Chapter 3
August 3rd, 2003
Cape Canaveral, FL
Two men and a woman are standing behind two boys and a girl.
The tallest
man is
named Valerius McCloude to his right is his wife Zoey and on the left is his older brother Zarak.
In front of his wife is his daughter Jennifer(Jen), next to her is her twin Jason(Jase), and next to
him is their older brother Thomas(Tommy).
They are here to witness the rocket launch since
Jason and his friend Billy are the obese who sent the design anonymously.
Billy a=was not able
to make it
since he had an experiment
to run that was more important than seeing the rocket
launch since they already know it will work.
As they are waiting for the launch Tommy notices a man approach the guard and after a
bout
a minute or
two the guard walks away.
Tommy nudges his brother
saying "hey Jase
something weird is happening under your rocket."
Jason looks to where his brother is indicating in time to see the man now alone pick up a
large something and take it
under the rocket.
About
ten minutes later the man gets out from
under the rocket without the case and walks off with a camera in his hands.
Jason says "that is weird we should check it out."
As they are about to jump the fence that they are in front of the adults say at the same time "oh
no you are not going to go to the rocket it could launch any time."
Jason responds "but there could be a bomb"
Zarak says "it is probably nothing just a tech doing a final check.
Jen asks "then why leave the case under the rocket and what was in the case?"
The adults look at
each other and Valerius says 'ok, stay here and I will
have security
check it out with my federal
badge. I should be able to get them to do so.
But do not go to that
rocket, am I understood? Jason?"
Jason gives an insulted look asking "why name me specifically? Valerius just looks at
him,
Jason says "ok ok i
promise not to go to the rocket"
in his head he thinks of course that
does not mention the platform the rocket is on.
Valerius looks at his son for another moment, sighs and walks away.
About twenty minutes later Valerius returns looking very annoyed when he gets there he
says "stupid guard refused to even hear me out."
At
that
time there is an announcement
over the PA stating "the rocket
will
be launching in t
minus 10 minutes.
The plan for the rocket
is to get
the shuttle out of the atmosphere before
taking the shuttle to the edge of
the solar
system.
Before returning to earth tomorrow if
everything works the way it should."
On the PA "t minus 8 minutes"
Jason looks at
his dad with a requesting look Valerius says "fine go i
will
use it as an
excuse to follow"
Jason smiles and the three kids jump the fence and start running toward the
rocket.
It
does not
take long for security to notice the three kids.
They radio up to delay the
launch and start chasing after them. Over the PA " T minus 5 minutes"
At
that
announcement
the three adults jump the fence.
Zarak and Zoey assist
the
guards in going after Tommy and Jen while Valerius goes after Jason.
After the two kids are
caught Zoey says "gentlemen i
am so sorry for causing the launch issues they will be punished
accordingly."
James says "thank you for helping us catch them and I understand they are children but
this is a serious issue."
as he says the PA says t minus 2 minutes.
James continues "we should
move where it is safe"
Zoey says "wait I have another son who jumped the fence we still need to catch him and
she points towards the rocket
where Jason has almost
reached it.
With Valerius closing the
distance quickly.
James gasps "shit!" grabs his radio and says "abort launch repeat abort launch there is a
kid by the rocket i repeat there is a kid by the rocket!"
Over the PA at minus 1 minute and at this time the rocket starts powering on.
And over
the radio a woman says "what
do mean there is a kid by the rocket?!" " We have 40 seconds
before launch."
"we may not have time to abort but we will try"
At this time Jason makes it to the platform where he hears "HELP STOP THE LAUNCH I
AM UNDER HERE!
STOP SOMEONE PLEASE STOP THE ROCKET!
His eyes go wide and
he sprints faster under the rocket.
He sees a blonde girl around his age tied down under the rocket. He pulls a pocket knife
and starts cutting the rope on her closest wrist.
As Valerius gets there and sees the situation as
Jason finishes on the 1st
rope and moves to the other wrist and the girl
trying to until
one leg
with one hand he moves to the other leg and starts cutting.
PA says t minus 30 seconds."
Valerius cuts through his 1st rope and Jason finishes the 2nd wrist and they both move
toward the last rope.
"T minus 20 seconds."
Valerius stops cutting and grabs the girl who he can tell is malnourished.
PA "t minus 15
seconds" once Jason cuts the last rope and winces. He and Valerius sprint to get as far from the
platform as possible. They get out from under the rocket PA "t minus 10 seconds"
as they"9" get
"8" to "7: edge "6" of platform "5" and leap "4" and roll
"3" in the grass into "2" a dead sprint "1"
away "AND WE HAVE LIFT OFF"
the three people get blasted by the force off there fee and are
thrown about 15 yards and land in another roll.
As the guards and family run over to check on them Valerius puts the girl down and yells
"get an ambulance now"
James gets on the radio "we need an emergency crew now.
The rocket launch threw
some people"
The woman from earlier says "they are on there way now"
while Zarak moves in saying "move i'm a doctor." Go check on Jason he is bleeding"
pulling a flashlight out of his pocket he starts triage on the girl.
Zoey already had moved to her son, looks at the blood and it is dripping off his hand.
He
says "sorry, I cut myself moving to quick to cut the ropes binding her to the concrete.
I will
be
fine."
Zarak says "She has been abused terribly and is very malnourished.
We need to get her
to an emergency room immediately."
James
replies
"Look,
the ambulance is
almost
here.
I
also see the secondary
emergency vehicle that can take care of the cut."
Once the ambulance arrives and the EMTs get
a briefing on the medical
issues Zarak
loads the girl
on a stretcher
and helps load it
into the ambulance then gets in showing his
medical
license.
As the ambulance takes off the other EMT from the second emergency vehicle
takes a look at the cut and determines while the cut is not long and it is not deep and should be
fine as it has already stopped bleeding.
Though they did notice that there was more blood then
what the cut should have been since it already stopped.
The McCloude family after meeting with NASA officials and being told they don't have to
worry about
being in trouble for
hopping the fence and that
the girl
in hospital
has been
identified but
due to the open investigation can not
reveal
more than her
family has been
notified and that doctors say she will make a full recovery.
