Jack and Jill IV
Chapter 35
They each had a day bag containing a change of clothes and anything they thought they might need. Rick's contained a spare catheter and urine bag that Kate had added to his.
Now they were all out waiting next to the single golf driving range that even had a putting green with a flag and everything. None of them played golf but it was a nice wide open space where a helicopter could land.
The last month had been a fury of events. Between the United States and Russia, they had managed to shoot down twenty-nine ships out of thirty shots. The Weave had watched it all and since their scanners were better they knew number thirty was damaged, just not severely. Still twenty-eight earlier and twenty-nine this time out of an original two hundred twelve ships, this planet was doing damage. And finding out that it took them only a month to eliminate all three hundred thousand plus troops that had landed the first time, the Amplitur hadn't done much since then.
They, like the Weave, were in shock. This had never happened in their history for either side. That was followed by a conversation between the President of the United States and a representative of the Weave.
It had taken a month. They had to move not just people around for this extraordinary meeting which had never taken place in the history of the human race, but also the U. S. had moved ships around to make sure nothing went wrong. As a result there were now two aircraft carriers and their support ships as well as a few attack submarines in the area. When the Weave shuttle was spotted on radar each carrier would launch a third of their combined flight wings for air cover. The attack submarines had orders to monitor any and all ships that came anywhere near close. An F/A-18 Hornet would be assigned to it and blow it out of the water. Ask questions later, if at all.
So now they were all waiting for a helicopter to pick them up and take them out to one of the two aircraft carriers far out to sea. They heard it before they saw it and suddenly it was there, almost hovering before landing on the golf driving range since it was the largest space they had that was devoid of trees.
"CH-124 Sea King. Not a Black Hawk." Jayne was interested in this. He was betting it had lots of space inside.
They watched it land. A side door opened and a sailor in uniform, life jacket, helmet, and ear protection jumped out and jogged straight at them. "My orders are to load you all up and take you out to the carrier." Then he saw Rick sitting in his electric wheelchair. "Is the chair coming also?"
"Yes," Storm told him.
"You're first, if you'll follow me?" He started walking and Rick made his chair move and rolled after him. This sailor picked him up and put him on the edge of the opening. Another young man pulled him in, sat him down in a corner, and moved back for the chair. One by one they each boarded the helicopter. They were all sitting on the floor save for the sailors with them. They were each sitting on their feet. One of them moved his mic into position and a second later they began to lift off the ground.
Flying in a helicopter was nothing like flying in a jet. It was so totally different except for Storm and Jayne. Between them they both knew Jayne could fly this thing if it came to it.
oOo
They more felt the helicopter land than saw it and a moment later the door opened and someone dressed mostly in yellow was at the door. He pointed at Alexis. "You're first." He helped her down onto the flight deck. He shouted at her so he could be heard. "Go where this man in blue takes you. Do not leave his side for any reason. Are we clear?" Alexis nodded and went across the deck toward the superstructure, through a tight doorway, and she had to step over a threshold.
"Wait right here," he told her and he was gone.
One by one, with Rick dead last, they were now in a hallway with an armed Marine and a single sailor. "Follow me, please," the sailor instructed and they all moved easily even with Rick in Storm's arms since he had insisted on carrying him instead of letting Kate. Rick's chair was still out on the flight deck. It hadn't even made it past the first door let alone the ones that followed or any stairs.
Storm carried him through other doors and down a set of stairs till they entered a conference room and saw people they all knew well.
Alexis walked over to greet her. "Madam Secretary."
Elizabeth introduced their host. "I believe you recognize everyone here. This is Captain Randy Peck, Commanding Officer of the John C. Stennis. He has graciously allowed us to use his ship."
"I couldn't pass up a day like this. It might be the only chance I get to see an alien. I'm not passing that up." Captain Peck left them and walked over to where Storm put Rick in a chair.
Peck apologized for his ship. "Naval ships are not designed for people with a disability. We will try and make your stay as comfortable as possible, Mr. Castle."
"Nonsense. I'm on an aircraft carrier," Rick said and buttered him up. "Is there any better ship?"
"I'll keep my eye on you, Mr. Castle. You're after my job," Peck chuckled. But they all knew he wasn't. "Now we wait for our guests. If you'll pardon me I'll be on the bridge." He left them to go back to being captain of his ship.
"So why an aircraft carrier?" Alexis questioned when she was close to just about everyone.
"Security mostly. About a third of our combined air wing is flying patrol with carrier based refueling taking place as well as two carrier based AWACS. The Russians, as helpful as they have actually been, nor any Chinese ships or aircraft are anywhere near here," Dennis, who was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs began to explain.
"It's not that we don't trust them, but we really don't trust them. We even have several attack submarines securing the area of any ship. Will we share what we learn with them? Probably, but only after we've analyzed all of it first.
"What we need is to figure out what the Weave wants to do. We have plans to attack still more ships and if we can't figure out whose ships are whose, the Weave might be best to stay where they are," he warned.
Just then Jack appeared. "A Weave shuttle has been launched. They are launching other shuttles that are decoys." He vanished after announcing that.
That had Dennis attempting to find a phone to talk to the captain. None of them wanted some F/A-18 shooting this plane down or have some naval ship firing a missile.
oOo
Dennis answered the phone. "Target is in sight," he told everyone and hung up the phone. Now they all had to wait.
No one in the conference room would see it or at least not until it landed. Everyone else did and what they saw was nothing they had ever dreamed up. Never seen in any science fiction movie. Not any of them.
It made no sound. It looked like it was made up a triangles; it kind of glowed a little and reflected everything. It actually had a pyramid look to it except it looked nothing like that glass pyramid out in Las Vegas. This looked more pieced together instead of a true pyramid.
It just sat there for a few minutes. Then a wall opened up and while the armed Marines on the deck wanted to level their weapons at it, they also had their orders. Terrible things could happen to them if they did something stupid.
The first three out of it looked like, well like, vampires. Or part werewolf and part vampire and all three were armed with weapons larger than their M-16s. Yet all they did was step to one side and didn't move again. However, they did have their weapons at the ready.
The next one out had to bend way down and once he was outside he stood upright. He was easily eight feet tall. He, she, or it had a little glow to him. They could see right into him and saw internal organs and veins pushing around blood. He had no real face. A torso, two arms, two legs, and a head, yes. Just no face and not a single strand of hair anywhere. So far as anyone could tell he/she/it was naked.
The exec was waiting for him. He swallowed hard and walked over to him. "I am Commander Mark Fleury. It is my privilege to escort you to the conference room. If you will follow me, please?" He pivoted, started to walk, then turned around to make sure he was being followed.
"No one will approach your ship," Fleury informed him and was satisfied that he was being followed. "I will apologize for the doors now." This being was tall and he was going to be bending down a lot.
Fleury went through doors, down a set of stairs, and knocked first before entering. "Our guest." He stepped to one side and everyone watched as he bent way down and walked into the room. He/she/it remained bent since the ceiling height in the conference room varied depending on where he stood. There was ductwork and piping, however, even the highest part of the room didn't quite allow him to stand upright.
Jack and Jill instantly materialized. Everyone saw them hold their hands together and bow deeply before standing. Then Jack started speaking in a language none of them understood or had ever heard in any movie.
Their guest responded in the same language. "This is Admiral…. His name does not translate. You can call him Bill. He doesn't not speak any of your languages so either Jill or I will translate," Jack told them all.
"Can you introduce all of us to him, please?" Chuck, the Vice President, requested.
"Of course." Jack proceeded to do just that and they knew this since while the language he used was his, they could hear their names in English, guessing their names didn't translate well either.
Bill was still bent way over but he walked straight to Rick and reached out a hand to him.
"Place your hand on his. It is a greeting," Jack told Rick who did just that. The action was repeated with Kate. Then Bill found an open chair and sat down.
"Why just us?" Kate whispered since Jill was close.
"You two are our owners so he greeted you and us," Jill answered.
"Oh!" Kate said in surprise.
Then Bill began talking and stopped. "He wants one of you to explain in your language how you have managed to thwart being invaded by the Amplitur. No other race has managed to do what you have done in such a short time," Jack relayed.
The Vice President called on the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs to explain. "Dennis."
Dennis cleared his throat and went ahead with his explanation, that with the warning Jack and Jill had provided they had distributed all of their forces to cover as much of the planet as they could.
The plan was to let the first ground forces to land so they knew where the reinforcements would then land and attack their drop ships with what was available. Then ground forces followed and hunted down what was left after sending missiles and fighter bombers.
That was followed by digging holes, placing thermonuclear devices at the bottom of the holes, filling the holes with water, and capping each hole. The blast then launched the cap at over 125,000 miles per hour and damaged and destroyed a total of fifty-seven ships with an unknown number of others damaged out of two hundred twelve ships in total.
They were already digging holes to destroy even more ships in orbit.
That had Jack translating for a while. When Jack was done it was quite difficult to tell just what Bill was thinking. He looked the way Jack and Jill presently looked and it was impossible to tell, given that none of them had a face. Hell even how they spoke at all was difficult to comprehend.
"Is he still alive?" Chuck inquired since Bill didn't move and said nothing.
Finally Bill began talking, requiring Jack to translate. "You attacked the enemy of the Weave. He wants to know if you are aligning yourselves with the Weave because of this action."
That was a question for Chuck. "I have the authority from the President of the United States to state that yes, our country is willing to align ourselves with the Weave. However I cannot speak for any other nation on the planet." No other nation even knew the Weave was sending anyone.
Jack had to explain just how many nations this planet was split up into. That told Bill he needed to talk to many people on this planet.
Then Bill began speaking again. "He is authorized to provide your nation some technological advantages, how to make those pieces, and help you manufacture them. He is also offering methods to enhance your agricultural situation. To increase production and grow crops where you never have before," Jack explained.
"Sounds good." Chuck was pleased. "Just how is this exchange going to take place?" Talking was nice but exactly how was this going to happen?
"It is on the computer in his shuttle," Jack stated. "All I have to do is access the shuttle with his permission and transmit this information to a location of your choice."
"Oh." Chuck blinked. Now he needed to think fast about where to send that information. "NASA, unless someone else has a better location?" He looked around at everyone.
He could suggest the CIA since that organization had the biggest computer on the planet, not knowing Jack or even Jill were even more powerful. And Jack had already infiltrated every computer he could and no one had noticed.
"NASA doesn't know this information is coming," Madam Secretary pointed out. "What if they find it and delete it?" She doubted that but what if?
"Radio call from the radio room," the lone naval admiral in the room suggested.
"Or I can. Who do you want to talk to?" Jack queried and a moment later Chuck was explaining what was being sent to them and to guard that computer with their lives.
"Done." Jack had accessed and sent it all in almost no time. They had all gotten used to what Jack and Jill were capable of.
Then Bill lowered the boom on Rick and Kate though they didn't know it yet.
Jack's response that Rick would lose the ability to even move if he was removed didn't faze Bill in the least.
"Jack, what was all that?" Madam Secretary questioned since it all took place in a language they didn't understand.
"Jill and I have our orders. Once the Amplitur fleet has been dealt with and is no longer an issue, Jill and I will be needed elsewhere since there are other systems for the Weave to investigate and perhaps find more allies."
Kate erupted instantly. "NO!" She jumped up and those that saw it noticed Bill lean back a little. He clearly wasn't expecting anyone to do this. "Tell him NO!" Kate demanded of Jack. "Rick will go back to being a quadriplegic."
Rick sort of knew this day was coming. "Kate."
"DON'T KATE ME! I love you and I'm not letting you go back to the way you were. I'm not. …Tell him!" Kate looked at Alexis and pointed at Bill. She needed and wanted some support in this.
"What options is he willing to offer?" Alexis asked since she was like her dad. She knew this day was coming even if it wasn't right here, right now. The Amplitur weren't gone yet.
"OPTIONS?" Kate suddenly remembered an idea. "You said a very technological race made you two. They could make a simple computer with the ability to repair Rick and keep him that way. Are they willing to make at least one? Maybe two or even three or more?" Kate was suddenly thinking of Alexis and Jayne since Alexis was sleeping with him and Kate wagered she was falling for him. She didn't see Alexis being one of those women that could separate love and sex. For Alexis she was betting they went together. It had for her.
"Ask him!" Kate stood there and stared between Jack and Bill and listened to Jack speak in a strange language. Then suddenly there was silence.
"And?" Kate hadn't felt pain like this since her mother had died followed by her dad killing himself with alcohol. Kate could feel tears starting. This was her future they were talking about. "Please?" She looked right at Bill and stood there staring at him.
Then finally Bill spoke and that had Kate looking at Jack for the translation and couldn't take the wait.
"There are so few of us so we can not be left behind. There are still systems that have not yet been scouted. The Amplitur reached this one first and they want to prevent that next time.
Jack explained part of what Bill had said. "For you two to keep us you will have to undertake that mission. Become members and representatives of the Weave to other planets. Planets that might be even less advanced than this planet is. Equal or more advanced is also possible. But they will be aliens. You two need to think about that. You two will also require training in how to represent the Weave."
"I can help if you've got room for me," Madam Secretary offered. "My husband died over three years ago and our two children are long since grown and have their own families. They don't need me but if you agree to do this you might need me."
"I can't fly a spaceship. I've never even been in space before." Kate saw a problem with that plan.
"Depending on the ship it can fly itself or either Jill or myself can pilot it. You two will be required to do all the physical maintenance. If something breaks you get to fix it. We will know what needs to be done but you two will have to do the work."
"We explain, show you like we show ourselves and point," Jill clarified. "We will show you each step but one of you has to do it."
Rick was silent; Kate was looking at him but couldn't read him. It reminded her to never play poker with him unless maybe it was strip poker and even then everyone won.
"What about my idea with what to replace you two?" Kate asked.
"It is not up to him and neither is having you two as representatives of the Weave. He will need to send communications to get an answer. This answer might be someone needing to come and teach you," Jack told her.
"Well SHIT!" Kate sat back down dejected.
"He didn't say no, Kate," Rick said quietly.
"Yes, he did! We're murdering, human, backward aliens to him. He just wants soldiers to fight in their damn war." Kate felt defeated.
Chuck looked at his friend. "Elizabeth?"
"I'll teach you. How long before someone shows up to teach them how to represent the Weave?" Elizabeth, the Secretary of State, questioned, looking at Jack.
Jack broke it to them. "Approximately one month if someone can be found immediately and how far away this person is. It might be closer to three given where your system is located and where our main planets are located."
"And our ship?" Kate inquired. "Let me guess, really tiny with bunk beds and no place to live."
"That I cannot answer. It depends on what is available and what race made it. It might be similar in size to the ship the Amplitur came here in," Jill responded.
"That ship. We're going to be raising it tomorrow and shipping it to Norfolk Naval Base. Once we have it open, have toured it, and begun examining it we will invite other nations as we promised, starting with certain NATO nations. Eventually Brazil, Turkey, and Japan will be invited to tour it and take all the pictures they wish," Chuck apprised them.
"Even scientists from Russia, China, and Israel will be helping us. That took a lot of explaining to the President but he's bought in so far." Chuck, and even more so Elizabeth, wasn't sure just when he would change his mind. He was still asking where Jack and Jill were now.
The problem with that was now they knew exactly where the Castle compound was and the President was going to learn where it was eventually. He was the Commander in Chief so they all did what he wanted but Elizabeth worried.
Kate got up and leaned down to Rick. "What do we do?"
"Keep our options open." Rick tucked her hair behind her ear and caressed her cheek. "What else is there to do?"
Kate groaned and looked at everyone till finally she landed on Elizabeth. "We're only using three of the nine bedrooms. You can even have the cottage that's to the north. It can be all yours. We have laundry but you're going to need a swimsuit. We mostly live at the pool."
"You need to like dogs too. We have four puppies that we had to leave behind all alone to come here," Alexis added. "Did we close the door to the bedroom?" Alexis looked at Jayne who shook his head. "Our poor bed." Alexis hung her head.
"I'll find a way. If you decide to do this you're also going to be representatives of the human race so I need to teach you." Elizabeth was actually looking forward to it.
"Can you use a weapon? In three months time this planet is likely to be nuts and someone's going to find us," Storm warned her.
"I'll bring what I can. Make a list. Give me a week and I'll be there," Elizabeth assured Storm.
"Tell him to send someone to train us then send us a ship. If we fail to meet his expectations we fall back on plan B and demand simpler versions of you, two at the very least." Kate looked at Rick who nodded.
"I hope we're up for this, babe. You need to be walking by then," Kate told him.
Jack informed Bill who immediately replied. "He has agreed to send someone to train you and find out what ships are available. He will also ask about your plan B but none of this is up to him," Jack translated.
They still had a lot to talk about: What the Weave expected out of them; they wanted to know more about the Weave; what was out there in the Milky Way Galaxy. No one was going home for hours.