Kahnu (The Guardians of Tomorrow Book 1) Page 13

  For the four astronauts who had just spent the last twenty years training for this mission, however, the moment was grand, and they were now waiting anxiously in their seat for the green light to leave Earth and rejoin with their Martian colleagues. This launching was going to be the most important day of their lives, at least until their subsequent landing on the red planet six months later. That one would be the grand mother of all prizes.

  “Nervous, Bruun?” asked Daniel Patel, the mission’s geologist seated behind her.

  “Nope. Just impatient to be on our way.”

  “I’m nervous,” offered Ebba Andreasson, seated next to Daniel. “I don’t mind saying it. In a few minutes, we’re going to soar into space and I’m anxious. I know it’s gonna be beautiful once we’re above Earth and look down, but I would lie if I said I wasn’t a bit nervous.”

  “OK, I’ll admit, I am too. But I’m mostly excited. We’ve been waiting for this for so long…” admitted Jessie Bruun.

  “Personally, I’m too excited to be nervous,” volunteered Antonio Bardino, the ship’s commander.

  #

  Back at the Kourou spaceport, the launch director was looking at several reports in his hands. “What’s the status on the crew?”

  “Everyone is loaded in and secured, sir. And commander Bardino told me to let you know the sooner they leave, the sooner he will be able to send you a postcard from Mars.” replied a man.

  The director cracked a smile. “Ok, thanks.”

  “Alright, people, this is it. Let’s do a complete check of all stations, please.”

  “Navigation?”

  “We’re go.”

  “LAS?”

  “Go.”

  “PRS?”

  “PRS is a go.”

  “CAPCOM?”

  “We’re go,” replies Dr. Kovachev who had been brought in two days earlier to oversee the capsule’s progress on this historical flight.

  The flight director went on.

  “System Module?”

  “Go!”

  “ART?”

  A few seconds passed.

  “ART? Are you a go?”

  A few more seconds…

  “ART is a go.”

  “Thank you, ART. Launch is a go, people.”

  Dr. Kovachev, who was looking at the giant screen on the wall in front of him displaying the countdown in large numbers, turned around to face the engineers in the room and said, “OK, people. Let’s go to Mars!”

  Back in the MF3 capsule, Jessie Bruun wondered if her defunct parents were watching from beyond, proud of her.

  Less than a minute later…

  “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, engine ignition, separation, and lift off!” said a clear voice through the crackling speakers.

  A few miles from the ship’s launching pad, the spectators suddenly saw the immense cloud of white smoke forming under the MF3 spaceship, followed seconds later by the tremendous roar of the engines. And as all watched in awe the vessel rise and quickly gain altitude and speed, the impressive white tail of smoke caused by the huge consumption of fuel engulfed most of the clear blue sky below. Like a bright shooting star reclaiming its place in the dark night above, the blinding brightness of the ship’s burning rockets, pushing through Earth’s atmosphere with incredible force, soon disappeared into the darkness of the upper stratosphere.

  Back on the ground, “Tanks separation in three, two, one, tanks have detached.”

  “MF3 engine burn in three, two, one, engine burn!”

  “System check?” asked Dr. Ivaylo Kovachev.

  “All systems green, sir,” replied a man in front of a screen.

  “People, we’re on our way to Mars!” said the launch director loudly, a huge smile on his face. The entire room erupted in applauses and cheers.

  MF3 was bound for the ISS, the International Space Station, the ship’s last stop before the long trip to Mars.

  Chapter V

  Red lights

  Rushing past the well landscaped lawn, the two black limousines came to a halt at the back of the white edifice. Three men in black suits came out of the first vehicle and hurried to take position on the steps of the wide staircase, scoping out the surroundings through their dark sunglasses. Four more men rushed out of the second one, two of them in military uniform. Swiftly moving up the stairs, the second vehicle’s occupants rushed up through the stairs to the security desk and kept walking at a quick pace along the wide hallway beyond. After climbing another staircase, the two men wearing black stopped when they reached a small corridor, and the two in military uniform kept on. Bursting into the presidential study, the younger of the two said, “Mr. President, I think you're gonna want to see this!”

  “Mike? John? What is it?” replied the man seated in the room, completely taken by surprise. Colonel Mike Spade rushed to the small TV set and turned it on.

  “You still watch TV on this old thing?” the other asked.

  “It still works. Why change it? It pre-dates President Obama. When I got into office, I promised myself I wouldn’t replace it until it stopped working. I’m not sure why; call it nostalgia,” replied President Jarvis.

  The image of China's president, Xi Jinping appeared, while Colonel Spade adjusted the volume. All three men were now silent, watching the small screen.

  “...as I have many times before. It is time for America to recognize China's power and remove its military presence in North Africa before the end of the month, or we will have no choice but to take military action against the west. It would be a mistake to underestimate China's resolution on this issue. We are prepared to stand our ground and take the necessary actions. For too long has President David Jarvis tried to find what he falsely calls a peaceful resolution to the problems China faces with misleading talks and one-sided propositions. For too long has America been treating China like a child and not listened to its demands. It is time for America and President Jarvis to learn that they are no longer the main player on the world's chessboard. The time has come for China to be recognized as the greatest economic and military power in the world. We will not accept any more interventions from the United States in China's affairs. If America's military troops have not left North Africa by the end of the month, we will take action, and the consequences will be on President Jarvis' conscience.”

  Xi Jinping's words were translated in English by his own interpreter, standing a few steps to his left and back. Even if they did not understand Chinese, the tone of his voice left no doubt as to the gravity of his address. Mike Spade turned the screen off as the TV anchorman began his commentary on the Asian leader’s speech.

  The President turned to General John Glenn.

  “Not good… OK, John, what do you think?”

  “David, this is serious. I think we have a real problem on our hands, here. My intel agrees. China is ready to strike, and they don’t think he’s bluffing. Some even suggest he’ll go forward with his threats, regardless of what we do.”

  “I agree, Mr. President,” added colonel Spade. “He means business, and it looks like he is simply looking for any reason to start a war. We should get our men out now. It’s probably time to talk about our military defense position as well.”

  “OK, I’ll arrange for a cabinet meeting ASAP,” replied the American President. “John, you need get our guys out. I’m not taking any chance with this lunatic any longer than necessary.” He then picked up the phone next to him and called for his senior staff.

  As the two men were exiting the room, President Jarvis put his phone on his chest and called out, “How’s your wife, Mike?”

  “She is well, Mr. President. Thank you.”

  “When is the baby due?”

  “Any day, now, Sir.”

  “Send her my best, will you?”

  “Thank you, Mr. President. I will.”

  As the two men started back down the hall, John glanced at Mike, giving the young colonel an approving smile. It wasn�
��t that surprising that the president had asked him such a personal question at a time like this. David Jarvis had been elected at a time when the American people were in great need of a leader they could trust again; someone who truly cared for the well-being of the nation and its people. Too many times had the country witnessed the disappointing lack of change promised by those elected. Too often had the bashing between candidates become the focus of their electoral campaign, while the addressing of serious issues was pushed aside, unanswered, or altogether ignored. And, while vague, and even outlandish, claims were still made by some of the other Presidential candidates, the North Carolina politician had quickly become a favorite in the polls. A few weeks later, he had become the youngest American president at the age of forty-one, winning over his rival candidate with an overwhelming eighty-nine percent of the votes. Incidentally, he had also become the second president to ever win the elections running as a third-party candidate since George Washington, back in 1789.

  Six years after his election in 2028, he was still a well loved and respected by most of the population. Now in his second term, he had managed to bring the nation back on its feet in many areas. Unemployment was lower than it had been since the 1970s. Real estate had regained strength, the economy was stronger than it had been in decades, and foreign relationships were better than could have ever been expected, all things considered. One country, however, continued to stubbornly challenge the world's peaceful balance. China had become a loose cannon in the global power arena. All experts agreed. Xi Jinping was now a dictator of alarming cruelty and thirst for power. China was on the brink of declaring war with the west, and this new threat was being taken extremely seriously by the United States.

  A week later, 12,000 troops were moving out of Africa. It was estimated it would take another couple of weeks to get them all out, but it was believed the Chinese deadline would be met. Several plans were put into action to evaluate, and ultimately respond to, the threat the Chinese President had made. But even after China had openly invaded several small Asian countries soon after the address, some experts still believed Xi Jinping was bluffing. Attacking the US was obvious suicide for the Chinese. Only a mad man would. Regardless, the possibility of a world war was too great to ignore, and a team of elite snipers and marines had been secretly dispatched to the East by the CIA. The Black Sparta, as they had been named, would infiltrate China and assassinate Xi Jinping.

  President Jarvis had given the OK for an immediate strike, and most of his advisors had agreed with his decision. In three days, the Black Sparta task force, it was hoped, would manage to enter China and put an end to the abusive regime of president Xi Jinping.

  Meanwhile, in Washington DC

  “Right now?” said the man standing in the doorway to the woman in front of him. She was accompanied by a young man dressed almost entirely in black. Both were wearing dark sunglasses, and it was obvious the two were not here to trick or treat.

  “President Jarvis has asked for your presence at the White House immediately, sir. This is a level 5.” replied the woman. She was tall and slim, in her early forties. Her sort blond hair was combed back, and the fit body under her clothes suggested she exercised regularly. A small birthmark just above the right side of her upper lip made her look very attractive to Dr. Robert Byrd, the man in the doorway.

  “Dr. Bird? Sir?”

  “Ha, yes… Sorry… Huh, please give me a few minutes to gather my papers and change my clothes. I’ll be right there,” he said, realizing he had been staring at her.

  #

  Three hours later, Dr. Byrd was seated at a long oval table in the center of a conference room, having a conversation with several other men, when the president entered with four Whitehouse officials in tow. President David Jarvis made a gesture for them to stay seated before any had a chance to get up.

  “No time for that, gentlemen. Let’s get right to it, shall we? Mike?”

  Colonel Spade went to the end of the room where he could be easily seen by all and began. “As most of you may already know, three weeks ago, China president Xi Jinping made the public threat to declare war on us, if we did not recall our troops from North Africa by the end of the month. We had reasons to believe the threats were serious and decided to comply with his demand. We have already pulled out more than half our troops and expect to have them all out by early next week. However, two days ago, the CIA received credible intelligence that the Chinese are planning something regardless. It would appear they have mobilized several thousand military planes, and if our sources are right, they intend to launch an attack on the US within the next few days.”

  Everyone in the room was silent for a moment. Most eyes were scanning the faces around the table. President Jarvis spoke first.

  “Gentlemen, I do not believe it is necessary to tell you how upsetting this report is to my staff and me. We have worked very hard for the past several years now to bring the Chinese president to realize how disastrous a war between our two countries would be, but I am afraid our efforts have failed. This is why we are all here today.”

  Pointing at the man in the military uniform to his left, he continued, “General Glenn believes we must act immediately, and strike China’s military bases before those planes have a chance to leave the ground. What we do not know, however, is what these planes carry. The CIA report we were given this morning suggests we may be looking at chemical warfare, here. The copy of the report, in front of each of you, mentions several documents found in a highly guarded lab in Beijing. We were only able to retrieve a portion of the file, but we think we have enough to conclude the threat is very serious. Dr. Byrd, what are your thoughts on the chemicals mentioned on page eleven?”

  The fifty-one-year-old bearded man brought his thick reading glasses to his nose and started reading. It didn’t take long before his facial expression changed drastically.

  “Oh, my God... Oh my God!” he repeated several times while still reading.

  “Dr. Bird? What is it?” asked the President. The scientist was too

  Finally, after several passes over the same two pages, Dr. Byrd slowly took his eyes off the report, and staring unconsciously at the center of the table, said almost too quietly, “They’re going to kill us all.”

  “What do you mean?” asked the man seated to his right.

  “I mean they are going to k...” He paused. Turning back to the president, he continued, “Mr. President. I have seen this paper before.”

  “You have? That’s not possible. This is classified. We just received the intel this morning.”

  “I mean I know this portion of the report. I know it because…I wrote most of it.”

  Everyone in the room was taken by surprise. General Glenn was the first to speak.

  “You... You wrote this?” The expression on his face was one of true disbelief.

  “Yes, General. I’m afraid so… Let me explain. Almost five years ago now, two colleagues of mine and I were working on an anti-virus hybrid. We were looking for a cure against the Brown’s disease that had caused so much devastation in south India the year before.”

  “I remember hearing about that terrible epidemic on the news,” offered a stiff looking woman seated on the other side of him.

  “Yes,” he replied, briefly looking at her. “So, we worked on a cure for several months, and although we were unable to find a way to kill the virus completely, we managed to create an anti-virus that minimized drastically its strength and reduced the percentage of death greatly. Within a year or so, the deadly Brown’s disease was under control.”

  He paused briefly…

  “But during the months following our initial research, still trying to improve the strength of the anti-virus, we also came across a new hybrid, a new version of the virus, itself so potent and resilient, we eventually gave it the name Mortis Fortis. Our subsequent tests became quickly conclusive. This was the most dangerous virus ever engineered.”

  There, he paused again, grabbed his cup and
gulped a mouthful of coffee, as he assessed the looks on everyone’s face around the room.

  “You see, the virus is airborne and attacks blood cells. It is highly contagious, very resilient, and can spread very quickly. At first, we were fascinated with it for its ability to kill just about any other virus known to man, but soon realized how hard it was to destroy. After weeks of tests, we only found one way to kill it. Extreme heat or cold. Those are the only two things that seem to have an effect on it. It can survive temperatures ranging from -80C to +420C. And it thrives like crazy between twenty and eighty degrees. We studied this monster for almost eight months, all in all. Every test subject died within hours of being infected. We never found a cure, or a way to even slow its metabolism. We eventually agreed to destroy every trace of it. We incinerated every sample we had. Even the research was destroyed. I don’t understand how the Chinese got their hands on this. We had destroyed all our research; every last of it, including the lab itself. Only the three of us ever knew about this. This makes no sense.”

  The entire room was silent. Everyone was staring at him, trying to comprehend what they had just heard.

  “Dr. Byrd, who were the other two scientists working on this with you?” finally asked the president, breaking the dreadful silence.

  “Well, there was Professor Ram-”

  Suddenly, a man burst in the room with several others behind him.

  “Mr. President! We have a code red, Sir. We need to get you to Air Force One now!”

  “What’s going on?” asked the President dumbfounded.

  “Chinese planes have just entered our airspace, sir.”

  Panic struck the room immediately.

  “What?” said General Glenn, jumping out of his seat. “That’s impossible!”

  “Mr. President. There is no time. We need to go now, Sir!” repeated the man in the doorway.