Stars & Empire 2: 10 More Galactic Tales (Stars & Empire Box Set Collection) Read online

  “From the information I have gathered, it was slightly over fourteen billion at the time of the first Hocklyn attack.”

  “Fourteen billion,” mumbled Adam, shaking his head sadly. “So many people.”

  “All wiped out by the Hocklyns,” Colonel Greene reminded everyone. “And those same Hocklyns are coming for us in another 268 years.”

  “Do we have any idea what the Hocklyns look like?” Greg asked, curiously. Surely, the humans on this ship had known what their enemy looked like.

  “Yes, we do,” replied Colonel Greene, reaching forward and retrieving several photographs. He passed these around the table.

  Greg took one and his eyes widened at what he was seeing. The Hocklyns looked like a lizard that walked on two feet with arms and hands. They were a pale green in color with a small crest on the top of their head. Looking closer, he noticed that the fingers on the hands were unusually long and double-jointed. Not only that, instead of five digits, there were six.

  “The Hocklyns obviously come from a reptilian ancestry,” Colonel Greene spoke his eyes looking around the small group. “Their skin is reported to be covered with very fine scales, and their body temperature is below what humans would call normal. Their blood chemistry is also markedly different. The Hocklyns are a very harsh and cruel race. They live to improve and grow their empire. Nothing else matters.”

  “And they’re coming for us sometime in the future,” Greg said, still gazing at the picture. These aliens could never be allowed to conquer Earth!

  “Yes, they are,” responded Colonel Greene. “They are an unstoppable force, and we are in their path.”

  The meeting lasted for nearly an hour, with each member of the team reporting on the progress of his or her studies and the exploration of the ship. They now had a pretty good feel for the layout of the Avenger. Toward the end of the meeting, Colonel Greene had some assignments for the explorers.

  “Tomorrow Jason, Greg, and Adam will be going to the Environmental section,” spoke Greene, looking at the assignments for the following day. “We want to see how well the systems are working and whether it’s feasible to bring more people up here. There are two corridors which are still airtight and should allow you easy access.”

  “What has Earth said about all of this?” Jason asked, curiously. He could well imagine the impact their discoveries were having on the politicians.

  “I have sent Mission Control complete reports of everything we have discovered so far,” Greene replied in a serious tone. “Tom Hays told me that the president was calling an emergency meeting with several other heads of state to discuss the situation.”

  “The fire’s about to start burning,” commented Greg, meeting the colonel’s eyes.

  He had talked briefly to his wife that morning, and she had inquired about what was going on. She had said there were all sorts of rumors flying around. Particularly since it had been revealed that a second lander had been sent to the Moon. Greg had tried to reassure her that everything was fine. However, he could sense the doubt and worry in her voice. He really needed to get home to his family.

  -

  Jason was standing in the Command Center, shaking his head. He could scarcely believe what he had just heard. “I don’t understand. Are you saying that both of the shuttles are still flyable?”

  “That’s correct,” replied Ariel, nodding her head. “I have run a full diagnostic check on both of them and they are flyable.”

  “How safe are they to fly?” asked Colonel Greene, sitting down at a console and staring at the front viewscreen. “What would be the risk in sending one of the shuttles back to Earth to pick up more personnel and to return here?”

  “Minimal,” Ariel replied, confidently. “Even in the shuttles there are enough redundant systems to ensure a safe trip.”

  Colonel Greene was quiet for a moment as he weighed his options. Then he turned to face Jason. “If I were to send you and Greg back to Earth immediately, how would you feel about that?”

  Jason hesitated for a moment. “I know Greg really wants to get home to his family. My own family has been asking a lot of questions. I would like to go back too, but I would like the option of returning to help study this ship at a later date. There’s so much to learn here, and I want to be part of it.”

  “I think that can be arranged,” replied Greene, nodding his head as he reached a decision. “The people on the ground need to hear firsthand what we’ve learned up here. You can only put so much in a report.”

  “How soon do we leave?” asked Jason, suddenly realizing they were going home.

  He knew his brother and sister would be thrilled to see him. He hadn’t realized until this moment just how much he had missed them. The thought of going home had brought those feelings to the surface.

  “As soon as it can be arranged,” replied Greene, leaning back and watching Jason. “We have to figure out a safe place to land and hide the shuttle. It may be necessary to keep your return a secret for a few months. It would be hard to explain how the two of you managed to suddenly reappear down on Earth.”

  “What about our families?” Jason asked. It would be terrible to return home and still not be able to see their families.

  “I think something can be arranged,” Greene said, confidently. “According to Ariel, we can have the other shuttle fully prepped and ready to fly the day after tomorrow. We will also have to make some special arrangements with Mission Control. We’re sending them a spacecraft that’s at least a hundred years more advanced than anything they’ve ever flown.”

  “We’re going to open some eyes down on Earth,” said Jason, smiling. He could just imagine the impression the shuttle would make with the engineers and technicians. “This shuttle will make them realize just what it is we have discovered here on the Moon.”

  “It will also help to emphasize the danger our world is in,” Greene replied, determinedly. “We have to make them understand the seriousness of the danger the Hocklyns represent. Just seeing this shuttle and realizing that the people that built it were soundly defeated should make them realize just what the future generations of our world will be up against. Now, why don’t you go tell Greg he’s going home.”

  “That’s one thing I definitely will enjoy doing,” replied Jason, smiling. He knew that Greg would be thrilled at the news.

  -

  Two days later, Jason and Greg were in the second shuttle. Jason was in the pilot’s seat, and Greg was sitting next to him in the copilot’s seat.

  “This is sure strange,” spoke Greg, looking out the large cockpit window toward the hangar doors, which were still shut. “I never expected to be returning to Earth in something like this.”

  “Just imagine the impact our landing will make,” replied Jason with a grin.

  “White Sands, New Mexico,” responded Greg, shaking his head. “That’s a long ways from where we took off.”

  “But it’s secure and controlled by the military,” continued Jason, recalling all the discussion about finding a secure and safe landing site. “They have a special hangar ready for us. We’re landing at night, and the sky is overcast above White Sands. Hopefully, no one will spot us.”

  “They wouldn’t be able to anyway,” Ariel spoke over the com system. “The shuttle’s stealth systems will be activated as soon as you leave the Moon.”

  “Are you sure this is safe?” Greg asked Ariel for the tenth time since he had found out they were returning to Earth. Tom Hays had assured him that his wife would be waiting when they landed at White Sands. He didn’t want to crash.

  “Perfectly safe, Greg,” Ariel replied evenly. “This type of shuttle has an extremely good safety record.”

  “Yeah, but this one has been sitting around unused for nearly one hundred years,” Greg added, worriedly.

  “Launch in five minutes, Commander Strong,” Ariel calmly informed him. “Flight bay is being depressurized.”

  Jason looked out the cockpit window at the large hangar door
s. The next hurdle would be to get the doors open. Ariel was pretty confident they would open, but they hadn’t been tested.

  “Opening hangar doors,” Ariel reported.

  One of the doors slid open easily; the second didn’t budge.

  “One of the doors didn’t open,” Jason informed Ariel over the radio. She had explained to him how to operate the shuttle’s communications equipment.

  “I’m working on it,” Ariel replied. “The door seems to be bent. I don’t think it’s going to open.”

  “Crap,” uttered Greg, feeling immensely disappointed. He felt sick at his stomach knowing they might not be able to launch the shuttle. He had really been looking forward to seeing his wife and baby.

  “No problem,” Ariel responded after a moment. “We can launch the shuttle through the open door. There will be two feet of clearance on both sides.”

  “Two feet!” moaned Greg, turning pale. “Is that safe?”

  “Perfectly safe,” Ariel replied as she sent the commands to the shuttle to begin powering up its sublight engine.

  Jason felt the shuttle rise above the deck in the flight bay. It hovered for a moment, and then slowly moved toward the open door. He felt tense, and he could feel his heart beating faster. The shuttle approached the open door and then passed through it. Looking out the cockpit window, he saw the shuttle’s wing barely clear the door. Once outside, the shuttle tilted upward and began to accelerate rapidly. In moments, they were in space above the Moon.

  “This is amazing,” spoke Greg in awe, gazing out the cockpit window on his side as the Moon began to drop rapidly away.

  “Two hours to Earth,” responded Jason, recalling the flight plan. “Who would have ever thought something like this could be possible?”

  He leaned back in his seat, trying to relax. His sister and brother would be waiting for him at White Sands. They were still discussing at Mission Control just what Greg and he could tell their families about what had happened on the Moon. They would have to be told something, how else could they explain their sudden appearance down on Earth?

  The shuttle continued toward Earth, its stealth fields having been activated as the shuttle left the Moon. As it approached Earth’s atmosphere, the shuttle began to slow, then entered a gentle arc toward its destination.

  Jason looked down at the Earth below. It was dark over the United States, but the country was lit up by all the city lights. This was his home, and he was glad to be returning. There was a time a few weeks back when he had wondered if he would ever see this sight again.

  “It’s beautiful,” Greg spoke, wistfully. “I wish Elizabeth could see this.”

  “Perhaps someday she might,” responded Jason, looking over at his close friend. “With the technology we’re going to learn from Ariel and from the Avenger, space travel might become extremely common in a few more years.”

  The shuttle continued its descent. A few minutes later, the landing lights at White Sands came into view. The shuttle followed them and then entered a large brightly lit hangar. As soon as the shuttle was inside, it gently landed and the hangar doors slid shut.

  “We’re here,” said Greg, standing up. He hoped his wife and son were waiting. He could hardly wait to see them.

  “Let’s go out and see what type of welcoming party we have,” Jason replied. It felt good to be back on Earth.

  Moments later, they stepped out of the shuttle to be greeted by a large crowd of military people and technicians. Tom Hays was the first one to greet them.

  “Welcome back!” he said enthusiastically, pumping their hands, and then looking over at the shuttle. “This is great! It's a new day for our world, all thanks to the two of you!”

  Jason nodded. It might be great for today, but the Hocklyns waited in the future.

  Tom led the two outside the hangar where a vehicle was waiting. Minutes later, they found themselves inside an office. Jason looked over at Greg, suspecting that their debriefing was about to begin. The door opened and much to his surprise, his sister and brother stepped through. Right behind them was Greg’s wife, carrying their infant son.

  “Elizabeth!” yelled Greg, jumping up. He rushed over and kissed his wife, then gave both his wife and son an affectionate hug.

  “Oh, Greg,” responded Elizabeth, starting to cry.

  Jason walked over to his sister and brother. Trevor reached out and shook Jason’s hand. “I’m glad you’re back, big brother. I don’t understand how, but I’m glad.”

  Katherine stepped forward and hugged Jason. “I don’t know how you can always get into so much trouble. I warned you about going to the Moon. What happened?”

  Jason took a deep breath. How could he explain all of this? Tom Hays had told them not to talk to anyone yet about what had happened on the Moon. There would be a briefing in the morning in which Greg and he would be told what they could reveal. “You won’t believe it,” he responded with a big smile. “I’ll tell you about it in the morning. Now I just want to hear what you and Trevor have been doing while I’ve been gone.”

  Greg was holding his infant son. Deep in his heart, he knew that someday his son would be flying a new generation of spaceships. They would soon be building spaceships capable of traveling to the stars. His son would see things that Greg could only imagine. But for now he was happy. He took his wife’s hand and looked down at his son. Life couldn’t be any better.

  -

  Back on the Moon, Colonel Greene and Lisa were talking to Ariel. There was a question Colonel Greene had been meaning to ask the AI.

  “Ariel, do you know what solar system your people went to after they left ours back in 1917?”

  Ariel looked back at Colonel Greene in surprise. “I never said they left this solar system. They’re still here.”

  “What!” Colonel Greene exploded, his face turning pale. “What do you mean they’re still here?”

  “My people came here to seek refuge on Earth as well as to build a new military base. When it became obvious that due to the diseases down on Earth they couldn’t live there, they went on to build the new base.”

  “Where is this base?” Colonel Greene asked, slowly. He looked over at Lisa. Her eyes were wide in disbelief.

  “It’s inside the asteroid Ceres,” replied Ariel, looking at Colonel Greene, confused. “I told you at the very beginning that they were going to establish a base in this solar system.”

  “Have you heard from them since the crash?”

  “No,” Ariel replied.

  “This is going to be big news back on Earth,” commented Colonel Greene, shaking his head in disbelief. How was he going to explain this to the people in Mission Control? Tom Hays was going to be stunned when he heard this.

  “Ariel, can one of the shuttles make it to Ceres and back safely?”

  “Yes, Colonel; it shouldn’t be a problem. I have been curious myself as to why there has been no contact with the base since the survivors went there.”

  “I think we have a new mission for Commander Strong. As soon as he has taken a few weeks off, I think he will be flying to Ceres.”

  -

  Back on Earth, Jason and Greg were going out to eat with their families. Tom Hays had told them that a special meal had been prepared to celebrate their return in the base cafeteria. Little did Jason suspect what was waiting in his future. If he thought the Moon had held a surprise it wouldn’t compare to what was waiting inside the asteroid Ceres.

  _o0o_

  Moon Wreck: Secrets of Ceres

  Chapter Seven

  Jason Strong was relaxing on the front porch of his home, watching the sunset. His house was located in a quiet suburb away from most of the noises and crowds that plagued the city. It had been six weeks since Greg and he had returned from their perilous Moon mission. The clouds above the horizon glowed red and orange-red in the fading light. The colors were a stark contrast to the blacks and grays of the lunar surface that he had become so familiar with.

  Even now, he still had
occasional nightmares about the lunar lander and the crash landing. Letting out a deep breath, he watched curiously as a car pulled into the driveway. His eyes narrowed, now who could that be, he wondered. He wasn’t expecting anyone and very few people even knew that he was home. He heard the front door open and sensed that his sister Katherine had stepped out onto the porch. Glancing at her, he saw that she was watching the car as if a dangerous predator had just arrived. She had been overly protective since he had returned from his Moon mission.

  The car door opened, and Tom Hays climbed out. Tom was the director of Mission Control in Houston. He waved at Jason and then turned to say something to someone else in the car. The passenger door opened, and a man dressed in a military uniform appeared. Jason stood up, frowning. What was Tom Hays doing here with a military general?

  “Jason, whatever they want, tell them no,” Katherine spoke in a low and concerned voice. “You’ve already done enough!”

  The two men walked up to the porch and climbed the steps.

  “Hello, Jason,” Tom Hays spoke in a pleasant voice. “This is General Adamson from the Pentagon.”

  Jason shook the hands of both men. “We finished my final debriefing two weeks ago,” Jason said, wondering what the men wanted. “I believe we covered everything that occurred on the Moon.”

  “This isn’t about your debriefing,” General Adamson replied in a firm military voice. “Is there somewhere we can go and talk privately?”

  “I have a small office in the house,” answered Jason, looking over at his sister. He could tell from the dark look in her eyes that she wasn’t happy with these visitors.

  “Remember what I said?” warned Katherine her eyes turning dark. “You’ve already put yourself in enough danger.”

  “Jason’s done a great service for this country,” spoke Tom, looking at Katherine. “What he accomplished on the Moon was a miracle.”

  Tom understood Katherine’s anxiety. He could still remember her living at Mission Control when they had lost contact with the New Beginnings mission. She had waited with a haunted look in her eyes for any word from her brother. She had been there almost the entire time until Jason and Greg managed to shut down the emergency beacon on the crashed spaceship and reestablished radio contact with Mission Control.