Greg mentally started to calculate the time it would take to make the trip. His biggest concern was whether the tug could fly slowly enough to keep the shuttle from getting airborne and falling into the water if it hit a big wave. Suddenly an idea hit him, and he started jumping up and down.
Greg hugged David. “You’re brilliant! You’ve solved the problem! We can use the shuttles again!” He hooted with joy and did a little happy dance laughing at the top of his lungs. Blondie, Monique and Angelina were nearby and heard Greg shouting. They came running.
Greg pointed at David. “The man is a genius!” The women looked at Greg as if he had lost his mind. David stood with his mouth open. “He has solved the puzzle! A barge! A giant barge! We put the shuttle on the barge! We pull it with the tug until the shuttle achieves airspeed and it lifts off!”
“I think building a runway is a better idea,” Blondie said.
“In the long run,” Greg answered. “Do you have a couple million cubic meters of concrete?”
“I guess not.”
“Why can’t we carry it to the frozen lake like we did mine?” Katherine asked.
“Because we need to set it down on its landing gear, and this ship doesn’t have any gear.”
Blondie looked pensive. “I think the top surface of the barge needs to be smooth so the ship doesn’t get damaged as it scrapes off.”
“Fair enough,” Greg said. “We need some kind of attachment and release mechanism so it doesn’t try to lift too early.”
“I think we can work this out,” David said.
Construction of the barge took over a month. Summer had given way to fall when they were ready to mount the shuttle on the barge. They experimented with the empty barge several times before deciding they were ready. The plan changed somewhat as it developed. The final plan called for the tug to get the shuttle and barge started, but before the shuttle reached airspeed to slack the line and let it drop. The tug would peel away to the right. By this point, the shuttle, capable of lifting that many full containers from a paved runway, should have enough lift to keep its nose up and drop the barge when it was ready to lift off without endangering the tug.
Before dawn, when the water was at its calmest, they pointed the assembly out to sea and started the motors. As Katherine had done almost a year before, Blondie tested each motor individually. She listened for vibration in the giant props. She rested her fingers on the airframe to check for any sign that something was not right. Brownie and Sam had been over every inch of the shuttle and pronounced it safe. They had tested the tug as well and pronounced it ready.
The day dawned bright and clear. There was a slight breeze off the water. They pointed their noses into the wind and headed out to sea. On a normal concrete runway, a fully loaded shuttle routinely took up to seven kilometers to reach airspeed sufficient to lift. Blondie took her time to build air speed and traveled almost twenty kilometers before she lifted off. Even then she held the barge for longer than they had planned. Given the way the barge tumbled when it hit the water, this was probably a good thing. Cheers and shouts rose from the shore as the big bird, grounded no more, took once again to the skies. Before the barge had settled into the water, David resolved to figure out how to attach a parachute to the barge so it dropped right side up. He also resolved to tackle the tougher problem of hydrofoils.
The buoy attached to the barge’s tow line bobbed to the surface, and Greg hooked it to the tug. The barge’s flotation bags inflated, and the barge slowly rose to the surface. Greg lifted the barge into the air as the water sluiced off its surfaces. He set it right side up on the lake in front of where the shuttle had sat for so long. They now could get loaded shuttles to and from the surface whenever they needed to. All that remained was finding the parts to repair the damaged undercarriage.
Helen took over Blondie’s tug duties and Blondie moved to the pirate cargo ship with Sam and Brownie. They had detached the damaged crew module from the 86 that Katherine had shot up and placed it inside the cargo ship’s hold. This allowed them to work in a pressurized, climate controlled environment and still have the benefits of working in weightlessness. Progress was moving slowly as David and Darrell had to machine parts they did not have. Manufacturing parts out of materials on hand salvaged from the cargo containers without the proper specifications was a tedious process, but they were making headway. The only part that seemed hopeless was the surface of the view-port itself.
Julie and Darrell took the challenge of developing a clear high impact polymer that they could mold to the shape of the damaged view-port. Creating a new substance under the conditions at hand seemed impossible, but they were excited about the prospect. Part of what made the task so difficult was the lack of petroleum distillates they would have had on Earth. They were forced to use oils and resins derived from plants they were currently growing. One of their favorite basic materials, corn oil, appeared in a large number of the processes they developed.
Helen took residence on Greg’s ship. She seemed more at ease there than on the planet’s surface. She convinced Greg to resume their daily exercise habit. No longer restricted by her fears, she routinely bested him in their duels. Monique and Angelina patrolled in the destroyer, but a couple of times a week they all gathered at Greg’s ship for dinner because he still had the best galley.
Every evening after dinner Greg settled into his command chair to work on a new simulation. One such evening Sam floated over to him. She watched over his shoulder for a few minutes and then asked, “Greg, have you had sex with Helen yet?”
“No,” he answered, “and if I had, why would it be any of your business?”
“Why not?” she asked, ignoring his question. “She wants you to.”
Greg turned to face her. She held up her hand to stop him from speaking, “You are the dumbest smart white man I ever met.”
Greg started to speak, but she stopped him again. “You are eat up with the dumbs. You gave her back her life. Twice. When she was down, you lifted her up. She has no other way to thank you.”
“Would you say this if we were the same sex? Why is this different?”
“Well, you ain’t. It is what it is.” Sam had an annoying habit of only answering those questions she wanted to answer. “You go down there, and you have sex with the lady like she wants. She don’t want to marry you. You’re too alike. She wants to have sex with you. I know you do that. Have sex with women I mean. So go do it or I ain’t feeding you no more.”
Greg sat stunned as she drifted away.
The next morning, Greg and Helen had their regular workout. Everyone else was away. After one particularly strenuous series of moves, Greg tripped and found himself on his back with Helen on top of him. With her face mere inches from his as they both tried to catch their breath, he reached up, pulled her face to his and kissed her.
She blinked and said, “Why did you do that?”
“An impulse.”
She gently brought her lips down to touch his and held there for a long time. They spent the better part of two hours there in the cargo bay, weightlessly, softly, gently and languidly. Celtic music frequently graced by lilting soprano soloists played sensuously in the background. That evening when the crew came together for dinner, Sam took one look at them and laughed. She was gracious enough to not share what she found so humorous with the others.
Myra’s courier missile showed up a few days later. She had arranged another pickup on Triton. The repairs on the 86 were at a critical point. Darrell and Julie had figured out how to fabricate a view-port out of a hard polymer material derived from corn oil and the resin of a native tree they had been experimenting with and were almost ready to test it. Putting the second 86 back into action was important enough to not want to delay it for a supply run. Since Helen could handle attaching the containers to the cargo ship while Greg flew the shuttle and the stevedores would do the load, it was decided that Helen and Greg should make this run by themselves. Only Sam saw anything unusual in t
he arrangement and she approved.
The run to Triton at two G was uneventful as far as the ship was concerned and quite delightful for the two humans on board. The load went smoothly, although the stevedores expressed their disappointment that the two ladies had not returned.
The cargo included more farm equipment, medical equipment and supplies, computers, welding gear and supplies and enough machinery to build a saw mill. There were fifty passengers. One of the cargo containers was a modified troop transport, which lacked class, but at least it had bunks for everyone. This trip promised to be much more comfortable than the first one.
Among the passengers was a giant of a man named Sebastian. He had been a forest ranger until he objected to a Swordsman owned lumber company clear cutting old growth forests. After two attempts on his life, he disappeared into the forest where he hid out until he could ambush his pursuers. He killed two and fled. An anti-Swordsman organization found him and whisked him away.
Sebastian was as quiet as he was big. The only time anyone heard him say anything was during Helen and Greg’s daily workouts. He watched with interest and cheered and applauded whoever made the best moves. About a week into the voyage, he asked Helen if she would work with him. She agreed willingly. They worked well together. She threw him to the mat at least a half dozen times each session. Each time he laughed as he sprang to his feet. At the end of each session, he hugged her as he had seen Greg do, and then discretely kissed her on the cheek.
Even Greg noticed Sebastian’s interest in Helen growing with each passing day. Much to his own surprise, rather than feel jealous, he felt relieved. Sebastian’s pursuit of Helen was a much discussed source of pleasure for the other passengers. There was a pool going as to when she would figure it out. Only Greg was aware of any potential conflict in Helen’s mind. As far as the passengers knew, Greg was Captain, and Helen was crew. They had agreed that proprieties should be observed. Only he and Helen knew differently.
One evening after dinner, Helen caught Greg alone at his console working on a simulation. “Greg, I have a problem.”
“Pregnant?” he quipped.
“Don’t joke about that! It’s not funny.”
“Alright, I won’t. What’s the problem?”
“Sebastian.”
“How so?”
“I think he likes me.”
“Likes you? He’s head over heels smitten, bonkers, crazy for you.”
“And you don’t mind?”
“Sometimes, but he’s better for you than I could ever be. If I had to pick who I would lose you to, I would pick him. He needs you in a way I will never need anyone. You need to be needed.”
“I don’t understand what he sees in me.”
Greg smiled. “You throw him to the mat, and you do it routinely. You are probably the first woman he has ever met who is not afraid of him. He probably thinks of most women like china dolls, beautiful but fragile. Delicate things terrify him. Look at the size of his hands. He probably breaks things picking them up. He doesn’t have to worry about hurting you. He would never do it on purpose, of course, but if he hurts you accidentally, you won’t break, you’ll probably kick his ass. He knows he can relax in your presence. He can be his rough and tumble self in your company. It’s wonderful.”
“You would let me go like that?”
“To him, yes. To most other men, no.”
“I love you, Greg.”
“And I love you too, but he needs you. He worships the decks you walk on. He will be a better husband for you than I could. Don’t look back. Go and be happy. Make lots of happy babies.”
“We will.”
Not long after they landed, Helen moved Sebastian’s and her houses together on the edge of a pristine mountain lake. They returned to the settlement long enough to get married and pack a half dozen horses to take them to their new home. Mark performed the ceremony. Greg gave away the bride. The six bridesmaids dressed in their finest flight suits made an unusual wedding party. Even Timmy was happy to see the horses he had trained placed in such good hands. The wedding was one of the happiest moments in the community’s short history.
HOMESTEAD - CHAPTER FIFTEEN
MARK STONEBRIDGE FINISHED HIS BOOK. Linda Danvers finished her documentary, and Greg finished his “Pirate Interdiction” simulator. There was discussion about the risks involved with publishing Mark’s book and provoking the Swordsmen, but the need for the revenue from the book’s sales outweighed the fear of retribution given the secrecy of their location. They loaded the works on to the data modules and put the data modules into unmarked Federation Postal Service boxes with delivery addresses, but no return. No sooner had they finished preparations than Myra sent another courier missile. Work on the 86 had ground to a halt for lack of parts. Sam and Brownie were chosen to accompany Greg on this trip.
When they arrived at Triton, they found the usual stevedores. They picked up another four dozen refugees who took their places in the troop transport. Brownie passed two steamer trunks with the data modules to the stevedores. The stevedores passed a note after the traditional line of hugs.
The note read, “Location too hot. Space Force P I. Do not return.”
Sam acknowledged after reading the note and blew the stevedores a kiss.
They quickly prepared for departure.
The Pirate Interdiction ship’s computerized hail on an open frequency caught them by surprise. It was as if they had jumped off a building and slammed face down into the ground.
“Command mode!” Greg shouted, “Identify unknown craft.” The flight deck displays showed the ship and its identification codes.
“Oh, shit,” Greg said softly, “We’re busted.” His face lost its color. He started to tremble. Tears appeared in his eyes for a moment. Now that he had his freedom, he was about to lose it, but not in the way he would have predicted.
“How much trouble are we in?” Brownie asked.
“Is there anything we can do?” Sam asked at the same time.
Greg sighed. “It depends on who is on that ship. There is nothing we can do. Stand down and prepare to be boarded. That’s Avi’s ship. I assume she’s still on it. We can’t out run it. It is extremely well armed. Even without her, it’s clever enough to defeat our defenses. I helped program it. With her, we’re sitting ducks. Computer, would you concur?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Please initiate docking procedures.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Brownie, please go to the airlock to greet our guest.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Sam, we should tidy up a bit.”
They put away the few dishes remaining from their most recent meal and closed the doors to their sleeping quarters.
A few minutes later Brownie escorted a tall shapely woman with long dark flowing hair to the flight deck. This woman was the first spacer Sam or Brownie had ever seen with long hair. Spacers wore their hair short. On most women a flight suit obscured their figure. On this woman, the impeccably tailored flight suit with all its hoses and attachments only served to accentuate the perfect hourglass shape.
“Gregory!” she exclaimed. “What a delightful surprise! It’s been a long time.” She used a tone that meant it was not a surprise or not delightful. Sam and Brownie instantly disliked the woman.
Greg moved to greet her. “Captain Avelina Bardwell please allow me to introduce my crew, Specialist 5, Nancy Regenstein formerly of the Federation Space Force and Specialist 4, Samantha King also formerly of the Federation Space Force. Brownie, would you please get our documents for the Captain’s inspection?”
“Brownie?” Captain Bardwell said reaching out to touch her arm gently, “That won’t be necessary.” She looked at the women and nodded. “I guess you ladies must be two of the missing shuttle pilots.” She shook her head slowly. “Oh, My! Gregory, dear, you have been exceedingly naughty.” Her tone, while seemingly light and convivial, had an edge of haughtiness to it the other women did not like or understand. “
Give me a kiss for old time’s sake.” She pointed to her cheek.
He leaned over to kiss her and she slapped him hard across the face. Unlike the incident with Blondie, he made no attempt to fend off the blow and took the hit solidly without flinching. The sound of the slap was so loud Brownie and Sam winced in shared pain. “Delores sends her regards.”
“How is Delores?”
“She is well, no thanks to you and your buddy, Andersen.”
“That was not my doing.”
“But you could have prevented it.”
“I don’t think so.”
Brownie and Sam stood with their mouths open in amazement.
“I was glad to hear you divorced that shikse bitch you married. I tried to tell you she wanted your money, and when she found out you didn’t have any, she’d dump you. That’s what you get.”
“She didn’t dump me. I dumped her. She cheated on me. All right Avi, now that you found me, what do you want?” Greg’s patience was wearing thin. Fear tinged the background of his thoughts. He needed to assert himself quickly with Avi or he would be in deeper trouble than he was already. As difficult a concept as that would be to explain, it would be hard to believe that Avi could make more trouble for him than the obvious, but then few people knew her as well as he did.
“You, my dear. All I want is you. Why don’t you show me around the ship?” Greg shuddered. One of his worst fears had been realized. Sam and Brownie observed his reaction in amazement.
Captain Bardwell slid her hand between his elbow and his side, ran her fingers down the inside of his forearm and intertwined her fingers with his. The color had not returned to Greg’s face. Sam and Brownie correctly interpreted Avi’s move as control and not intimacy. They understood that more was going on here than was obvious. Whatever it was, they did not like it. Greg and Avi left the flight deck together as if they were attending a formal occasion wearing fancy clothes instead of touring a space going freighter in flight suits. The sway of her ample hips and the fluid motion of her rich full hair spoke volumes to the two stunned women left behind on the flight deck. This was a voluptuous woman who reveled in the power she had over men. What was more important was the power she had over this man. Sam and Brownie looked at their less ample endowments and were instantly jealous.
Solomon Family Warriors II Page 14