America One: War of the Worlds (28 page)

Both shuttles docked at the station and it was the first time that Allen and Jonesy had met since that fateful day that Jonesy had turned vodka into water. Ever since the chess games, he had stayed away from spacewalking over as if there was a plague onboard.

Maggie had had enough and had stolen one of her husband’s last two remaining bottles two weeks before they were due to reach orbit, and unbeknown to her husband, who was asleep, had taken it across with some other luxuries they would not need.

Jonesy had sulked for three days when Maggie told him that he had lost a bottle overboard, and she was beginning rationing both of them as this was their last bottle.

Once Jonesy had complained to the other shuttle that they were drinking his stock, they had happily told their boss in several words what he was, and what a savior and an angel his wife was.

“Been dry a while?” sniggered Allen as they cleaned up and put on fresh flight suits in the change rooms aboard the station.

“Poor little Chief Astronaut. Did your wife sell you out, shame?” added Michael Pitt, both men feeling zero towards their commander.

He was retiring in a few days, and Jonesy was heading off to go fishing forever. Actually both Michael and Allen, and their wives Jamie and Penny were also thinking about doing the same thing. They hadn’t spoken publicly over the radio to their spouses since they had left to pick up Maggie and Jonesy, but they would when they returned to Nevada. It all depended on if Ryan had enough NextGen astronauts for the next mission, and both men had bet each other that he didn’t.

“Hey, boys,” replied Jonesy smiling at two of his best friends. “Just think, in a year’s time, I’ll be tanned, well stocked with everything I want, and eating fish every day for the rest of my life. You guys will be flying around that red planet, eating pouches of scrambled eggs and wondering when you might sneak a shot of each other’s moonshine.” He laughed and continued getting rid of the flight suit he had worn for the last week.

They had 24 hours up in the station before leaving for their return to earth. A third of Jonesy’s cargo was to be unloaded at the station.

“First of all welcome home Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Mr. Saunders, Mr. Pitt,” stated Ryan a few days later as he welcomed his astronauts and Heads of Department to the first briefing for the next mission, less than a year away.

They got a standing ovation from all the astronauts. Thanks to them, the other three shuttles had reached Earth two months earlier.

“Thanks to our Chief Astronaut and his wife, we have achieved much down here, and at the Orbital Space Station in the last couple of months. I would also like to congratulate them on their retirement from Astermine. Thanks to their children, Maggie and John Jones have a beautiful fishing boat to spend the rest of their lives on. Thanks to Astermine, they also have a 30-year old family runaround that Saturn tells me now has 720 hours total time, thanks to her and Commander Noble Junior.” Ryan was referring to the old family Gulfstream 550, something Jonesy was very fond of.

“I hope my daughter and son-in-law have looked after my ride in my absence,” remarked Jonesy.

“Space-shark checked, and the refrigerator is on, cold, and full,” replied Saturn with a tear in her eye.

This was her parent’s final farewell. The party was that evening, and a few days before Jonesy and Maggie were catching a ride over to Martin’s plant in Israel, and then down to the island.

Martin’s new craft was finally ready for its maiden flight into space and the Jones couple were happy to be its test pilots. There was nothing more important in Jonesy’s flying career, than testing new craft.

“At least our liquor stocks will be safe from the space shark,” mussed Allen Saunders, and that caused much laughter. It seemed the whole astronaut crew agreed with him. Even Ryan smiled, remembering the odd occasion his hidden stocks had fallen short.

“I think we pilots all have a deep sense of gratitude for our Chief Astronaut’s wife…”

“And my old Air Force Flight Commander, Colonel Maggie Jones, nee Sinclair,” added Jamie Saunders and interrupted by Penny Pitt.

“And mine of course,” added Penny Pitt happily.

“And Mine!” added Saturn Jones loudly, and not being left out. “My father taught me how to fly, my mother kept me flying, and I believe that is the same is for all of you astronauts.” Again there was a loud round of applause at the truth given straightforwardly by Saturn.

“I will have the last word before we have the farewell party in the Jones’ honor tonight,” stated Kathy Richmond. “I want to thank Maggie, who was also my wing person for a couple of years in the United States Air Force, and with Astermine. She is the best in the business, my best friend. Her husband has always been a very lucky man. But equally, what I believe General John Jones did for all of us, was to teach us, test us, and keep us human with his jokes and remarks. Astermine would have been a pretty boring place to work without my hero, and friend, Jonesy, and I’m going to really miss the space shark stories on our next voyage.”

That night was one of the best parties the crew at Astermine had ever had. A band had been brought in from Las Vegas, a middle-aged group, and who had been together from 2012 and had played throughout the bad years. “The Imagine Aliens” were not cheap, but the farewell party wasn’t a cheap affair.

Everybody who was somebody was there. Air Force Two had landed late in the afternoon with the Vice President, Penelope Pitt aboard. A Canadian Government jet had arrived an hour later with Mary Collins and her family, and Ryan got the shock of his life when an hour before dusk, Air Traffic Control in Los Angeles told Astermine’s tower to expect one aircraft: an old Boeing 787 Dreamliner in 45 minutes from The People’s Republic of China.

Many of the crew were talking and chatting in the conference room when the announcement was made over the PA system, and the room hushed with disbelief.

Ryan immediately looked around. He hadn’t invited anybody from China. He was about to offer a diplomatic invitation through the Vice President for the new president to visit his base, but was going to talk to Penelope about it that very evening.

He looked round the conference room and immediately saw young Saturn Jones and Mars Noble looking at him, Saturn was whispering in her husband’s ear and looking rather guilty.

“They are still flying that Boeing Dreamliner the Chinese government purchased from Seattle in 2015?” stated Dr. Smidt. The German doctor was an avid aircraft enthusiast, and if anybody wanted to know anything about any aircraft in the world, he knew all the facts. Even Jonesy asked him a complicated question every now and again, and the good doctor always had an answer. “That aircraft was the last purchased by China, and delivered only weeks before the real troubles between the U.S. and China began.”

Dr. Smidt had been invited by Jonesy to be part of the crew for Martin’s test flight the next week, but refused due to his research work with Suzi.

Commander Saturn Noble, Commander Mars Noble, in my office, now,” ordered Ryan, and sheepishly the two NextGeners, and Lunar Richmond uninvited, headed to Ryan’s control center.

“You too Lunar?” Ryan asked as his eldest daughter entered.

“Yes, Dad I am the one to blame. Saturn and Mars just did the grunt work last week, stopping off in Beijing on their way to the island to deliver the invitation.

“And who is aboard that aircraft, who are we expecting?” Ryan asked trying to figure out why he wasn’t told of this invitation, and for what.

“You were really busy with these new plasma engines, so I thought to help you. I thought it a good time for me, who was the one insulted by the last Premier, to invite the young boy, his grandson over to join us to begin his training. Remember I invited the boy when we were in China, and I thought it prudent to continue the inviting last week.”

“Lunar, I don’t really think that an adult party is a good time to invite the, what, ten year old son of a country leader to show off Astermine, and our base here?” asked Ryan. “I can’t imagine me asking Mr. Jones, and several other ex-military personnel to stay sober at this farewell party as we have a special visitor?” he asked questioningly.

“I didn’t expect the boy to arrive so soon, Dad. I certainly didn’t even expect a reply before the party,” replied Lunar understanding why her father was questioning her decision to invite the boy.

“OK you three setup this. It is just bad luck that the boy is arriving at a bad time, so you three will chaperone Jon Lee Jong, I believe his name is, around, and away from the party. Who knows what Mr. Jones might do at his party? Maybe the damn space shark might finally arrive, or our beloved Chief Astronaut might start skinny dipping in the pool or something.”

With that Ryan stormed out of his office. Saturn smiled at Lunar. Mars looked sheepish, and Lunar just did what youngsters do, she looked up at the ceiling and asked why parents were so demanding.

The Chinese Boeing came in on long finals from the west once permission was given. The apron at Astermine was filling up.

All five shuttles were currently on base and inside three of the hangars and away from prying eyes. Guards had been posted on the corners of each of the hangars and nobody apart from Ryan, Lunar and Pluto Katherine would be allowed in.

Outside, and still looking like an Orca whale, Air Force Two, an old Boeing 757 that was well passed its time, but in perfect condition stood protected by secret service agents. It hadn’t flown officially for two decades, as a few of the presidents had elected to fly smaller, more luxurious Gulfstream jets during the bad days of little to no oil.

Ex-Presidents Dithers and Somes had flown in the newer jets, but ex-President Dithers Roo had brought back the old 747s and 757s as a proud remembrance of a once powerful country and its airline manufacturing history out of Seattle.

The same with Canada. They had used non-descript aircraft whenever flying from their country into the United States, and had reverted back to official Air Force aircraft once President Dithers Roo was elected into office. Mary Collins had flown in on an old Airbus A310, which was flown by Canadian Air force pilots.

Australia was too far for officials to fly in just for a party, but Ryan had got permission from Jonesy for a couple of Australian Air Force pilots to fly in Bob Mathews, Beth and Monica in Jonesy’s private jet for the occasion.

The retired pilots were now all past flying aircraft. Even Beth, who had flown last a year earlier had given up due to bad eyesight, and Jonesy needed his family runabout for him and Maggie to get back to the island anyway.

Martin Brusk and his wife had arrived a day earlier. He had flown in on a small Israeli Air Force transport jet to collect the ton of gold waiting for him, and to attend the party.

Now another large aircraft was about to land, and Ryan got on his handheld and arranged ground crew to assist in parking.

Many watched as the white aircraft with nothing more than the bright red and gold Chinese flag on its tail slowed down the long runway, and within minutes was being shown where to park.

“I see we are becoming very international,” shouted Mary Collins sliding up to Ryan’s side. “Who is aboard?”

“I believe the son of the Chinese Premier,” replied Ryan.

“A good day for him to arrive,” smiled Mary Collins loudly feeling Ryan’s dilemma.

“A good day for the United States,” shouted Penelope Pitt as she and Martin Brusk joined the two.

“Maybe not a good day for Jonesy and his antics?” suggested Martin.

“Now we have the Chinese coming to my retirement party?” shouted Jonesy himself coming out onto the apron to see the taxing aircraft. “Who the hell invited them?”

“Go ask your daughter Mr. Jones,” Ryan shouted back as the aircraft stopped and its engines cycled down at the far side of the apron.

Steps were moved from one of the other aircraft for the new one, and the welcoming committee walked forward. Astermine only had one set of stairs for large commercial aircraft, and they weren’t in the best condition. The group moved forward expecting to see a ten year old boy step out, and then the aircraft prepare for departure.

They were very mistaken. Two Chinese men in suits walked down the stairs and nodded to the welcoming committee, then the Chinese Premier himself walked down the stairs followed by a pretty lady, and then the expected son.

“Oh shit!” Lunar heard her father say under his breath and she smiled.

“These “OldGeners” just never relax, she mumbled to Pluto Katherine now standing next to her.

Nobody was dressed for the occasion. Nobody from the Chinese Government had visited the United States for nearly 40 years, and now when they did, it was on a private air base and to a bunch of happy people who were about to party. Ryan quickly looked round as the Premier made his way down the rusted staircase. The Premier wasn’t looking at the people gathered, but at his feet so he wouldn’t fall.

To Ryan’s organized mind, all he saw was the most underdressed, and casual bunch of people one could find at any beach, or casual party in the world. He swallowed hard and suddenly his panicking brain realized that the Chinese Premier as also dressed in smart casual, and not wearing a suit.

“Mr. Richmond, I hope you can forgive me for flying in unannounced,” stated the Premier as he reached the ground and bowed to Ryan. Ryan tried to bow back but there was enough room to bow properly, so he took a step back and bowed. “I completely understand that you are all not prepared for me and my family, but we come as friends, and are not on an official visit. I do hope you don’t mind?”

“Of course not smiled Ryan,” slowly gathering his composure. “We are having a party tonight. As you see we have several official aircraft who have flown in guests. You are most welcome to join us Premier. We are having a retirement party for our chief astronaut, we don’t have fancy residences here, but I’m sure I can find you a comfortable apartment.”

“Not necessary Mr. Richmond. We have all my wife and I need onboard, but we would like to see where my son is going to stay. Our reason for our unannounced visit is to drop him off. We are on an official visit to Mexico in a few days’ time, and we have time before we need to leave.