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.