Chapter 6

John approached the house, with Sam beside him. She was holding what appeared to be an electronic tablet. Before he could even knock on the door, it was opened. A girl of about thirteen appeared in the opening. She had an expression on her face, of a very curious young person.

“Are you the man my dad is waiting for?”

John extended his hand and said,

“My name is John, and this is my assistant, Samantha.”

John leaned closer, and in a conspiratorial tone added, “But she prefers to be called ‘Sam.’”

This turned out to be the right approach. The young girl giggled, pleased at being treated like an equal. She extended her hand, and grasped John’s.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, John. My name is Penelope.”

Then leaned in, herself, and said, “But I prefer being called ‘Penny’.”

She reached for Sam’s hand as well. She gave Sam an odd look, after giving her a handshake. John understood her reaction all too well. The force field, although giving form and substance to Sam’s hand, still felt cool to the touch.

It was quickly forgotten as Penny turned her attention back to John.

“Dad just made a fresh pot of coffee. Would you like a cup?”

“With cream and sugar, if you have it,” John answered with a smile. “But, could I come inside to drink it.”

Penny blushed deeply, and John noted that it even reached her neck. She opened the door the rest of the way, and waved John and Sam in. On the way into the house John leaned towards Sam and asked if she could make her energy fields warm when someone shook her hand.

She looked at him and whispered, “How warm?”

“How about ninety-eight point six degrees Fahrenheit, the human body temperature,” John whispered back.

John saw by her expression, that she understood.

After Sam and John entered, Penny closed the door. She led them into the kitchen. She quickly exited. She re-entered through another doorway at the other end of the kitchen.

After introductions were made, John asked,

“Paul, would it be okay if your children were here for this? This affects them, as well. I would like to hear what they have to say about it.”

Penny returned with a cup of coffee for John, and another for Sam. She was looking at her father expectantly. He breathed a heavy sigh, and nodded.

“But go get your brother, first,” Paul said.

After the two teens returned, introductions were made all around. John talked about the job, the benefits, housing, and medical care. He spoke of schooling for Paul, his wife, and the children.

John patiently answered everyone’s questions. Eventually, talk turned to other things. John was glad when Brian brought up Spaceship One. They discussed the benefits of a privately owned space program.

“Paul,” John started, trying to guide the conversation where he needed it to go, “I’m going to be honest with you. This job would require you to relocate. Is that going to be a problem?”

Paul looked to his wife. She shook her head. He looked to each of his children. They also agreed that it wouldn’t be a problem.

“Next question. Do you rent, or own?”

“We rent,” Paul’s wife Martha said unexpectedly.

“My next few questions are very personal. Please don’t take offense, as they are necessary. Are you behind on your rent?”

Paul hung his head, but managed to nod.

“Do you have any checks kiting right now?”

Paul hung his head even further but managed an almost imperceptible nod.

“What is the total of both your back rent and the kited checks?”

Paul’s head snapped up, and he looked at John with confusion.

John tried to get Paul to lower his sudden defensiveness by saying, “We don’t want our new employees stressed out from worrying about outstanding bills.”

This seemed to work, and Paul went to a side table. From its drawer, he retrieved a checkbook. While he was adding, John had Sam bend over. He told her to take note of the routing and account numbers, and to transfer five thousand dollars into the account.

Sam seemingly got busy with her PDA.

Paul announced that the total of the kited checks and back rent was $1700.

Martha’s mouth fell open at this discovery. She was aware that they were behind, but had no idea they were that far behind.

John stopped any argument that might have started by announcing,

“Now I want you to add five thousand to the balance.”

Paul’s mouth fell open, and was matched by Martha’s. They were both staring at him, incredulously. John held up a hand to stop any questions.

“It’s a signing bonus.”

“But what...” Paul stammered, “what if I decide not to sign up? I can’t afford to pay that kind of money back.”

“If you decide not to sign up, after everything is said and done, then the corporation will get a charity tax write-off of the five thousand dollars.”

Paul’s mouth now shaped an O in understanding. He began re-totaling his checkbook.

John breathed a heavy sigh, because he knew the next part was not only the hardest to explain, but it was going to be the hardest to believe.

“What I’m going to tell you next ... Well, to be honest, you are probably going to think I’m nuts. I know that if I were to hear this from a total stranger, that I would think he’s insane. All I ask is that you keep an open mind, and allow me to prove to you that everything I am about to tell you, is the truth.”

Paul looked up from his checkbook with an expression that clearly said: ‘I knew it! This had to be too good to be true.’

“You know that private companies such as Tier One, that built Spaceship-One, have started private manned space programs.”

Paul nodded, but his expression became neutral.

“Would it surprise you to know that they have reached further than just the space around the Earth?”

“Of course they have,” announced Brian, “there have been several privately funded deep space probes.”

John smiled to himself, “Actually, Brian, I was referring to manned missions.”

“There haven’t been any manned missions further than low Earth orbit, since the Apollo missions,” Brian stated adamantly.

“Says who?” John asked simply.

“Our government,” Brian argued, waving his arms a bit, “News agencies.”

“Are you so convinced that your government wouldn’t lie to you? What about project blue book? How many years did the government deny the very existence of Area 51, before they were forced to admit to it? How can a ‘News Agency’ report something they are purposely kept in the dark about?”

Brian’s mouth moved like a fish out of water, while he tried to form an argument. He didn’t stop until Penny giggled at him. Then he forced his mouth shut, with an audible click of his teeth.

“Taking that to its logical conclusion, and assuming what I am saying is true, why would the government want to hide it from you? Why wouldn’t they want you to know that there is a privately funded settlement on ... let’s say, the moon?”

The proverbial light bulb went off over Paul’s head.

“If there was a colony somewhere other than here on Earth (using your example of the moon, for instance), there would be nothing to force the colony to accept the Earth’s governmental control over them. It took Tier One only five years to build a craft that was cheaper and more efficient than any NASA has been able to build in its forty-seven year history,” Paul mused. “So you continue to tell people it is not feasible If someone does manage to figure out how to do it; you cover it up. You mis-inform or dis-inform, so as to keep the public unaware, or at least, unbelieving.”

Brian looked at his father with renewed respect.

“That is, of course,” finalized Paul, “assuming that everything you are telling us is correct.”

“Would you like to find out first hand?”

Paul looked to his wife, who nodded hesitantly. Both Brian and Penny were nodding vigorously.

“Okay,” Paul said, “so what do we do now?”

“Right now, you and your family can follow Sam and I out to the ship.”

“What about personal items,” asked Martha?

“If you want to take a few minutes to pack a few personal mementoes, you are more than welcome; but anything you might need, from clothing to food to toothbrushes, will be provided for you.”

“Okay, then. We will head out with you, and see if anything you have been telling us is true,” Paul said.

John could tell by his expression, that Paul thought he had just called John’s bluff. He was now expecting John to back down. John stood, and started walking toward the door. As John went, he told Sam to bring the ship to the end of the walkway. He also asked her to ready a suite of rooms at the base. Each teen was to have their own bedroom. John was very happy that he had planned on multi-children families, when he designed some of the apartments.

Just outside the door, Paul stopped and said.

“Okay, now where is this ship of yours?” Paul said this with the confidence of someone who knew they were calling an obvious bluff.

“Sam,” John said, to gain her attention. He then looked pointedly at her PDA.

She took the hint nicely, and pretended to enter something into it. At the end of the walkway, the door of the cloaked ship slid open.

John heard one of the women gasp. He wasn’t quite sure which one, but thought it was Martha.

John walked confidently to the ship, and entered the opening. Sam followed. John stood to the side, and helped each person make the step up into the ship. John closed the hatch, and headed toward the flight console. He smiled when he saw that additional seats had been added.

When John stopped to talk to the Gosnells, he realized that they weren’t behind him any longer. They had barely entered the ship before stopping. Their eyes were darting around everywhere. They seemed to be trying to take everything in at once. John remembered that feeling, all too well. John finally got their attention. He gave them the ‘nickel tour’. He showed them the mess, the sleeping quarters, and finally returned to the flight console.

John sat in the pilot’s chair, and Sam took the navigator’s seat, next to him. It struck him as odd, at first. Then he realized that it would have looked strange to the Gosnells, for her to have remained standing during the flight. The Gosnells had each taken a seat, and Paul was frantically searching for some sort of seat belt.

“I can have seat belts installed for you,” Sam offered, “but we have inertial compensators, and artificial gravity, so they are quite unnecessary.”

“That’s impossible,” Paul protested.

Sam gave a light laugh, “What’s more impossible, Mister Gosnell? Inertial dampeners and artificial gravity, or you sitting in a ship preparing to go to the moon?”

“She has a point, Honey,” Martha chimed in.

John interrupted the small talk.

“Sam, bring up the main view screen. Split the screen in half, horizontally, showing fore and aft views.”

“Yes, Sir,” Sam replied, and typed on the keyboard in front of her.

John knew it was all for show, and was glad Sam understood that he didn’t want the Gosnells to know everything ... at least, not yet. John began typing on his own keyboard, and the drive started to cycle up.

“You know,” Paul started sounding a bit nervous. “Either this is real, or someone has gone to quite a bit of expense for a practical joke.”

John kicked in the anti-gravs. The lift off from the road was effortlessly un-noticeable. Normally, he would just anti-grav straight up, until he was in space. But there wasn’t much of a view doing it that way. He supposed that in the future he could have a video feed installed on the belly of the ship. John rotated the ship ninety degrees so the nose was toward the moon, and the tail toward the Earth.

Everyone but Brian was focused on the screens, as they watched the earth shrink in size behind them.

“Mister Whitmore, why don’t you use ‘hands on’ controls?”

“Brian, you can call me John. The new ship designs do have stick controls. We are also planning to experiment with direct cerebral interaction.”

“You can do that?” Brian asked amazed.

“We can’t do it yet, Brian,” John said with a laugh. “However, we hope to be able to do it in the near future.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

“I’m not trying to be a smart-ass, but what is it that you want to do, Brian?”

“I used to dream of being a space shuttle pilot. But after seeing this ship, I think I want to fly something like this.”

“If you think this is something, John mused, “just wait till you see the Valkyrie.”

“Sam, switch the view on the screen, so that the Moon’s surface is on ‘full screen’ mode.”

A moment of typing, and the screen was no longer split. The Gosnells were getting a good look at the moon. When they passed to the ‘dark side’, it was difficult to make out any details, because the moon phase was so close to full. John had Sam initiate the external lights. If anything, it made the moonscape look even more barren.

Before them was a cratered and desolate dry wasteland. It continued to the farthest reaches of the ship’s lights. When a section slid open, which was the huge base’s door, there were four collective gasps. It was getting more difficult to land inside the base. Four skeletal structures, and one nearly complete ship were sitting there now. John decided they were going to have to change things a bit.

The minute he was out of the ship, Brian was over at the Valkyrie checking it out.

Paul looked at John, “Is that...”

“Yes,” admitted John with a laugh, “It’s based on the Cylon fighters from the new Battlestar Galactica series.”

Paul laughed heartily for the first time since John had met him.

“Do you think I could ever get a little pilot time in something like that?”

“It is possible, though you might want to start out on something a little smaller, first. Normally, I would suggest you start out in a Wraith class, but we don’t have any built yet. Nor do we have any Griffin class built. So it is very possible you will get some time in the Scout class and the Chimera class.”

Paul seemed stunned that someone would be willing to let him fly anything so advanced.

“If you want, you can go up with me on the first test flight of the Valkyrie.”

“Thanks, but I think I will keep my feet on the ground until it is fully tested.”

“As you wish. For now, why don’t you all join me in the lounge.”

John led the way and everyone followed.

When everyone was settled, John moved to the front, so that he could be seen by them all.

“I know that I have thrown a lot at you tonight, but I’m not going to ask you to make a decision immediately. Instead, I’m going to ask if anyone wants some snacks before Sam shows you to your quarters.”

While Penny and Brian were requesting burgers, fries, pizza, and soft drinks;

Paul stood up, and raised his hand. Brian and Penny were immediately silenced.

“I think I can speak for the entire family when we say that we do believe that we are on the moon, and that I would be happy to accept the position you offered.”

This statement was affirmed by the nodding heads of Brian, Penny, and Martha.

“Well, I wasn’t expecting an answer ‘till tomorrow ... but if you are all certain, then it is time for you to know the rest. If, at the end of the story, you feel you want to leave and go back to Earth; I will take you back tomorrow morning. I would need you to vow secrecy, though.”

Paul helped John and Sam carry several trays of hamburgers, fries, pizza and soft drinks to the table.

While Paul and his family were eating, John shared the entire story with them. He started with his acquiring the ship from the Hruth, and went on to the base, and the plans to protect this system from outside influences. When he got to the part about the genetic enhancements, Paul’s hand shot up.

John pointed at him, and Paul stood.

“I assumed that you were simply a mature twenty-something hot-shot executive. But you aren’t in your middle twenties, are you?”

John chuckled.

“No. I’m actually past my mid forties.”

Brian and Penny’s hands shot up immediately.

“Relax,” Sam said calmly. “You two will not appear to be any younger if you take the enhancement.”

Both relaxed visibly, and lowered their hands.

“But you also won’t have to worry about blemishes, and the ‘growing pains’ you have been having will be muted quite a bit.”

John then shared with them his personal plans for the Area 51 trip, the landing on the White House lawn, and the probes to teach Galactic Standard to all the people of the Earth. He shared what was going to happen with the rain forests, the pollutants in the atmosphere, and even the renewal of the ozone layer. At the end of his description, Paul, who had been laughing, stood.

“John, normally I would do whatever I could to keep my family out of harms way. It sounds to me, however, that regardless of whether we stay here, or on Earth; we are going to be in harms way. I refuse to speak for my family about this. This will have to be a personal decision. Each of them will have to decide for themselves. However I, myself, would like to do what I can.”

Brian stood, “Count me in.”

Penny followed suit and said, “Me, too!”

Martha looked at John and asked, “Is there anything that I can do?”

John realized that she wanted to contribute, but didn’t know how.

“Martha, once again I’m not trying to be a smart ass, but what is it that you can do?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a bit of worry in her voice. “I have been a house wife and mother for the last eighteen years.”

Sam walked over and whispered into John’s ear.

Looking to Martha with a smile, he offered, “It sounds like you have just the qualifications we need for a housing coordinator.”

Martha looked at John hopefully, saying, “What would I have to do?”

“This base is set up to house fifty thousand people. Most of those will be families. I need someone to organize housing into groups such as pilots, engineers, programmers, etc. Then you simply meet the new people, and assign them housing according to number of people in their family. I will issue you a computer that will have a full set of floor plans. You will enter in who is housed where, so we can keep track of everyone.”

“Doesn’t sound much more difficult than running a household,” Martha said sounding more confident. “I accept. When do I start?”

“We can probably have you set up by tomorrow, but I’m not sure how soon we are going to start having a steady flow of people,” John said.

“Maybe Brian and Penny can give me a hand with the essay contest, tomorrow. I’m hoping the essays will lead me to the type of people I want on the base.”

Penny agreed immediately. Brian was a little reluctant until John assured him he would have the time to explore, and do whatever it was he wanted, as well.

John then explained what it had felt like when he had gone through the genetic altering, and how much better he felt now.

Sam soon escorted the family to their new quarters.

John knew she would be gone for a while, so he busied himself by reading some more of the essays. There were over five hundred of them, now. He was definitely going to need help with these. Before Sam reappeared, John had found a couple potential pilots, three engineers, and a structural designer.

When Sam returned she had a wide smile on her face.

“Seems you have a new admirer,” she said cryptically.

John looked up from his screen with a puzzled expression.

“All Penny could talk about, before the exhaustion of the new genetic sequencing overtook her, was you. Admiral, I should point out that the two of you have something more in common than just her crush on you. I was rather surprised to find that Penny was the only one in her family that had the area in her brain that could be called the ‘psychic center’ or ‘core’. It seems that the area in your mind I assumed was there because of the genetic differences between you and the Rhylertians, doesn’t occur in everyone. I understand that five people do not make a good basis for conjecture, but for the moment it can be assumed that only about forty percent of the population will have the ‘psychic core’.”

“Well, Sam, since we are speaking of these so-called psychic abilities, I first want to say thanks, again. You were right, or the information you read was right. It took a little effort, but I was able to shut out all of the static. Trust me, being so close to New York City, the noise was nearly deafening. For a moment I thought I was going to go insane, before I got the shield in place. I apologize if I frightened you when I collapsed to my knees. I guess I will have to spend a little time with Penny, and share the need for the shield with her.”

“Be careful, John. At her current emotional age, almost anything you do could be considered encouragement.”

“Sam, why did you say, ‘at her current emotional age’?”

“Admiral, as she learns and catches up to what a Rhylertian child of her age would know, she will begin to mature rapidly. It isn’t unusual for a Rhylertian to be emancipated as an adult between the ages of fourteen to sixteen, depending on how quickly they have reached a certain level of maturity. There is no set ‘nominal age’, as there is on Earth.”

John sat thoughtfully for a few minutes, it did make sense that the more intelligent you were, the more mature you would feel and act. John filed it away for future examination, and asked Sam to fill him in on more of the Rhylertian customs.

They spent the remainder of the evening in idle conversation. John mentioned wanting to learn some of the other languages, so that all of the recruits weren’t taken from English-speaking countries. He asked Sam to read through the essays that weren’t in English until that time. When John was ready to get some rest, he headed towards the ship. Sam stopped him before he got there, explaining that he now had Command quarters on the base.