Chapter 16: God agreed, No Spiders

The day before his planned attack on the 45,000 ships Rowland called each of his command staff together for Dinner at Henry’s.

At 4:00 PM they started showing up, CB’s: Colonel Tom Shaw and WO 4 Jacob Forrester, 1st Regiment: Colonel Jerry Smith and Major Kyle Anderson, 2nd Regiment: Colonel Shellie Shakes and Major Donna White, 3rd Regiment: Colonel Susan Delaney and Colonel Paul Taylor, Jeffrey Taylor, Clair Washburn, and Joy McCall. The research Section: General Robert Delaney and Captain Teresa Delaney with their sons and fiancés as Aids. General Ceca along with her 8 Colonels. General Lloyd along with two of his Colonels, Colonel Boyd Mathews along with his wife and sons. The surprise to all was General Brien Tripp with seven aids all with either Major or Lt or FB Colonel ranks.

“Is everyone here?” Rowland asked. One of his brothers added, “If you are not here, speak up!”

“Thank you, brother. I have certainly missed THAT!” Rowland was laughing as was everyone here.

“General Tripp, can you share. I was not told that you would still be here on Earth. Were you on vacation?”

Brien stood up, “Vacation is: doing something different than your normal job. Soooo, when you return to your normal job you appreciate it much more.” Those attending laughed some more. Brien paused, “Yes I was TDA because we realized we had a problem. Most of the ships we received in the first five years of history of the Space Cadets were obsolete.” Brien let that sink in, “I’ve been with a hand-picked team, and we have reduced that problem down to less than a thousand ships. We are now ready to go to war with the Spiders. We are not unlike David in the Bible with his deadly slingshot. Third Division, done 100%, Second Division, done 100%, First Division, done 100%, everything except Fourth Division. We have the Third Regiment is done and some of the second. When we get back tomorrow the Fourth Division will be done 100%.”

Rowland jumped to his feet and led the applause as he shouted, “Yahhhhh!”

Brien Tripp waited until it quieted, “There is more. We have figured out how our 885s can carry more. We need to have one 335 plus or 336 involved. The other two ships can be either a 446 or a 556. So, five thousand 885s can bring to the party 15,000 lights.”

Ceca had asked Lucy if she could have someone figure out how to utilize all that space on an 885 on the cargo deck when loaded with two 336s. It looked to her as though almost half the space was not used. Lucy had started working with Brien to figure this out. Brien continued, “We also figured out how to fit five 336s on an 885. We have almost a thousand 885 model Es widebodies. We can get a combination of six to eight lights on each one of those. I have been putting in 16 to 20 hours a day, so yes I’ve been on vacation.” Brien laughed aloud with the audience then added, “By doing the modifications, we now have enough ships to take the fight to the offending forces while also protecting Earth.” The noise was the loudest yet.

Henry, his wife, and several of their wait staff stood there ready to go work listening to the excitement. When Rowland saw Henry coming at him, he simply nodded. Henry in turn nodded to his wife and she got the wait staff in action.

Henry approached Rowland, “General Rowland Sir, what is the good news?”

“The older ships, about half of our fleet do not have rail guns or did not have rail guns but they do now!” Rowland and Henry shook hands and the two men laughed, “General Brien Tripp has been working at Lockheed Plant Number Four and they have modified thousands of our ships. We will now have enough ships to handle the problems coming at us.”

“Champagne Sir?” Henry asked.

“Sparkling Cider, Sparkling Grape Juice?” Rowland asked.

As Rowland stood, holding onto Delilah, he watched as Colonel Mathews introduced himself to General Delaney. Colonels Anderson and Smith from his First Regiment were there also. General Bob’s face said it all he had his four thousand Airforce Guys along with another six thousand younger Cadets making up the First Regiment of the Fourth Division that would be supporting security on the Exploration of our Solar System. He could draw whatever he needed from the First Regiment of the Watchers. An idea struck Rowland and he made his way to the lectern.

“General Tripp please Join me at the Lectern,” Rowland said into the mic.

“Brien, when you were talking, I got the idea you planned on coming with us tomorrow,” Rowland said quietly.

“Allow me to have a choice, I’ll be at all three battles,” Brien said then smiled as he saw the relief on Rowland’s face.

“Can I put you in charge of Heavies?” Rowland said quietly. Brien nodded and smiled again.

Rowland then had a look of terror. “LUCY?”

“You and me both. We tried to be together before she left.” Brien said with a hint of sadness.

Delilah caught the two men looking at her, “NO, whatever it is, you and I have a date tonight.”

“Yes, Colonel,” Rowland said smartly. “Brien, what we have come up with so far is to sneak the 885s in above the convey about a half-mile. The Spiders are flying with the black smaller ships about 100 in a row and four hundred rows. We get in position to fire fifty to a hundred 885s straight down or at an angle. We have all of the 885s doing this. They fire off 10 to 20 of the wide angel Anti-Mater shots Creating a cloud of Anti-mater that settles over all of the Small Black Ships along with some of the Stadium Size Ships flying in the perimeter. The Anti-mater takes out most of the ships. The rest of us simply do mop up.”

“How fast is the convey going?” Brien asked.

“Well, they are covering about 3,000 Light Years per day...

“So right at 125 light-years per hour.” Brien said, “We would have to come at them from behind, match their speed then float as we tilt down and fire. Has anybody tried this?”

“I had a thousand ships practice, this morning. They got it 100% the first time.” Rowland said.

“How fast were they going?” Brien asked.

“They were stationary.” Rowland shared.

“Rowland, have you ever shot a gun while moving?” Brien asked.

“No.”

“I would give your plan without a month of practice zero chances of success. It’s a really good plan with time enough to make it work, but we don’t have that.” Brien carefully shared with his friend.

“What do you suggest?” The two men had been nodding their heads as others came to their table and asked to join. The table Delilah had guided them to in the beginning was empty. Now there was everybody either sitting around or standing next to it.

“Papa John wrote in one of his stories the creation of an anti-mater cloud that the enemy flew into. I think we need to do that. We need to be ten to twenty miles away, so we don’t have a friendly fire incident. We also need General Ceca here. She is a daughter of a Chief of Chiefs. Papa John and General Frank sat with God and formulated their battle plan knowing there was no time for something difficult.

Ceca walked up to the table, “Did you call me?”

“Yes, I did, thank you for listening.” Brien smiled

Delilah had gotten several large poster-size pieces of heavy paper with many pencils and many different colors felt tip Sharpies. The paper was 34” by 44”. Brien drew a line with a pencil in the center of the paper. Giving two areas 34” by 22”. In the top Brien laid out the Spider Ships coming. He made a circle around them making a note of 10 miles from the center out. In the bottom portion, he showed a side view of the same picture.

Tony asked, “How many 885s are in the circle?”

“All of them. Let’s see if we can give our friends ten miles of Anti-Mater Cloud.” Brien said.

“Have our lights start firing as soon as they can before they reach the donut,” Ceca said.

“Have the rest of our heavies hit them after they come through the donut,” Willa said.

“Anything else?” Brien asked. When all was quiet, “Papa John always says keep it simple.”

“That should work for all three battles.” General Bob said, “I agree with Papa John!”

“Father, ah General Bob, you always have said a good plan works until the first shot is fired,” Susan said.

“What do we have for a contingency?” Brad asked.

“The Indian Cadets are bringing 10,000 ships and want to be our reserve,” Rowland said.

“Are they eager to fight?” General Bob asked from experience.

“I sent them pictures of what they did to my mother and friends, plus the one of a six-foot spider,” Delilah said.

“I got an e-mail shortly after Delilah sent the pictures. It said: We want to be able to join in if we see an opening where we might be able to be of help. My 60,000 Cadets do not wish to live with the Spiders and are willing to help to keep that from happening.” Rowland said.

“That’s a pretty good answer. I don’t think we could ask for anything better.” General Bob said with a nod of his head.

“Amen to that Sir,” Peter said.

“Who would like to go to God with me?” Rowland raised his right hand.

“For how long?” General Bob asked.

“Here on Earth, we do not lose a minute no matter how long we stay with God,” Patty said.

“Then let’s go!” was the consensus of all. The Transport happened.

General Robert Delaney Stood before God for the first time. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He showed them to his wife, “This is real.”

“This is real Bob. This is the father of our spirits.” Teresa said. A month after her daughter left home, she called up Susan. Teresa was in tears; her oldest daughter Betty had just died, and the grandchildren had just left. She felt so very much alone. Susan wore a red lanyard and hung up on her mom then appeared to her in person. Susan took her mom to heaven, and they met with Betty.

“Please forgive me father for ever doubting you.”

“Forgive yourself, Bob. You someday will choose for yourself Heaven or Hell. Not I.”

“Are we to eliminate the spiders, God?”

“Yes, please do. Others have tried and have only made a bigger mess.”

Bob looked to his wife, “Are we to stay and protect Earth?”

“Yes. It will not be a boring day or week. You will be happy when the kids return. It will make you feel like you are one with them. Your bodies will start to become younger and someday in the future, you will call a man half your age a Fuddy-Duddy because of the way he thinks.”

“Come Father, let’s sit in the Christ Ports.” Susan took her father’s hand.

Hundreds of questions were asked. Bob and Teresa were truly enjoying their time with God. When Rowland asked if they wanted to go back, Bob looked at him in wonder? It felt like it had only been ten minutes.

“Sir, it’s been over two hours. We will train you on how to come back.” Rowland chuckled.

“Thank you, Rowland. This...” Bob couldn’t find the words to describe the experience.

“Ask our, Father if you could have something to take with you?” Rowland said.

Bob opened his right hand and there was a star-shaped black stone that weighed a couple of ounces. On the back was today’s date in gold letters with four silver stars.

“Rowland, General Rowland what on Earth does this mean?” Teresa asked as she held her hand open with three gold oak leaf pins signifying the rank of Major.

“God thinks you should be a Major. I agree.” Rowland took one of the pins and started putting it on in place of the captain’s pin on Teresa’s collar. Bob took one and worked on the other side. Susan took the third one and worked on her mom’s hat laughing as her mom stuttered not knowing what to say.

General Bob enjoyed his first visit with God, “Thank you our Father, I would like to come back often.”

They were back at the restaurant. Bob looked to his friend Henry, “Did you see God?”

“You people are the most amazing people I have ever met,” Henry said as he walked away.

Bob and Teresa Laughed. The next morning Bob went to get his newspaper. It was 6:12 AM. Bob looked up. There were 8 big ships overhead, “It won’t be boring.” He hurried inside and helped Teresa get the coffee and plates on the table.

“What’s your hurry?” Teresa asked as she felt her gold pins on her collar.

“We have eight big ships overhead today,” Bob said as he took a bit of food.

“How many are coming at us?” Teresa asked.

“I asked God that, he said it would not be boring today or this week.”

“I get the feeling we will be up most of the night. Take a nap today. Okay?” Teresa asked.

“Maybe 1 to 4.” Bob thought aloud.

“You’ll feel better from 10:00 to 3:00.” Teresa said, “Good advice for me too.”

When they came out at 6:41 AM their sons and grandsons were just finishing up putting the two 336s into their 775-F3. Teresa was having her third hug before someone yelled, “Mom got promoted!”

They had the new 775 F3 for two days now. It was a dream not that different from Susan’s Betty but if your neighbor got a brand-new Corvette and you were able to get one just like it, you might enjoy it just a little bit. They had both flown the ship named Stan around the world once each. They had a bottle of wine and had dinner on the ship with the wine then slept in the captain’s ready room that first night. Stan was Teresa’s brother and had lost his life in Iraq. They both felt good that in a way Stan was still alive just like their daughter Betty was also still among them.

Three minutes later the family arrived at the Amarillo Airport, 4th Division headquarters.

As General Bob and his wife Teresa climbed the steps up, they came to a desk with Colonel Delilah sitting at it.

“Oh good.” She quietly pumped her fist, “I’m to show you to the number three conference room.”

“What was the wager?” General Bob asked quietly.

“I said you would get here before 7:00 AM,” Delilah said.

“What did you win?” Teresa asked quietly.

“My choice on lunch.” Delilah giggled.

As they neared Conference Room #3 Rowland looked at a smiling General Bob and Teresa then at a giggling wife.

“How long have you been married?” General Bob asked Rowland quietly.

“June.”

Bob turned to Teresa, “What do you think, three or four years?”

“It will take him five years to learn,” Teresa said.

“What do I need to learn?” Rowland asked. They were at the coffee pot fixing the coffee as they liked it.

“Don’t bet with your wife, you’ll lose 9 out of 10 times,” Bob said.

“How long did it take for you to learn that?” Rowland asked Bob.

“Ten years,” Teresa said.

Bob whispered so only Rowland could hear, “I enjoyed the battles because I had a happy wife.”

“General Bob, this is Colonel Joe Cambridge, Joe this is General Robert Delaney.” Rowland made the introductions.

“Sir, I was led to believe you didn’t like the Cadets?” Joe asked.

“When one flies around the moon, a lot of people have a lot of opinions change.” Bob smiled.

“Sir, I sure did when I flew around the moon.” Joe looked at the smiling faces of the General and his aide, “What’s your day job sir?”

“I’ll be handling security for space exploration within our solar system,” Bob said.

“That’s what I want to do. Study the planets up close and personal. I’d like to get my Ph.D. in that.”

“General Delaney. When I was promoted to General, as soon as possible I handed my eagles to Colonel Joseph Cambridge to be my exec.” Brien said.

“Thank you, General Tripp.” Bob was weighing all of the possibilities, “Colonel Cambridge, I would like for you to be my Executive Officer for this next week or until we have the spiders taken care of. Do you think we can piece this outfit together enough to make it work?

Joe sat up straighter and looked at the faces of each officer sitting at the table, “Then Sir, I’ll be the best you ever have had. Sir, give me a minute to find out some things then I’ll be able to answer your question?” The change was dramatic no longer was a college kid in front of them, but a take charge, no question as to what was going to be done as Joe went around the table, “1st Regiment where are your ships?”

“Half are here overhead, and the other half are in Macon with a ten minute to take off on call. Our Cadets have decided on naps with their lunches prepared and their boots on.” Jerry Smith smiled.

Teresa put in front of Joe a spreadsheet. On it, she had written in 1,000 for ready and 1,000 in the column for “ON CALL” with 10 min in the “NOTE” column.

“Construction Battalion?”

Jacob and Tom looked at each other with Tom nodding, “They are overhead Sir. Fifteen hundred ships.”

“Are you a Warrant Officer?” Joe asked.

“Yes, sir. Warrant Officer 4.” Jacob said, “We put this place together.”

“Do your men know how to shoot?”

“Every pilot is certified, and every gunner has shot their weapons, including the rail guns with over half of the rail gunners having at least one kill.” Jacob looked to Tom, “Sir we are ready even though we have only been together two or three weeks. My XO has handled the training often putting in seven days a week, sixteen hours a day.” Jacob announced.

“Do you think you are ready?” Joe asked.

“If the question is, do you want us to lead in battle, then the answer is Yes, Sir!” Jacob almost yelled Yes, Sir.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I have seen enough.” General Brien stood up, “Colonel Joe, you are with General Delaney until the spiders are gone, then I want you back.”

“Where can I find you?” Joe asked.

“Taking a nap, I don’t expect to sleep tonight. Thank you, Gentlemen, I feel safe enough to do that.”

As Brien opened the door General Bob’s Son-in-law RJ was at the door with a plate of biscuits each with an egg and a thick slice of ham.

“Hmmmmm, those look good,” Brien said.

Robert handed him a napkin, “There is enough for you to have two, Sir.”

“Thank you, that breakfast at 5:00 AM is gone.” Brien helped himself to two sandwiches.

“Think it would be okay to enter?” Robert asked.

“Yeah, they need a break.” Brien turned around putting his head back in the room, “General Delaney. Some good-looking sandwiches have arrived.”

“Good time for a break.” General Bob said.