Chapter 16

"Might I speak to the Access Commissioner, Gary Zalewski, please?"

"Whom shall I say is calling?"

"Vee."

"Oh, my God ... it's the Princess!"

If you want to discombobulate a secretary, there is absolutely nothing like a call from a real live princess. In a weird sort of way, it was cute ... tiresome ... but cute. Naturally, the secretary connected Vee to the commissioner ... she pushed all the right buttons except the one that kept Vee connected to the commissioner's secretary. That button, she disconnected.

So Vee didn't get to hear Commissioner Zalewski say Hello half a dozen times. Nor did she hear Gary say Princess five of those six times.

Because she was trying to call back and Gary was trying to call Vee, neither of them understood the dead air time until Vee and Gary said Hello at the precisely same instant.

"Get off the line, I'm trying to make an important call," they both said ... and disconnected.

In milliseconds, they both realized what had happened and tried again. No rings ... dead air ... a tentative Hello and a return Hello, also tentative.

"Vee?" asked the Commissioner.

"Commissioner?" asked Vee.

There was just enough space between inquiries for them to be satisfied.

"Princess?" sighed Mr. Zalewski. "How may I help you?"

"Don't fire your secretary," Vee said. "I imagine I panicked her."

"You did that ... for sure," Gary said. "She's in tears ... I can hear her sobbing through my office door and it's soundproof. Let me go calm her and I'll call you back."

He disconnected. Vee fiddled with her fingers and pencil. Even though she knew it was coming, the ringtone scared her and her pad spent a little time near the ceiling.

She caught it.

"Commissioner?"

"Why would the Commissioner call you?"

"Mother ... I have an important call coming. Get off the pad."

"There's no reason to be rude about it. This will just take a minute."

Fifteen minutes of completely inconsequential yack yack later, Four disconnected and Vee tried the Commissioner ... again.

"Your pad has been busy," the Commissioner said.

"Mother," Vee said.

Gary, being a son, understood. Such interruptions of his very busy life continued to this very day. Mothers want to KNOW and work or job be damned, they want to know now.

"Did you reassure your secretary?" Vee asked.

"Yes, she thought you were magnanimous."

"Reactions like that are the reason I don't tell people what I am, if they figure it out ... it's their own fault. I pee sitting down just like half the population of the country."

"Human?"

"Yup."

"What can I do for you?"

"You know I can't drive."

"Yes ... but you fly."

"Because my principal mode of transportation is flight, Principal Standish said I was going to have an aircraft provided that 'fit my qualifications, to wit; multi-engine, Instrument Flight Rules, aerobatic, jet, turbine and radial engine qualified. The staff will be looking into exceptional aircraft that meet with my exacting requirements ... the Nation pays', he said. Are you responsible for the lookers?"

"Since that falls under the definition of access, I am. Why?"

"I found this airplane..."

Commissioner Zalewski interrupted, "A tale I think I won't like usually starts with Once upon a time, I found this airplane opens a whole new realm of fiction, probably on a par with a, 'this is the straight shit' story generally told in a bar at 2am," Gary said. He sighed. "Tell me."

"It's a Sukhoi 46, powered by a fuel injected Vedeneyev M-28 two row 18 cylinder radial engine of 1200 hp, retractable gear, single seat, carbon fiber composite, fully aerobatic, 12g in, 12g out, manufactured by the S&V conglomerate in 2030. Completely rebuilt two years ago in the Ukraine. She's a low wing beauty and I want her." She paused, "People tell you fairytales?"

"All the time. Where is this aircraft?"

"On the other side of the border, State Capital City."

"When were you there?"

"When I learned to fly."

"Couldn't you have trained in country?"

"Mom paid and she knows Franklin. I assume she got a deal and pocketed the difference. And I could ride the bus."

"She sent a 14 year old girl to a hostile country on the bus?" Gary was not happy. "You're the heir apparent."

"You know how mom likes to spend money on family."

"What about passport and Visa?"

"I had a Green Card. Franklin's gave me a job sweeping, polishing and fueling ... she probably got a kickback."