by Bob Blanton
“Okay, that was the practice line,” Samantha said. “Now, as you enter the hangar, you’ll be going through another line where you will politely greet the person, shake their hand, and then move on. Catie, you four come in two minutes after the rest of us get inside.”
“We’re not exactly dressed for a party,” Catie said as she pointed to her shipsuit.
“You’re all perfect,” Samantha said. She led Marc into the hangar, followed by the rest of the welcoming committee.
“This seems weird,” Catie said to Jason.
“Hey, as long as there’s food in there, Sam can do whatever she wants,” Jason replied.
“Hey, I think it’s ladies first,” Lieutenant Owens said. “Catie, Mariam, me, then you. Do you think you can hold off rushing the buffet table, Flyboy?”
“Just don’t move too slow, or I might run over you,” Jason said.
“It’s been two minutes, let’s go,” Catie said. She moved to enter the hangar, but the security guy held her up. After a few seconds of communication via his Comm, he nodded for her to go on in.
“Her Royal Highness and Hero of the Realm, Princess Catherine!” came booming over the sound system as Catie entered the hangar.
Marc was the first person in the line, followed by Samantha. Marc gave Catie a quick kiss on the cheek before handing her off to Samantha. Samantha air-kissed Catie on both cheeks, then turned and introduced her to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
“Lieutenant and Hero of the Realm, Lieutenant Mariam Beaulieu!” boomed out as Mariam entered the hangar and started down the line.
“Lieutenant and Hero of the Realm, Lieutenant Kathleen Owens!” boomed out as Kay entered the hangar.
“Lieutenant and Hero of the Realm, Lieutenant Jason Clark!” boomed the final introduction.
At the end of the receiving line were the reporters, Leslie Walters being the most prominent. Her camerawoman was behind her, and she clearly wasn’t letting them pass before she got her interview.
After everyone was there, the four pilots were forced to endure the presentation of their new medals. They were to be the first to receive the Delphi Cross, the equivalent of the U.S. Medal of Honor.
“This isn’t fair,” Catie whispered to her father as he pinned the medal on her.
“Don’t worry, we have six more to hand out when they come home,” Marc said. “Plus, we have eight posthumous ones to award. But tonight is about celebrating and raising everyone’s spirits.”
“Here they come,” Leslie reported. “These four pilots were the ones who destroyed the battleship that was coming to subdue Earth. Princess, can we have a few words?”
“Hi, Leslie,” Catie said. “This is crazy.”
“Everyone is so relieved that this nightmare is finally over, and we have you to thank for it,” Leslie said.
“I was only one of over seven thousand men and women who volunteered to fight,” Catie said. “We just happened to be the four who were selected to fly the Fists.”
“I understand you designed it as well,” Leslie said.
“I was fortunate enough to be inspired by the actions of our other pilots who went against the battleship. It was their sacrifice that gave me the insight to design Odin’s Fist,” Catie said.
“Why did you name it Odin’s Fist?” Leslie asked.
“I was reading a novel about Vikings at the time. It just seemed like an apt name since it was going to be such a small ship,” Catie said.
“Small is right,” Kay said.
“Let’s bring the four of you up close so our viewers can see you. I notice there is only one man in the group,” Leslie said.
“Yes, Jason was the only one who was dumb enough to volunteer and small enough to fit into that torture chamber Catie designed,” Kay said.
“Small enough, so how small was it?” Leslie asked.
“His head was touching the ceiling, and his knees were against the control panel. And he’s only half an inch taller than I am,” Kay continued.
“Why so small?” Leslie asked.
“It had to be as small as possible to limit the amount of energy that could be directed at it,” Catie said. “I designed as small as possible while still fitting in the controls and the reactor. Then when I put in the pilot area, there was enough room for me, so I figured we could find enough pilots who would fit.”
“That must have been claustrophobic,” Leslie said.
“You’re telling us! I think they would have to drug me to get me back into that thing,” Mariam said. “I can’t believe Catie did it twice.”
“It couldn’t be as bad as that,” Leslie said.
“Oh yes it was,” Mariam said. “You have to crawl inside it, then sit there for two hours while they seal you in. Then you go out and do your thing, and when you get back, it takes them thirty minutes to cut you out of it.”
“That does sound scary,” Leslie said.
“Leslie, you have to let our heroes circulate,” Samantha said. “Now, you guys get a snack, walk around and talk to people. There is a formal ball tonight, so you’ll want to go rest up before it. There are outfits for each of you in your condos; I’ll be contacting you later with details about tonight. Now go have fun.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Sam, you can’t be serious!” Catie said over her Comm. She was looking at the gown, tiara, and jewelry that Samantha had laid out for her to wear to the evening ball.
“What’s the matter, you don’t like the color?” Samantha replied.
“Har, har! It’s too much! And a tiara, get real.”
“You are a princess,” Samantha said. “You have to look the part. The Queen of England is going to be at the ball.”
“Fine, let her wear the tiara!”
“Suck it up, girl. We need some good PR. Some people are a bit upset with us about hiding an alien spaceship. We need to get the public back on our side.”
“We just saved their asses!” Catie hissed.
“Well, we need to remind them of that and give them a visual to go with it, and face it, you’re the visual,” Samantha said. “Besides, you’re going to look gorgeous.”
“How do I wear a bra in this thing?”
“A perky thing like you doesn’t need a bra. You’ve got it, so flaunt it.”
“I am so going to get even with you,” Catie promised. “What are you wearing?”
“I’m wearing a very nice gown,” Samantha said.
“Are you wearing a tiara?”
“I’m only the secretary of foreign affairs, not royalty,” Samantha said.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I look like a little girl,” Catie told Samantha when they met before the ball.
“No you don’t, you look like a princess,” Samantha said.
“But even with the spaghetti straps, this isn’t very sexy. And white?”
“We’re not going for sexy,” Samantha said. “We’re going for ingenue, the fairy tale princess who saved Earth. And in fairy tales, princesses always wear white.”
“Whatever.”
“Now for some rules,” Samantha said. “If the person you meet is royal, curtsy to them; if they offer to shake hands, do it; if they kiss your hand instead, smile. If the person you meet is not royal, say hello; if they present their hand for you to shake, stare at it; if they say hello and you like them, offer your hand for them to shake, or kiss; they should be taking their direction from you, not you from them.”
“That sounds kind of snooty,” Catie said.
“It is, but we’re going for effect; you have to act like the Princess of Delphi.”
“Okay, I hope I remember all this,” Catie said.
“We have cameras around the room. ADI will be monitoring you, and if I’m not there, she’ll give you the appropriate hints. You do have your earwig in, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“Good, now let’s go get your father.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Princess, this is Queen El
izabeth,” Samantha said as she introduced Catie to the queen.
Catie gave a small curtsy to the queen.
“Hello, my dear,” Queen Elizabeth said. “My, you are young to be such a famous pilot.”
Catie just smiled and gave a small shrug.
“And modest,” the queen added as she extended her hand to Catie to shake.
“I’m not usually acknowledged for my modesty,” Catie said as she shook the queen’s hand.
“Good for you,” the queen said. “Prince Charles wanted to be here; unfortunately, he had other commitments. He is very excited about what you people are doing for the environment.”
“I’m glad he recognizes our efforts,” Catie said. “I want to thank you and your people for all the help they gave the Alliance.”
“You’re welcome. It would have been shameful not to offer help,” the queen said. “Now go on, I’m sure you have other guests to greet.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“This is Minister Xing,” Samantha said. “He is the foreign minister of China.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Catie said.
“The honor is all mine,” Minister Xing said.
“I want to thank you for all the support your government provided to help build the fleet,” Catie said.
“We were most happy to. We only regret we could not send pilots and crew out with them,” the minister said.
“I’m sure there will be opportunities for Chinese pilots and crew in future missions,” Catie said. “Hopefully, peaceful ones.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Princess, King Mohammed the Fourth of Morocco,” Samantha said.
Catie curtsied to the king.
“A pleasure to meet you,” the king said as he reached for her hand. He brought it to his lips and gave it a gentle kiss. “We hope that the good relationship between our two countries continues.”
“Morocco has been a great partner with us,” Catie said. “I spent a holiday there last year and really enjoyed myself.”
“Next time you come, you must allow me to host you,” the king said.
“I will be happy to visit with you,” Catie replied.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Mr. Vice President, I would like to present Princess Catherine,” Samantha said.
“Hello, my dear,” the vice president said. He reached for Catie’s hand to shake it.
Catie stood there and stared at his hand. It took thirty seconds before the vice president reacted. “Oh, sorry. We Americans are not used to royalty. We’re happy to be invited and celebrate our victory,” he said.
“I want to thank you for the people you sent who stayed to help the Alliance,” Catie said.
“It was our pleasure. After all, we were fighting for the same thing,” the vice president said. “Minister Newman.” He nodded to Samantha, then walked away.
“Good for you,” Samantha said. “That man is an ass, he was trying to bring you down to his level. And nice shot about the ones who stayed.”
Catie eventually managed four dances, the first with her Uncle Blake, the other three with various pilots who were brave enough to ask. But mostly she used ADI to allow her to maneuver away from anyone who was approaching her to dance.
She did manage to enjoy some time with the Prime Minister of New Zealand. But she was thrilled when Samantha finally told her she could leave.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Senator Novak, I’m pleased you could come for the welcoming party,” Marc said as Samantha brought the senator into his office.
“I was thrilled to come,” Senator Novak said. “And I’m especially happy that you’ve agreed to this discussion.”
“We’ve always been willing to have a discussion,” Marc said.
“I know that, but the president has been very conflicted on the subject of Delphi, and that has made it difficult for anyone in the government to approach you.”
“Yes, that has been apparent,” Marc said.
“As you know, we’re eight weeks from the election,” Senator Novak said.
“Yes. I’m also aware that the polls show you winning by a wide margin,” Marc said.
“They do, and I’m confident that they are correct. I would like to take this chance to start a dialog about how the U.S. and Delphi can work together to achieve our common goals,” Senator Novak said.
“I’m not sure our goals are common,” Marc said. “Delphi’s goals are to help Earth achieve a more balanced standard of living across countries. We are also committed to denuclearization of the planet.”
“Admirable goals, and I believe we share them. I’m sure it was Delphi that solved the Korea situation. Despite the president claiming that his sanctions and his negotiations did it, those of us on the Foreign Affairs Committee were able to see your hand in the situation.”
“We gave the Chinese and Koreans some suggestions,” Marc said.
“Plus, you disabled their two ballistic missile submarines,” the senator said.
“Who says that?”
“We’re pretty confident based on intel from the Chinese and South Korea. But putting that aside, you obviously have capabilities that can be brought to bear here on Earth as well as in space. Your little demonstration on Iwaki Island was very educational about the strength of having the high-ground. And your gift to the Russian Ambassador was very clever,” she added.
“Well, the Russians are a problem child,” Marc said. “I’m sure we haven’t heard the last from them.”
“I know; we’re very worried about them interfering in our election again,” Senator Novak said.
“Well, since you haven’t done much to punish them for the last time, why wouldn’t they try again,” Marc said. “They really don’t care who wins; they just want to undermine America’s confidence in their democratic institutions.”
“We seem to be doing that just fine, all by ourselves,” Senator Novak said. “It’s just that sanctions are counterproductive.”
“If you want to get serious with them, we have a way to help,” Marc said.
“How?”
“It’s highly classified, but I can tell you it would be very disruptive to their economy and to their ability to engage in cyberattacks. Let me know if you and the president can agree on it, but you’d need to have hard proof against them.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. Now I would really like to meet your daughter.”
Chapter 6
Cabinet Meeting – Sept 7th
“You’ve ruined my life!” Catie complained to Samantha as she entered the Cabinet Chamber before the meeting.
“How so?”
“I can’t go anywhere without someone asking for an autograph. Everywhere I go, people point at me and talk about me.”
“You hardly go anywhere anyway,” Samantha teased Catie.
“Now, I can’t go anywhere! At least before, I could go out with Sophia and my other friends, but now we just get mobbed.”
“It’ll wear off,” Samantha said. “It’s only been two days. Just wait it out.”
“You could go up to the space station,” Blake said. “Smaller crowds.”
“Thanks, Uncle Blake, you’re a big help,” Catie said.
“What’s wrong with that?” Blake asked.
“If I go up there, I’ll be trapped. There’s no place to hide, and if I step out of my cabin, I’ll be cornered right away. They already camp outside my door down here. When Kal made them move, they just camped outside the building. But at least down here, I can manage to sneak out.”
“Ooh, do you want to work on a disguise?” Liz asked. “I bet with a little help from Dr. Metra, we can make you impossible to recognize.”
“If everyone is ready, we can start the meeting,” Marc said, interrupting everyone.
“Oh, hi, Daddy, I didn’t see you come in.”
“I noticed. Now, why don’t you update us on your guy’s progress with his new drive.”
“He’s not! Whatever. He is still analyzing his data, but he think
s he can predict where it will jump to now,” Catie said. “We got enough variations on power during our tests last week. But he still has a list of experiments to do, some of them are pretty scary.”
“Please explain,” Dr. Nikola said.
“We did all of the experiments out beyond fifty AU, so minimal gravity. We don’t know what happens if you do it inside the gravity well,” Catie explained.
“But you should have more power there, why wouldn’t that be better?” Blake asked.
“Because it’s opening something like a wormhole, so we don’t know how that will react to gravity. If the effects of gravity go through the wormhole, it might destabilize the star or mess up a planet’s orbit.”
“That would be bad,” Blake said. “How is he going to verify that?”
“In another star system,” Catie said. “And he’ll need to ease his way in.”
“I like the idea of using another star system,” Samantha said.
“He has to use two different star systems,” Catie said.
“Why?”
“Because we don’t want our system connected in any way with the experiment. We need to choose two systems that are A) uninhabited, and B) not likely to create a problem with an inhabited system if something goes wrong,” Catie said.
“How will you do that?”
“We’ll choose young stars, so they won’t have living planets yet, and we’ll choose ones that are relatively isolated.”
“When is he going to run the test?” Marc asked.
“In a few days, I think,” Catie said.
“Won’t it take longer than that to get back out there?”
“We left the probes out there,” Catie said. “We added a quantum couple and an observation module to the first probe, so he can run the experiments from here.”
“Just be very careful,” Marc cautioned.
“We will be,” Catie said. “And we still need to figure out what goes with the probe when it goes.”
“Yes, why did the whole probe get transported?” Dr. Nikola asked. “And is it based on connection, proximity, or something else?”
“On our list of questions to investigate,” Catie said. “Would you like to sit in on the test?”
“I would love to,” Dr. Nikola said. “Do you think he’ll mind?”