s schedule is a hectic one, and I appreciate your making time for us. So let me get to the point. We are looking for an experienced medical doctor with aerospace experience. That you seem to have in spades. I also know that you applied for the astronaut program and were prevented from achieving your goal. What I need to know now is, are you still interested in space?”
“You are kidding, aren’t you?” She looked first at Danny and then back at Van as if in disbelief of the question.
“No, I’m not. My organization has already taken a number of steps into space flight, and we need to expand our team, which includes the need for a doctor like yourself. From what Danny has told me, and from what I could discover on my own, you make an excellent candidate. Interested?”
After a moment of what appeared to be shock, Rose said, “After being denied the astronaut career path, I thought I would never get another chance. If you’re serious, I’m very interested.”
“Good. Danny said you would be. I need to warn you, however, that if you join us, there will be long periods away from home, endless work, and a great deal of secrecy. We will, in fact, require you to take a binding oath of secrecy. Does that bother you?”
“In principle, no. But I’m guessing that you’re not going to require me to say yes without more information. True?”
“True. We’re gathering people we think have the right stuff, so to speak. We are offering them, and you, the opportunity to fly to an undisclosed Stellar facility in an experimental aircraft for a detailed briefing. At that point you can either accept or say no. You in?”
“Under those conditions, yes. When will that be?”
“My partner, Harry, will be contacting you to coordinate the time. Until then, you guys want to have lunch?”
“Lunch would be great,” said Rose with a look of curiosity about this man who was making such a bold offer.
CHAPTER 22
Later in Brazil, Marco Acosta met José on the manufacturing floor. “José, are you aware that the number two spacecraft we built for the Indians was diverted to Russia?”
“You’re kidding, right?” said José, amazed.
“No, I’m not kidding. It seems that the Russians made India a rather extravagant offer for the spacecraft, and India is saying that would allow them an additional spacecraft in the long term.”
“The Russians paid twice our sales amount?”
“So it would seem, José. It makes me wonder if our pricing is way off.”
That same day, the Chang’e 6 took off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and proceeded to Vallis Alpes on the Moon.
“How many people are we dropping off at the site?” asked Lo.
“Six. The Chang’e 5 will follow with six more later today to start setting up the site,” responded Chau.
“Do you like the name the committee has chosen for this site—Fan Lau?”
“It is an ancient name for a fort built near Hong Kong in 1729. It was an important and strategic fort in its day—as it will be again. I think it is fitting,” said Chau as he made his approach to the site now named Fan Lau.
A week almost to the day after Van met with Rose, the new group of prospective astronauts gathered in the Ops Center at Site R. While they were impressed with the B1 that gave them the ride, they were not yet allowed to see more of Site R. Not until they learned what Van had to say and agreed to participate.
In addition to Van, Brice, Dick, Stan, and Danny were two new pilots, Paul Wright and Janet, who usually went by Jan, St. Clair; two engineers, Bob Cooper and Elaine Parker; and the two weapons officers, Ross Taylor and Jimmy Fletcher. Added security at this point were Bobby Calhoun and Johnny Weller. And of course, sitting close to the front next to Danny, was Rose, who was catching all the attention of the men in the room.
“Thank you all for making yourselves available for today’s session and the chance to offer you all an incredible opportunity. For those of you who don’t know, my name is Van Childs. As you were told during your flight here in the B1, after our briefing you will be offered the chance to say you are in or out. If you decide this is not for you, we will ask you to follow Harry to another room where your memory of this session and what we say will be erased. Yes, we can do that, and before you ask, it won’t hurt.
“Some of you here will remember that I once said my goals did not include chasing down terrorists and fighting ISIS. I also said that I would explain in time, and that time is here.
“For shock value, let me say that this facility you are sitting in was not built by anybody here on Earth. Not today’s Earth, anyway.”
As he’d anticipated, shocked expressions spread around the room. People could be seen and heard exchanging rapid comments and gestures as they shared their mutual surprise.
“Quiet please. I know, it’s hard to believe, but it’s true. It was built about two hundred years ago and waited for a particular kind of human to discover and open it. I was that human. Later you will learn why.”
Van could see that Rose sat up straighter and stared directly at him. Surprise? Curiosity? Interest? Van couldn’t tell. He hoped it was interest. Then he continued.
“Over two hundred of our years ago, a human race known as the Galactic Host were defeated by an opposing group called the Arkon. This facility was established by the fleeing Host to supply and repair any combat forces of the Host that might have survived the last battle. None apparently did. Now, this and other facilities are dedicated to providing technology and guidance for humans to combat the Arkon when they inevitably come here as conquerors or destroyers. Here is the full story, a message from Admiral Amal Spector of the Host and a summary of where we are today and why we need you….”
Two hours later the room enclosed a silent mass of people still trying to personally digest what they had just heard and seen. There really were people or beings out there other than what they knew about. Aliens existed? It was almost too much to take in, yet they were sitting in a room full of alien technology. It was true. But the Host admiral, Spector, looked human enough, with a slightly larger-than-normal head, and was, if not friendly, at least nonhostile. Despite the threat of the Arkon, they were not alone, and they had a chance to grow and survive. A sense of pride that they had been chosen to be the spearhead of such a great and important new adventure began to fill those assembled. They realized they had been chosen to make a difference to the Earth and humanity.
“OK, that’s the story and reason you’re here. You can also understand why this must be a secret unlike any you have ever held. Can I see by a show of hands who would like to join us?”
The first hands up were from Brice’s team. Then the two pilots and then the engineers.
“Is there a problem, Rose?” asked a concerned Van.
“What? Oh, no. I was caught thinking of how fantastic this all is. Of course I’m in!” Rose said to everyone’s relief.
“Excellent. Harry and Brice will give you a quick tour of the site, and then if you would like, we can adjourn to the Moon on the Enterprise, which is currently on Level 3 below us.” Van smiled at the excitement he saw in everyone’s eyes.
While Harry and Brice escorted the new recruits out of the Ops Center, Dick approached Van and said, “This is all good, Van, but Barbara is still not part of the fold. What do you intend to do?”
“When we are done with this group, I intend to have a talk with Barbara, probably here. But I didn’t want her here at the same time as the others. She can be emotional where I am concerned.”
“Amen to that,” said Dick. “And good luck!”
A week later, and after Harry had set training schedules in place for the recruits on the Moon, Van arranged to pick up Barbara in the B1 and fly her to Site R. On the way, they ta
lked.
“So what’s this all about, Van? It seems mysterious,” said a serious Barbara with a furrowed brow.
“Well, I am about to tell you some things and then show them to you when we arrive at our destination. This all goes way beyond the security clearances that even you held or hold.”
“It seems unlikely that you would have a higher clearance than I do, so don’t be offended if I’m skeptical.”
“I’m not offended. It’s just that what we are going to talk about isn’t even in the minds of the intelligence community or even the good old U S of A government. You see, all the technology that Stellar has released and that the Carson Group has used is not mine or even Stellar’s creation. It is all alien technology.”
“OK, that’s a good joke. Now tell me the truth,” said Barbara, annoyed.
“That is the truth and here are the details….”
By the time the B1 landed in Level 1, Barbara was speechless. She was not, however, without an extraordinarily hostile look on her red face.
“You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“As a heart attack,” responded Van.
“So let me get this straight. You’ve been distributing alien technology under the Stellar name or anonymously since we met again. You let the world think, and especially me, that you were some supersmart and even incredibly rich but eccentric guy living in a cabin like a hermit when, in fact, you are the same old impoverished Van. You lied to me!” Barbara yelled, standing to her full five foot seven.
“I never lied. You and many others made assumptions,” said Van defensively.
“That’s BS and you know it. Does Dick know? And Brice?”
“Yes.”
“And the rest of the team?”
“Most of them,” said Van sheepishly.
Immortal Guardian: Hoast Saga Book 2 (Host Saga) Page 16