If all goes according to plan, we are now almost halfway through this story. I'm working on chapter 44 and I can see the end running towards me, arms outstretched, over the top of a hill covered with wild flowers.
I think I need more sleep.
24 Send in the Fleet
"Star Runner calling TK-421, over."
As well as Blue and the professor, Emerson had fetched Calla for their fathers call. If their mother was near the radio she would want to speak to her children.
"TK-421 this is Star Runner, over."
Maynard tried a few more times but with no luck at all.
"I don't understand it; there should always be someone on radio duty."
"I guess all you can do is keep trying Dad" Emerson shrugged.
"TK-421 why aren't you at your post? TK-421 do you copy?"
"TK-421 receiving Star Runner, over" the radio replied at last.
"Star Runner to TK-421; you are clear to proceed, over."
"TK-421 to Star Runner; we got tired of waiting. Fleet if now west of Christmas Island, over."
"Just as well we called or they could have sailed by miles off shore" Calla shrugged.
"Star Runner to TK421; there is a bay just south of Padang in West Sumatra. We will meet you there. Verify, over."
"TK421 to Star Runner; bay south of Padang in West Sumatra. We should be there in under 48 hours. Any final message, over?"
"Star Runner to TK-421; tell Ursula the kids and I are fine. Star Runner out."
"So we're heading out again?" Emerson asked.
"Looks like it so we'd better get that forestay fixed" Maynard admitted.
"Don't worry about it, I'll ask Sid and Amos to check it out" Willow Pascal offered as she approached the group.
"Does this mean you've finished priming the explosives?" Professor Adisa asked hopefully.
"Just give the word and block your ears" Willow grinned.
"Are you really going to blow the ship up?" Calla asked in amazement and was not happy when Willow laughed.
"Not the whole ship little one, just a door about fifteen metres wide in the centre of the bow" Professor Adisa explained as he tussled Calla's hair (just like older people tend to do) "The flattest section of the bow was built for just this purpose and was constructed with explosive bolts."
"And when it blows, you'll see what my team has been working on since we got here" Willow added.
All the vehicles were moved back to the Linwoods camp and everyone gathered behind the small truck just in case of any unexpected flying shrapnel.
"Are you sure the Star Runner will be safe moored alongside the ship?" Maynard fretted.
"Certainly" Amos reassured the captain of the small vessel "It would only be at risk if it was in front of the blast zone but your yacht is behind and to the side."
"That's right" Sid added "the only danger is..."
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Willow cried out.
"Wait; the only danger is what?" Maynard panicked.
Before anyone could answer him, a countless series of dull thuds filled the air and even made the truck vibrate.
"Hurry up if you want to see it go" Willow said as she sprinted out.
Calla watched in awe at the seventy metre wide bow, as a tall section of the centre creaked, groaned and eventually fell onto the sand with a loud crash.
"Cool" she remarked "Doom would love to have seen that."
"Doom?" Blue asked.
"Harriet Doom; weird girl who Calla seems to admire for some reason" Emerson explained.
"She's a lot cooler than you two" Calla insisted "just don't call her Harriet to her face unless you want a blood nose."
"So what was the 'only danger' you were talking about?" Maynard asked Sid.
"Hardly matters now" the engineer shrugged and smiled.
"Okay Amos; start the motors" Willow ordered.
From within the tall rectangular hole in the ship, a tall ramp emerged accompanied by even more creaks, groans and crashes. As it slowly dropped it began to unfold from the top so as it gently settled on the ground, it ended up twice as long as the hole it had come from. Once it had settled, everyone began to walk back as Jeana Davy brought the truck.
"I'm sure glad I stayed to see that" Blue grinned as he walked.
"Why aren't you still sitting in the shade, recuperating?" Linton scolded the young man.
"I'm feeling much better now" Blue declared.
"I just wish Doctor Vieira was here" the professor sighed.
Everyone in the group felt like they were walking up a massive tongue and into the mouth of a giant beast as the sound of their feet echoed off the metal ramp. What the Linwoods saw inside was not what they expected. It was hard not to imagine the inside of the ship being like a giant empty space with cargo and vehicles on the floor level; but what greeted them was a wall of giant containers, crates and unrecognisable dark shapes reaching almost fifty metres high.
"Just as I remember it" Professor Adisa sighed.
"So what exactly do you have in here?" Maynard asked.
"Everything we need" Willow nodded "Among the items too numerous to list are more parts for the railgun, materials and machinery for various manufacturing projects, six expandable habitats and four 5000 kilowatt VASIMR plasma rockets and two complete lifting body orbiters."
"I like to think I have a lifting body" Emerson flexed his muscles till his sister punched him in the gut.
"We still need to unload this equipment and verify if it's still usable, but now is the time to ask Mr. Linwood; do you think your friends would be interested in considering a far safer destination than the northern hemisphere?"
"You're not joking about this are you? You're really talking about going to Mars" Maynard looked at Linton sideways.
"I am indeed" Linton grinned.
"It's been fifteen years and we've been sending regular supplies and equipment" Sid noted "so the base must have expanded enough to allow more evacuees."
"But those new evacuees would arrive on Mars with embarrassing questions about why Earth was kept in the dark for so many years" Amos added.
"I'm beginning to get a sinking feeling about our plans" Sarah realised "If the Council members here and on Mars lied to us, they may be desperate to keep us from finding out."
"Yes and when Neville Sage told me to stay locked inside the complex, unwarranted secrecy was one of the first things I thought about" Professor Adisa admitted.
"I just thought of something horrible; excuse me everyone" Sarah motioned the professor to a private conversation.
"What if they told Luis Dias his son had died with his wife? Could that be the reason no message was ever sent to us about Blue?"Sarah whispered.
"You may have hit the proverbial nail square on the head" Linton noted "Time for me to call Mars again."
Willow and her team stayed to keep working on the ships systems while Sarah drove the others back to the complex. The Linwood men were looking forward to seeing the base where Calla had been spending her time.
It had not taken long for the people of the complex to start setting themselves up outside, and a small cleared parking area was slowly filling up with trucks and equipment. Sarah made a brief stop so Linton could request road building equipment be given restoration priority before they continued down the tunnel and into the complex.
"Professor, could we have a word please?" there were three people who made this request when the vehicle stopped.
"Sorry to tell you this but some of us won't be staying and a few have already left" the spokes person of the group declared.
"After fifteen years living and working here, I can't say I'm surprised; where will you go?" Linton asked.
"Some just want to find a nice place on the surface nearby, others are thinking about leaving the country altogether."
"I can't say I blame them" Linton sighed "See if you can get them to give me a few days to get organised, then we'll see what we can do about helping them. I'll be heading south to Padang soon to meet up with the friends of the Linwoods; you may be able to gain passage north with them."
"Thanks Professor; we're prepping some vehicles now but we'll give you some time and will let you know before we leave."
Sarah noticed the professor was deep in thought as they strode towards the communications centre.
"I had a feeling this may happen" he said at last.
"People leaving?" Sarah checked.
"Indeed but after years of confinement and service, it's to be expected."
No sooner had Linton walked through the comms center door, when he was leapt on by the duty officer.
"There you are Professor; Premier Roux has been trying to contact you for hours."
"Yes I was hoping she would have been" he smiled "What did you tell her?"
"Just that you were very busy at the moment and we were trying to find you."
"You didn't mention the ship?" Linton crossed his fingers they hadn't.
"We didn't even say you were outside the complex" the comms officer grinned knowingly.
"Good; time to have some fun."
Linton sat down at the computer and took in the thread between his people and Mars. The exchange started out very cordial but descended into polite frustration as the hours went by. After he had finished reading, he started to type.
'Linton Adisa standing by; Good morning Premier Roux.'
"There we go; simple and friendly."
"Aren't you going to tell her anything?" Sarah asked in surprise.
"Yes but Olive is going to have to wring it out of me."
"So you will tell her about the ship Professor?"
"Hell no" he stated adamantly "I want to see how helpful Mars will be and how desperate they are."
"Desperate for supplies?"
"Desperate to keep their secrets intact; the problem is I don't know the extent of those secrets so I'll just have to see if I can say anything to upset Olive and the Council."
"Wonderful to be talking to you after all these years Linton. Your people tell me you have been very busy even though you have reached the end of your supply launch capabilities. What have you been up to?"
"Short, polite and to the point; time to throw in a flash/bang" Linton could not stop grinning.
"What's a flash/bang?" Calla asked and was pleased to see Blue didn't know.
"It's a type of grenade" Sarah informed them "Bright light and a big noise with almost no damage; they're used to stun an enemy for a short time."
"So this Olive Roux is your enemy?" Maynard wondered.
"I hope not, but it is precisely what we have to find out" Linton noted as he typed.
"Sorry I was not available Olive; I was organising the reopening of the complex. Even though Sage suggested we stay down here, many people including myself just want to see the sun and breathe the air again."
"Not much of a grenade" Sarah shrugged.
"I haven't thrown it yet" Linton grinned "I've just pulled the pin."
"April's son in particular is really looking forward to seeing everything up top for the first time. Perhaps now we are in contact again, Luis would like to speak to his boy."
"And BOOM!" Linton cried out as he hit send.
"I'm going to speak to my father?" Blue was plainly in shock.
"I hope so, but it depends on if the Mars Council will allow it" Linton revealed.
"Professor Adisa; what have you done?" Sarah was shocked at Linton's lack of tact.
The Professor suddenly became precisely aware of what he was doing; without realising it, he had used Blue's unenviable position to force Olive Roux into a corner. If Luis Dias was permitted to speak to his son all would be well but if not, Blue would be devastated.
"Oh my boy, I am so sorry" Linton gasped "I just wasn't thinking of how my actions would affect you."
"What do you mean Professor? I would love to talk to my father."
Linton Adisa's head dropped as he tried to find the words to explain the problem but fortunately, Sarah found the words Linton could not.
"Sometimes when you get old and the worries of two worlds weigh heavily on your shoulders, you do stupid things like inadvertently using a person's emotions to manipulate someone else without thinking about the consequences" she told Blue.
"Yes; I really am very sorry" Professor Adisa restated.
"So I won't get to... excuse me."
Blue hurried from the room with Sarah close behind.
"Oh I am such an idiot" Linton sighed as he dropped his head into his hands.
(Sigh) I can't believe I put so much prattle at the start of this chapter for the sake on one bad Star Wars joke (Sigh again).