AMERICA ONE - NextGen (Book 5) Read online

  “We are trying our best to work with Iran,” continued the Prime Minister. “Also the rest of the Middle East and Egypt, but Iran is extremely important to us. They dislike the U.S. especially, and we have a better chance of bringing them into our ever-growing alliance once things get tough. All three of the bad countries can produce enough food to supply large populations. Our assessment of population levels in these countries is only about 65 percent of the population of 2015. We know that the population has decreased in the U.S., Russia is very quiet, has its own oil reserves, has attacked and taken control of several of its neighbors again, and China is much the same. Trouble, from stress and lack of quality leadership from these bad countries, will rear its ugly head within the next decade. Ryan, you did us all a favor destroying the laser cubes above us in space. Attacks down here on Earth in the past two weeks have been reduced by 95 percent. Only submarines are now destroying shipping, and there are only a couple hundred of those remaining. Many of the latest vessels out there are our submarine hunters, new fast vessels with the most modern Israeli underwater listening equipment. To date, we have destroyed several dozen submarines. We don’t know from which countries, but their numbers are lessening.”

  “A sort of secret underwater war,” added the former President.

  “We can’t help you with submarines,” added Ryan, “but we could return and clear space of any enemy lasers every couple of years or so.”

  “I was hoping you would say that,” said the Prime Minister. “Would you and your bases out there, wherever they are, like to join our alliance? We don’t know, and cannot fathom, how you and your spaceships got through the blockage up there in space and destroyed thousands of those deadly laser drones. We haven’t gone that route. Could you share your latest inventions and systems of protection with us? We would be forever grateful.”

  Ryan thought about the offer, and thought about divulging his secret protection shields. They wouldn’t be of any use to anybody. Nobody could manufacture them; even he couldn’t, and he didn’t have any spare. Maybe the Pig’s Snout might give up its treasures, and then it might be possible to aid the alliance, but his sixth sense told him not to. There just didn’t seem to be any benefit to either side.

  “I thank you for your offer, Prime Minister, but we are not yet organized or prepared to give up ideas we have not yet perfected, and since it is difficult to communicate between planets with no satellites in Earth orbits, I think that you need to renew the offer of alliance once my crew and I return in the near future. I believe that once Earth can communicate with us out there, then peace on Earth might have prevailed down here, and then we will return to discuss how we can help this planet. Until then, I cannot help you, but I can tell you this. These new systems are our only defense. If I give anybody this technology, it could be stolen and end up in the wrong hands. For the present, they are our only means of survival out there, and I would like to keep it that way.”

  “I totally understand,” replied the Prime Minister sadly. “It was worth a try. My mother always told me that the answer is no until you actually ask the question. Then at worst, you have a 50/50 chance of getting a yes. I understand, and I’m sure I would have given the same answer if I were in your shoes. To get back to my suggestion on the future of this planet: in the next decade, my government believes that a war is inevitable. We in the alliance are already powerful enough to stop one major country, thanks to Israel and its latest defense systems we all have. Two of the Big Bad Three countries, or all three in unison, could be much more dangerous, but only time and our modernization will tell. Keeping space clear of projectiles and lasers will certainly help our alliance countries, and I hope you will fly to Israel and speak with our friends there. As usual, most of our most modern weapons of attack and defense come out of that small country, and without Israel, we would certainly be a far weaker alliance. I think I have covered my end: the southern hemisphere’s side of plain thinking and speaking.”

  “The Canadian government believes much the same,” continued the U.S. former President. “Because I am now a citizen of Canada, I will speak on the Canadian government’s behalf. Funny, my third daughter, born there ten years ago, wants to be Premier one day. Maybe she will be. Canada actually supplies Alaska with produce, and sometimes Hawaii. The United States of America has closed itself down to its own borders. Until we received the first anti-submarine ships from Israel three years ago, U.S. submarines were destroying some of our shipping. The cubes above were destroying more. Our supply ships, much like all the others around the world, are now totally unmanned, and have been for a couple of years now. Once we realized that it might be American submarines or cubes hitting our ships, and after losing nearly a thousand good Canadian men and women, the country quickly changed its supply movements to unmanned vessels.

  “The latest supply ships are now multitaskers with anti-submarine capabilities and Iron Dome systems aboard to destroy incoming missiles from space. Of course lasers cannot be neutralized, and thanks to you that problem is abated until you leave. However, I believe that within two weeks after your departure, Low Earth Orbit will be filled with dozens of cubes destroying each other and anything they can pinpoint on the oceans. We can’t do a thing against bombardment from space, Ryan. Maybe you can come up with an idea before you leave? How you managed to come through these attacks of thousands of Piranha fish up there, I just don’t know.”

  Over the next hour, Martin Brusk explained his ideas. He was fresh out of the U.S., and because the continents had only unreliable communications, the Australian Prime Minister was especially interested in what he had to say.

  Martin agreed with what had already been said, although he reckoned that American oil would last another decade, even more. His company had over one million electric cars on the road. Other electric car companies had about the same number. The airlines weren’t flying anymore. He believed that the government had destroyed the airlines to allocate more oil reserves to the Armed Forces. He explained that the U.S. military was still a well-oiled, gas-guzzling defense system, and would be for some time. As far as attacking other countries, there was good news for some, and not good news for others, as he described the current U.S. forces. All of the Big Bad Three had neglected fielding new conventional weapons systems for the last decade. Only NASA in the States was given unlimited funds to build cubes for space. What was going on in space defense in the other two countries, he didn’t know. Now, every piece of material in space, including years of manufacture, design and stealth, had been destroyed by Ryan’s return, and would certainly make all three of the countries as mad as hell. A decade of space research and laser development now all up in smoke due to Astermine’s one spaceship.

  “You and your crew will never be safe on Earth,” Martin continued. “You possess secrets to far more powerful weapons and better defense systems than anybody here.”

  Ryan interrupted Martin, explaining the new weapon that Jonesy had seen; the powerful blue laser beam fired out of Andrews Air Force Base less than 48 hours earlier. Everybody looked at him puzzled. Ryan then realized that nobody in the group knew about the new U.S. laser weapon.

  “Even so,” continued Martin after a quick discussion on the news Ryan had just given them, “I assume this new U.S. laser didn’t destroy any ship of yours, so listen to me. I believe that all three of the Big Bad Three are planning to conquer or destroy you. Ryan, until the political philosophies of these countries change for the better, you are these countries’ number one most hated enemy. Only our new alliance can protect you here on Earth, and naturally your own spaceships from above. But I bet you your largest diamond that nobody can see or warn you about a small group of special operations forces creeping across the desert to kidnap or kill you, and when they do, then our alliance has lost its battle before it is even started.”

  There was a deathly silence while Ryan thought about what Martin had said.

  “I’m sure my Head of Security, VIN Noble, could set u
p something,” Ryan replied to Martin directly. “I think my protection, while I am here, could be increased by our friends the Israelis if I ask them, as the Prime Minister said. For decades they have developed equipment to watch the desert around their borders. Even before we left a decade ago, and on my last visit to the Middle East, I met with several high-ranking Israelis in a third country. It was actually when I was picking up my Plutonium-238 from my Russian friends at the time. Israel offered me protection then, in return for favors. They wanted a spaceship of their own. They already had spy satellites, I believe some of the first up there. Their Iron Dome systems needed satellite guidance twelve years ago. I believed that a spaceship up there would have given them more accurate guidance and a possible defense or attack platform. Unfortunately, I never was able to help them with a spaceship. Now it wouldn’t matter, I suppose. Currently their defense systems are all controlled from inside Earth’s atmosphere.

  “I want to head over to Israel ASAP, Mr. Prime Minister, before my shuttles are able to return onto this new 10,000-foot runway. More protection up there gives me and my crew complete safety for now. Also, Mr. Prime Minister, once the runway is complete and your fantastic team of builders are out of here, I will expect 100 percent privacy on my airfield. Mr. President, Martin, and anybody listening in we don’t know about, this 600 square mile facility will be off limits to everybody, even you the Australians, the Israelis, even the Libyans themselves. That is why I want to travel to Israel, to warn them that I will have no preapproved allies for the time being, and anybody who enters my airspace without my permission will never be an ally of mine. Ask my old buddy Bill Withers, former Head of NASA.”

  Ryan stopped and waited for the Head of State to answer. The Australian Prime Minister reluctantly agreed to Ryan’s terms.

  “Prime Minister, I appreciate your offer to set up a base in your country. The reason I decline your offer is because I believe that such a move will make any future negotiations among all countries more difficult, if I am seen to favor one side. I don’t mind clearing space of weapons every now and again, but joining one side here on Earth is of no interest to me at the moment. I now consider myself a Martian. Whatever you think of me is your own opinion, and I believe many of my crew are beginning to think along the same lines as I am. It was a shock to me to find out how many of my crew did not want to return to Earth, not even to see and feel this beautiful desert at night, and to eat only the best food and drink with good friends. My goal for a long time now was to build the first human outpost in space, and joining particular sides here on Earth doesn’t factor into that right now. Protecting my family and my crew down here on Earth is important, and I will appreciate all the help offered.

  “My plan of action is to stay here and do what I have to do. I have promised my crew on Mars that we will be back in about ten months’ time. America One leaves Earth’s orbit in about six weeks to two months. That gives me about a month or more with my crew down here once the runway is complete to work on ideas and to prepare for our departure. Some of us will never see Earth again. I hope some will; maybe our children listening to our conversation here tonight. These children are our future space pioneers, and when the time comes, they will take over from me and my aging crew, the first generation. These children, Mr. Prime Minister, Mr. President, our “NextGen” as we call them, will be our negotiators of the future. And our NextGen leader is hopefully sitting here listening to this discussion right now. I pray that Earth is in better condition when he or she returns than the political Homo sapiens have made it now.”

  Many of the adults sitting around the dying fire looked at the several children and wondered who would be the next Ryan Richmond.

  “I see that many are getting tired. I would like to leave for Tel Aviv in a day or so. Who would like to travel with me?” Ryan looked at the children and wondered who would lead next. He hoped that “The Martian Club Retreat” would survive that long.

  Naturally Mars Noble and several of the kids shot their arms up. Ryan smiled.

  “I would like to join you,” said Martin Brusk. “As you know, my family came from Israel generations ago. It’s a good country to set up a new car plant. They have a lot of sunlight there.”

  The former President said that he could travel with them and open up dialogue, and so did the Australian Prime Minister. Ryan wanted several of the kids to go along to evaluate the current predicament, and it would certainly help them to make the correct decisions when they had the reins of control. He suggested a few jet fighters to ride shotgun.

  It was time to bed down for the night as the desert chill crept across the bare ground.

  During the next two days, the increasing supplies of bitumen arrived daily. Captain Pete allowed the first dozen Libyan military trucks into the new restricted zone, and thousands of gallons of valuable water was delivered for laying tarmac.

  Another two paving machines arrived the next day, with even more asphalt equipment and the final needs to complete the hangars on two extra C-17s. Bob Mathews reckoned that the Aussie air-refueling tankers over the Indian Ocean were working long hours keeping the aircraft flying.

  On the second day, an extra C-17 landed, bringing in furniture, cooking stoves, freezers, and everything Ryan’s crew needed to live out in the desert.

  Captain Pete, Jonesy, Allen Saunders and Michael Pitt, though flying continuously, hadn’t seen any unauthorized movement on the North African continent as the C-17 aircraft loads increased.

  High above the new base and orbiting as low as possible, VIN and Captain Pete on the bridge were working out methods to keep the crew on the ground safe, but as Martin had said, there was no way the orbiting craft could see a stick of four or five men wearing desert camouflage in Ryan’s land and on foot heading toward the base. Without heat signatures from any vehicles, it would take any attackers about a week to travel across the 150 miles of desert, and they would have to cross the rest of Libya first. Commander Joot’s old Matt base was as perfect a location as any to keep secure.

  VIN’s suggestion at one of the briefings was to use the airfield as a decoy starting in about two weeks’ time. That shocked Ryan, but slowly he understood why. VIN explained to him why making this base was to be a total waste of time, money and energy on behalf of the Australian government. It would certainly become a large and irresistible target for anybody wanting to stop his spacecraft movements, thinking that they could halt him supplying America One in space.

  To the former Force Recon lieutenant, he was earning his pay as Head of Security, and his plans were deeply thought out. As Jonesy and Allen Saunders said, they were for the safety of all down on the planet. The team discussing safety up in America One were even worried about Ryan flying into Israel. What happened if that country took Ryan captive to force all he knew out of him? As VIN added, if he were head of the Mossad, he would want to do the same.

  Ryan laughed, but finally agreed with VIN, stating that he couldn’t tell them anything about the Matt technology. Even Commander Joot didn’t yet know how their shields worked.

  No shuttle reentries were possible until the runway was completed. Ryan still reckoned that the three shuttles should reenter only once to carry up the growing cargo of supplies needed, and the two Matt craft were going to enter Earth’s atmosphere as soon as the Australians were off Ryan’s land.

  Everyone in discussing the security of the base and learning the problems facing them agreed that the America One crew should all move into the protection of the volcanic crater and off the airfield immediately.

  At a thousand feet higher than the surrounding area, the chance of a surprise attack on the crater was reduced considerably. The only problem was that the shuttles had never been designed for a vertical landing on Earth. The pull of gravity was just too strong. Commander Joot’s spacecraft could do a vertical landing, though, and his craft had the same cargo limit as the shuttles: two tons.

  “If need be,” VIN told Ryan, “the shuttles have to sta
y in space if the crew on the ground were attacked, and the security personnel down here, six of them including Lieutenant Walls, could hold the crater with only the Matt craft landing in and out of the crater vertically.”

  Ryan ordered Jonesy and Allen Saunders to be given flight instruction by Commander Joot, and a very proud and excited Elder Roo took part in the training.

  It was time to fly into Israel, and the next day, several Australian F-15s came in to land with what seemed every air tanker the Royal Australian Air Force had, and they would act as flight cover for the four civilian jets once refueled.

  An hour before dawn, with Ryan’s crew now accustomed to the new time zone, the military and civilian jets took off from the rapidly growing 6,000 foot runway. Another week and it would be finished. It was a shame, as all the work going into the runway would be wasted if the shuttles never used it. There were already 20 tons of supplies waiting at the airfield to get into space and growing, and Commander Joot’s two craft would need a minimum of five reentries per craft to lift the current supplies up into space.

  Both VIN and Captain Pete reckoned that as soon as any new flights arrived down on Earth from space, only then would any attacks on the new airfield take place. It would take a minimum of seven days for enemy soldiers to walk over the desert, and calculating at least two days to load and refuel the Matt craft on Earth, they might be able to get the entire cargo into orbit before any attack.

  There was no other way to get supplies or crew up there safely once an attack was started. Ground missiles by the thousands might be launched from several countries at incoming or outgoing craft once open aggression began, and Ryan asked the former President to organize Canadian fighters and troops to set up bases just outside the southern borders of Ryan’s land. The ex-President was to return to Canada once the Israeli meeting was over.