Ancient Birthright (60 page)

“Command Prime Reedn, several vehicles are approaching, and the lead vehicle is flashing its illumination units,”
Jerrod
reported.

Jerrod
opened the hatch and extended the boarding stairs just as four limousines and several staff cars pulled to a stop.

Reedn watched the activity on the ground displayed on the view screen.

The two Secret Service agents, who’d been at NARO, hopped out of the first limo and quickly climbed the stairs. They silently nodded to Beldon and Cindy as they took up positions inside the cabin. The others in the vehicles began to emerge and gather in groups studying the strange craft parked before them. An Air Force captain and lieutenant climbed from the last vehicle and stood slack-jawed looking at the craft they had escorted to a landing a few days before.

The President stepped out of the first limo and turned to assist a plump, but strikingly beautiful woman from the car. Her warm smile brought an answering response to the President’s face. The couple climbed the stairs together and stepped into the cabin.

Beldon extended is hand. “Mr. President, welcome, it’s good to see you again.”

“Beldon, this is my wife Susan.”

“We’re happy to have you aboard, Susan. This is my wife, Cindy, and that’s our daughter, Soleene, sleeping in the crib.”

Reedn turned off the video display, climbed from the pilot’s couch, and approached the group.

Beldon waved to indicate Reedn. “Joe, you remember Reedn Garuu? He was the pilot on our last flight together.”

“I certainly do. It’s nice to see you again young m… sir.” the President faltered when he realized that man would be the wrong term. “Reedn, this is my wife, Susan.”

Susan’s face showed startled surprise for a second before she recovered, and being the wife of a career politician, extended her hand to Reedn.

“Joe, I think you picked out the finest filly in the entire string, at least the prettiest,” Reedn said in his best John Wayne voice as he took Susan’s hand and executed a slight bow.

Reedn could see Beldon winding up to tell him to knock off the impersonation when Susan released a light twittering laugh and looked at her husband. “I like this hombre. Be nice to me, Joe, or I just might have found me a new cowpoke to ride double with. Reedn, do you know, that I knew John Wayne, and visited him a few times before he died. I even had a bit part in one of his movies once when I was very young.”

Reedn and Susan moved away from the door and off to the side to continue their conversation as more people crowded up the steps. Reedn heard Beldon greet the others who were going with them and didn’t pay much attention until the last two to enter introduced themselves as Reaper Flight. Reedn broke off a discussion on which John Wayne movie was his favorite. “Excuse me Susan. I asked if these last two guests could come along. They were the pilots who assisted us when I brought your husband back from New Mexico a few days ago. I should introduce myself and get them seats in the cockpit.”

“I understand. I’ll tag along. If you have enough seats I’d love to join you,” Susan said.

“
Jerrod
?”

“Already working on it, Command Prime Reedn,” responded
Jerrod
.

“Who’s
Jerrod
?” asked Susan as they stopped in front of the two Air Force pilots.

Reedn winked at her and turned to the older of the two pilots. “Welcome aboard
Jerrod
, gentlemen. I’m Reedn Garuu, the pilot you assisted the other day. I hope I didn’t cause you any problems when I asked the General to invite you on this trip. Have you met Susan, the First Lady?” Reedn asked as he took Susan’s hand and included her in the conversation.

“Susan just asked who
Jerrod
was. This ship is
Jerrod
. He’s a smart ship with an intelligence index higher than most humans and luzzons. I’m a luzzon, in case you hadn’t noticed I wasn’t human.
Jerrod
’s made of organometallic materials that can transition between the two states at his direction. He has a top speed of about ten light years a day with a maximum range of sixty-five light years on a full fuel load.” Reedn turned to the cabin and announced. “If everyone is aboard, we will be on our way, we’re burning daylight.” Reedn turned back to the three he’d been talking with. “If you will join me in the cockpit, we’ll takeoff.”

Reedn directed Susan to a chair that was behind his and to the left so that she had a clear view of the displays and controls. The two Air Force Pilots, Captain Lincoln and Lieutenant Pena, were offered chairs to either side of the pilot’s couch. The entire forward bulkhead was a blank wall that looked like polished oak. As Reedn took his seat the wall transformed into a single view screen fifteen feet wide and seven feet tall. A portion of the screen displayed the view in front and to the sides of
Jerrod
, while several other sections displayed systems status and navigational information. System controls and a navigation computer input terminal grew out of the arms of Reedn’s couch.

“
Jerrod
, will we have contact with the White House during this trip?” the President asked.

“Give me the frequencies, and I will establish contact and hold those frequencies open for your use whenever you wish, Mr. President.”

One of the Secret Service agents, a female with a stern expression and a brisk manner approached Reedn and gave him a card with the necessary frequencies.

Jerrod
said, “Contact established,” even before she had released the card.

The agent jumped back and looked around as if she expected someone to leap out and surprise her.

“It’s not magic. As soon as you exposed the card,
Jerrod
scanned the information and used it to make the connection,” Reedn told her.

“I need to contact a few people and let them know how to get in touch with me.
Jerrod
, could I have a desk and chair in a private area to make some calls?” the President asked.

“Your private office is ready in the rear of the cabin,”
Jerrod
said. “ I have also established a separate area for the security detail to talk privately with their command post.”

“We will need to take off soon to stay on our schedule.” Reedn said. “If you’re ready, Mr. President?”

“As long as I can remain in contact, we will be fine. Let’s go.”

“Andrews Tower, Air Force One is ready for takeoff.”

“Roger, Air Force One cleared for vertical departure.”

Additional view screens came to life around the cabin and showed the Earth receding at a rapid rate. Reedn plotted a course that took them near the destroyed ISS, so the President could see firsthand the results of his predecessors’ actions. The remainder of the trip was uneventful as Reedn gave the two Air Force pilots and Susan a more detailed briefing on
Jerrod
’s capabilities. He explained as best he could, the differences between
Jerrod
’s propulsion system and those used by the
Universe Explorer
and the PTOs.

Colonel Bitman and his party were already out of their ship when
Jerrod
moved into the hangar and stopped next to the other smart ship. The hatch opened, and most of the passengers were up and moving toward the door, when three tiny luzzons streaked up the steps and into the cabin. The fourth was perched on Colonel Bitman’s shoulder showering him with little nuzzles and licks.

Within seconds, little luzzons covered Reedn. “These are three of my four brothers. They’re only a few months old and haven’t learned any manners.”

“How old are you, Reedn?” Susan asked as one of the little ones climbed on top of Reedn’s head and perched there using his legs and tail to stabilize himself, so he was eye to eye with Susan. His tail kept trying to wrap around Reedn’s snout as he balanced on his perch.

“I’m four, but I’m a little big for my age.”

“How long have you been piloting spaceships?”

“Since before I was one. We, I mean, Dantee, my sister, and Tuuan, my cousin and I had to rescue the Russian Cosmonauts on
Nauka 7
because none of the grownup pilots could fit through the airlock on the ship we had to use. We went and got the Russian girls, and later used our ship to bring the
Endeavour
to the
Universe Explorer
when it ran out of fuel. In the end, everyone was saved. Except Major Rishly and Soleene were killed later while saving the
Universe Explorer
.”

“How did they die?” Susan asked with a sad tone to her voice.

“They got killed when the nuclear missile they were deflecting away from the
Universe Explorer
exploded.”

“Where did the missile come from?” Captain Lincoln asked.

“Someplace called NORAD. My uncle Davvie knocked the first missile off course, but the second one exploded and killed Major Rishly and his navigator Soleene as they were moving it. You’ll probably get to meet Soleene’s daughters later today. My grandpa Garuu, he’s Command Prime of the
Universe Explorer
, wanted them to see the program tonight, so they would know why their mom died.”

A sniffle sounded behind Reedn and he turned around to see Susan crying. “I didn’t mean to make you cry. It’s just that sometimes, I need to talk about Major Rishly, so I don’t forget him. We spent months together getting the Endeavor to the
Universe Explorer
. I really liked him. He’d laugh at my dumb jokes and my John Wayne impersonations.”

Even the two hardcore Air Force pilots were doing a lot of blinking and nose rubbing.

The little luzzon on Reedn’s head jumped to Susan’s shoulder and began nuzzling her ear and giving her little licks. His two siblings saw what he was doing and joined him with one taking the other shoulder and the third cuddling up to her chest.

“I think everyone is waiting for us to begin the tour. Just put them on the floor or give them to me, if you want to get rid of them.”

“They’re fine. They can have a ride,” Susan said as she stood and led the three pilots off the ship.

Chapter-72

Beldon watched the First Lady exit
Jerrod
carrying three of Reedn’s young brothers. He touched Renna’s arm and gestured toward the ship. “Here they come now, looks like they found their own transportation. That’s the President’s wife, Susan, carrying them. Her reaction to the babies reminds me so much of my mother and her maternal instincts.”

Renna rushed to the bottom of the stairs. “I’m sorry if they’re making a nuisance of them themselves. I just took my eyes off them for a minute when I was being introduced to the President, and when I looked back they were gone.”

Reedn leaned to the side and looked around Susan. “Hi Mom, this is Susan. Susan, this is our mother, Renna Garuu.” He had just finished the introduction when the fourth and smallest member of the clutch scampered up Renna’s back and balanced on her shoulder. “This is Faalan.” Renna stroked the little head next to hers. “That’s Jacce on your right shoulder, Garret on your left, and Kennan getting comfortable in your arms.”

Kennan snuggled into a more comfortable position and gave his brothers a contented look.

Susan smiled down at him and gave him a little hug. “These guys are adorable. I assume they’re all males since they have the spines on their backs?”

Dantee walked over to join her mother as the group on the stairs continued to the hangar floor. “Yes, only the males of our species have the dorsal spines. They are an evolutionary holdover from the days before we became an intelligent species and learned to work with tools. I believe several species of Earth fish and lizards have something similar.” Dantee snuggled into her mother’s side.

“This is my daughter, Dantee.” Renna placed her left hand on Dantee’s head. “She brought Colonel Bitman and his party up from NRAO on another of the smart ships.”

Beldon stepped in and continued the introductions to the others in the hangar.

Saigg and Beldon acted as tour guides and spent hours showing small groups around the base and letting them test-drive a variety of the vehicles stored in the hangar.

Later, a group split off from the main body and went to examine the PTOs and the capture clamshells. Dantee and Tuuan took charge of the group and explained their mission to collect the large pile of debris and dead satellites that were now compacted into blocks.

General Weismann said, “I heard you say earlier that you were four years old, but all the other pilots here looked to be much older.”

Dantee answered, “That’s true. Normally pilot training begins after we’ve completed our primary schooling at around seventeen or eighteen years, so a soul doesn’t become a pilot until they are about twenty.”

A passing casroo pilots interjected, “What Dantee didn’t tell you, is that our three young luzzon pilots are something special. At less than a year-old, they were probably the best PTO pilots any of us had ever seen. We had to compress two years of pilot training into just over a week’s time, and they also had to learn as much of the English language as they could during that same week. Any one of the three has more mission time in a PTO than the rest of us combined. While we’re in transit from, or to, a transjump point, we normally have no reason to launch a PTO. So unless we’re in orbit around a planet and transferring cargo or passengers, we just get a lot of simulator time.”

“Let me make sure I understand this. Command Prime of the
Universe Explorer
sent three babies on a rescue mission with only a week’s training.” General Weismann said. “Didn’t your parents object or does the Prime just do as he wants?”

“He didn’t want to send us at all. I had to talk him into it after I got Mom and Dad convinced to let us train for the mission. He only let us go after our instructors assured him we could handle the job,” Dantee said staring up at the General.

“I know it was a hard decision for Command Prime and Ops Prime Garuu to make, since these three were their only grandchildren,” The casroo pilot said.

“I for one am happy he sent them,” Beldon said. “We made it to
Nauka 7
with the last few gallons of fuel we had aboard
Endeavour
. Our plan was to transfer the fuel from the damaged Russian craft into our tanks and head for the
Universe Explorer
. However, when the dying Russian pilot activated the self-destruct on
Nauka 7
, we barely had enough time to get everyone aboard
Endeavour
and safely beyond the nuclear blast. The kids then used the engine of the PTO to accelerate us toward the
Universe Explorer
.”