Читать книгу Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Weddings - Darryl Dean Wright - Страница 7

He was in the bathroom of the White House straightening his tie and looking in the mirror. He scratched behind his ear where he had a small scar. He left the bathroom and entered the wardroom where everybody was waiting on him. As the President sat down, everybody said either hello or good afternoon to him. He was giving everyone a tolerant lopsided grin.

He asked if the admiral had located the Turtle but the admiral was hesitating. Then Admiral Moore started with a 'no', and went on to say, "We think they've gone back to the planet Kess, Sir. We've sent Admiral Foreman and our best Navy Seals to kill the Houstons and set a flag on the planet in the name of UNOE (United Nations of Earth), but Sir, are you sure that this is what you want? They embarrassed us, but what they have given us and done for us also makes them reliable allies. I think you should reconsider the plan."

The President in anger said, "I don't care what you think, Admiral, I want that ship!" Then he calmed down some, cleared his throat, and addressed the entire table, "With that ship we can protect Earth from all enemies, alien and domestic. It would also give us thousands more ships from the Turtle's Fleet. I'm sure that would make you happy, Admiral. And as I understand it, they carry with them the universe's currency. I'm sure that that would make you happy, Mr. Treasurer, now wouldn't it?" The Treasurer nodded his head but didn't say anything.

General Wayne asked, "The planet Kess is so far away how will we know if the assassination went our way? I don't want to assume, and I do not like to wait."

President Paul said, "We are going to hope for the best and prepare for the worse. Send out recall activation for any troops onboard the Turtle. If they refuse, it is called desertion. Close down Houston Inc., and freeze their accounts; call it National Security reasons. Have the Army go around and arrest and detain all the family members of anyone we know on the Turtle, General. This way we hold all the cards and everything that's dear to them. And, Admiral, arrest and shoot that criminal JR Houston on our defense platform. It's long overdue. We'll take all of his ships too, and I believe he owns a Turtle ship. That will be our first objective. It has Turtle tech that will help us with defense in case the Seals don't succeed." He said all that in unrepentant pleasure.

Most of the people there at the table could not believe their ears, but they were afraid to object.

The Asian commander took the floor and asked the President about contingencies for all of the U.F.O. sightings around the globe. The President said, as he put invisible quotation marks in the air, "You mean 'alleged' sightings, and I'm not going to worry until ED in space or our jets can catch one. He started laughing and the General joined in with him.

A week later, "Yeah, they arrested Mother, and they have a warrant out for my arrest too, but my people and I are underground. We're safe for the moment, so don't worry about me. Oh, and the government has shut down Houston Inc. They have arrested Noah's and Kirk's moms too, so I'm pretty sure that they are coming after you," Mary Houston said effusively.

JR said to his sister, "Somebody grew a pair, but thanks for the warning. I can't help anybody on Earth, and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I need my brothers and their Turtle to rescue everybody. Last I heard, they are in-between galaxies right now, so I guess I'll pack up my things and head for Kess where me and my boys will be safe until I meet up with them. Until then, be safe and take care, Mary."

He turned off his smart phone and went to the lounge with his lizard squad escort of twelve lizards that always went wherever he went for his protection, not just because of his aberrant behavior, but because he was their king, and being this far from home was the price they paid for eternal vigilance.

When he arrived only one pirate was there banging on a vending machine and cursing at it. JR said, "Veins, as much as you get paid, you can't afford a snack?"

Veins angrily spewed out, "It took my last token, Boss, and I didn't bring any more."

JR said, "Does the air taste funny?" It wasn't a question; it was pirate code for "We need to retreat."

Veins' eyes grew big but he remained calm, and just like it was rehearsed, he said to JR to acknowledge him, "I can't taste anything." And then the congregation broke up.

JR nodded and went back to his quarters to pack his things. He had his lizard squad put everything onboard his Turtle ship, the King, as Veins went to chat with the pirates.

While they did that, JR went to the computer room where he locked down the sickbay and the ED barracks on the asteroid belt defense platform. He also sent a coded message to the new Jupiter Station Two for Commander Winston's eyes only. It simply said, "They changed their minds. Stay away from the asteroid field for a while. I will also be taking your Caprice for a bit. Goodbye, JR."

Then JR took out a special mother-board and replaced the one that was used on the platform with it. His nephew, Kirk, had specifically built it for that instance hoping it would never have to be used. Because of the circumstances, any ship with life-forms would now be fired on with extreme prejudice.

The pirates had a list of special prisoners that JR would take with him if they ever had to abandon the platform and one of Jupiter's moons, Europa. There was no sense in them dying if it came to that, and they were useful, helpful … and some of them … pretty.

There was a Turtle outpost on one of Saturn's moons, Titan, but if a bunch of ships took off to Saturn it would definitely be noticed by Earth Defense. Right then it was a secret the Houstons did not want ED to know about.

He was sitting on his throne when he ordered his ship and thirty Trex ships to launch. His A.I., who used to be a futuristic Nano-Kirk, would do all of the flying for all the ships to Kess. They could not take any of the many Leonsian ships with them, so JR ordered his Nano-self still on the platform to unlock all of their anchors. No asteroid smaller than a moon has much gravity, so any ship would have to bury an anchor or float away.

Then JR beamed weapons from his ship into every prisoner's cell while his Nano-self was on the loud speaker, "Attention all prisoners, humans and Leonsians. Apparently Earth Defense has declared war on our Station, so anyway, I doubt that they would hurt their defenses. However, they will want to exterminate us. Eventually they will get in, so I'm letting everyone loose. There are no guards, but I suggest segregation of the humans from the Leos. All the pirates have left, and I'm locked in the computer vault-room so I can shoot at their ships whether they shoot at us or not. Defend yourselves and good luck to us all!"

Then the Nano-droid JR put the radio on another channel, "Listen up ED, this is King JR (though it wasn't really.) I just got wind that your bosses are out to kill me again, and I won't let that happen, I assure you. You will be locked in until I or ED sets you free. Sorry for the inconvenience."

As the bars unlocked and every prisoner picked up his or her weapon, the Caprice from Jupiter Station landed in JR's ship, and then all thirty-one ships jumped for the voyage to Kess.

Commander Winston on Jupiter Station Two had just finished reading his private message from JR and he whispered, "Godspeed, Commander Houston." Just then he received another message from one of his guards telling him that their Caprice had just undocked from the Station and disappeared without a word.