Exodus Of The Phoenix Read online

  “No, it's not about John. I…I wish I could tell you everything, but I can't.” Although the transmission had been encoded and encrypted to hide its origin Julie was only given five minutes before the transmission self-terminated. “Listen dad, I have to be quick. I’m not coming home for winter break. I’ve been presented with a very rare opportunity and it’s something I can’t pass up.”

  “It sounds like you got yourself an assignment," he said. "That's good news. You shouldn’t be upset about not coming home. Graduation is only five months away. We'll see each other then. The experience you’ll gain is far more important to getting your career off on the right track.”

  “Dad, I’m not going to be here for graduation.” His smile disappeared and was replaced with a look of confusion. “The assignment I’ve been given is highly classified. I can’t go into specifics for your own safety. But if everything works out I may be gone for a long time.”

  “Julie, I don't like what I'm hearing.”

  “I’m sorry. I don't mean to be so cryptic about this, but please believe me when I tell you what I’m doing may change things for the better. I just wanted to say that no matter what you hear know that I love you and will miss you. I’m going to do my best to make you proud of me.”

  He could see the conflict in her eyes, but he knew his daughter always did what she thought was best. “You already made me so very proud of you Julie. You’ve always done the right thing. I understand you may not be able to tell me what you’re involved in, but I trust your judgment. Don’t you worry about me. I’ll be fine and will be here waiting for you to get back.”

  “Thanks.” Julie wiped the tears from her face. “I wish I could stay on longer, but I need to go. I love you.”

  “I love you too sweetheart. You go on now. Be strong.” He put his hand up on the monitor and Julie did the same. They smiled at one another for a brief moment before the screen went blank. Once the call ended the emotions she held back erupted and she cried uncontrollably until she eventually fell asleep from exhaustion on the couch.

  Over in John’s quarters the mood was less than heartwarming. John was wrestling whether he should even take advantage of his one call. It wasn’t that he didn’t know who to reach out to. There was only one person he considered trying to contact. He hadn’t seen his older sister Nicole in twelve years and she was the only individual he considered trying to call. Their parents had died when he was four and she raised him until he was twelve. But one day she packed up and left without any warning. She left no word as to why she departed or where she was going. John discounted that it was because she couldn't handle raising him. Their parents were wealthy and had left each a sizable trust to support themselves. John tried locating her numerous times but was unsuccessful. Now that he was about to leave Earth he felt that maybe he should try and find her one last time.

  “Locate number or residence for Nicole Roberts, sister of John Roberts of La Habra, California.” TERRA had access to all sorts of databases and could locate anyone on Earth, Luna, and Mars.

  “Unable to locate address or number of named individual,” replied the DAT terminal as it linked to TERRA's database. Another dead end, something John wasn't too surprised to hear. But this time he had the resources of TERRA at his disposal.

  “Search all databases for last recorded information for Nicole Roberts,” John inquired.

  “Last recorded information for individual made June 11, 2133 from North American Bureau of Population. Information is regarding statistical census information.

  It was useless information. "Well, that's that." John clicked off the DAT. She had just simply disappeared, but why? They had a great relationship and got along even up until the time she left. John never felt that he did anything to drive her away. For years he racked his brain trying to figure out Nicole's motive for leaving, but gave up on it since entering the Academy. He had no choice but accept that he would have no contact with her before departing. Despite what happened John hoped that Nicole was happy wherever she was living.

  CHAPTER SIX

  The sun crept over the barren landscape in a vain attempt to provide some warmth to the cold climate. The activity level at the EXODUS Project accelerated to a rapid pace during the night. An announcement came over both the ship and ground facility communication systems about the appointment of John and Julie as Commander and Executive Officer to EXODUS. The announcement meant that final preparations for launch had to be completed.

  John and Julie were scheduled to meet the senior staff in the military board room early this morning. In less than twenty-four hours their entire world had changed. Instead of heading home for winter break they were preparing to launch a classified vessel without the knowledge of TERRA.

  Julie continued to worry about her father. TERRA would certainly send officials to Lexington to question him once this all became public. She hoped that somehow TERRA would not discover she was on board EXODUS.

  John had quickly forgotten about his sister and was instead preoccupied with readying himself to meet the senior staff. A variety of scenarios raced through his mind as to how the meeting might go down. Command of a capital ship was given to only the most seasoned and respected officers, neither of which described John. Anyone hoping for one of only five coveted spots usually had to wait until they were well into their fifties to get one. Competition to get into the Academy was fierce but paled in comparison to the competition to become commander of a capital ship. Sure, there were other options. One could captain a TERRA freighter or support vessel, where the competition was less intense, but everyone vied to command a capital ship. Yet here was John, given command of the first human starship at the age of twenty-four. Was he expecting little or no resistance from the crew? Absolutely not! If he was a member of this crew he’d be vocally questioning the admiral’s decision to appoint a cadet as ship commander. John's path would not be an easy one.

  John and Julie’s belongings arrived from Dorm Row, but neither checked their packages as they were too busy putting on their TERRA uniforms, both adorned with the appropriate gold command bars on the shoulders. John wasted no time in getting dressed, slipping in the black jumpsuit with ease. He spent far too much time adjusting the uniform on his body as he admired himself in the mirror. All he kept thinking about was Mortino having a stroke if he saw John in an officer uniform. It was the superintendent he should have called last night.

  Satisfied that he looked ready John headed out and met Julie at her quarters and together they walked down the corridor to the lift to take them to the board room on deck three.

  “So what do you think?” asked John as they headed to their destination. They hadn't had an opportunity to compare notes and John was curious to hear Julie's thoughts about their windfall.

  “I think it's an absolute crime for you to be wearing that uniform."

  "You know, as much as I would like to get into it with you, we should probably show a united front when we meet the command staff."

  Julie bit her lip. He was right. Julie hated it when John was right. She was an executive officer now. Any problems they had needed to be tabled to the side. "Sorry, I’m just waiting for reality to kick back in.”

  “I hear ya.”

  “There’s something that's still bothering me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It's the admiral," she said. "He was able to staff this ship with all the specialists and trained military personnel he needed. I find it hard to believe that he couldn’t find experienced officers to command this ship.”

  She had a point and John wished she hadn’t brought it up. “Don’t you think you’re being a little paranoid?” But in his mind it didn’t make sense that an experienced officer wasn't offered command of EXODUS. Why would the admiral hand command over to cadets with no command experience? He had too much invested in this project to risk it on them.

  “I'm not paranoid,” said Julie. “It’s a legitimate question. I assume he would have tried to recruit T
ERRA officers to command this ship. The mission is too important to simply pass off to cadets out of favor with TERRA, especially if you put twenty years of hard work into this project.”

  “Maybe it’s just...,” John scrambled to find the right words. He didn’t want to come off sounding suspicious but he couldn’t ignore Julie’s statement. There were plenty of good officers the admiral could have selected, but he passed them up for John and Julie. Then the light bulb came on. Of course! It made perfect sense. John felt stupid for not realizing it sooner.

  “What is it?” asked Julie. She could tell that John had some sort of revelation.

  “It's nothing. Let’s just get through this staff meeting. We can bring it up to the admiral later.” John purposely chose not to say anything to Julie. But he was seething inside with what he thought was the admiral’s motivation for selecting them. How he could have been so stupid. He would play along with the admiral for now, but John had every intention of confronting him later.

  "The board room is to the right," said the computer as John and Julie reached their destination. Julie slowed her pace so that she could compose herself before going in, but John never gave her the opportunity. He wasted no time in opening the door and entering the board room. She quickly followed right behind him.

  “Ah good morning,” said Admiral Johnson ,who was seated at the head of the table. He was in the company of five other individuals seated around the table. John and Julie immediately recognized Security Chief Thomas Sandoval who was located at the far end of the table. A young woman was seated next to the admiral and John noticed how young she appeared. She seemed to be around the same age as John and Julie. She only briefly looked up at them when they entered the boardroom. After a quick glimpse she refocused her attention on the paperwork in front of her. Her hairstyle grabbed John’s attention. It was tied up in a bun that you typically found worn by old women. John tried to picture her with her brunette hair down but couldn't come up with an accurate portrait.

  Seated next to her was a young black man who looked at the cadets and gave them a respectful nod. He seemed quite curious about the new commanders of EXODUS as his eyes darted back and forth between them. His hands were folded nicely on the table as if he was at a dinner party trying to be polite.

  Next to the young man was an older gentleman who appeared to be in his thirties. His dark hair didn’t seem quite kempt. He reminded John as an older version of David; a bookworm who wasn't too concerned with personal appearance. He shifted in his seat every so often which revealed his awkward nature. John thought he must have really pissed off the brass if this guy could get in the fleet over him.

  Seated between the nerd and the security chief was an older black man. His hair was a shimmering white color which contrasted sharply to his wrinkling dark skin. He was seated comfortably in his chair and displayed a warm smile at John and Julie. Unlike the others he wore a white overcoat which indicated he was a medical officer. John correctly assumed he was the chief medical officer.

  “Let me go down the row and introduce you to your senior staff,” said the admiral, beginning the introductions. “This is Lieutenant Alex‘sis Brandus, your tactical officer. She’s also been acting as the senior operations officer, a role Commander Olson will be taking over as executive officer.” The woman again looked up at John and Julie and nodded to them without so much of a smile before resuming her review of her documents as John resisted the temptation to roll his eyes. He told himself to keep an open mind, maybe Brandus wasn't such a bitch. Then again, it wouldn't have killed her to at least say hello.

  “Next to Alex’sis is Private Bret Michaels, your communications officer. Then we have Kevin Jacobson, the ship’s navigation officer, Chief Medical Officer Joseph Myers and of course you met Chief Sandoval yesterday.”

  “Hello.”, said Julie. She didn’t know what else to say or what proper protocol was in meeting your senior staff. It was something she didn't think she needed to worry about for at least another three decades. She certainly wasn't going to salute them.

  “Where’s the Chief Engineer?” asked John, who picked up on the obvious omission after the introductions were done.

  “EXODUS does not have a chief engineer of military rank," said the admiral. “The engines were designed and developed by civilians and they run the engineering section. This meeting is for the senior military staff. You’ll meet the civilian department heads later on.”

  Julie wondered how many department heads were on a ship this size. “How many civilians are on board?" The admiral motioned for her and John to sit at the table. John took the seat formerly occupied by the admiral at the head of the table and Julie sat next to John on the opposite side of the table facing the senior staff. Admiral Johnson remained standing so that he could observe how his new additions interacted with the staff.

  “There are 4,175 civilians and 872 military personnel on board, sir.” replied Alex’sis. John was surprised to hear her speak up but was impressed how quickly she rattled off the numbers. The mannerisms she projected clearly revealed that she was military bred. Her voice lacked any emotional content and she addressed Julie as sir. John already assumed there would be a personality conflict between he and Alex’sis, which probably meant that Alex’sis and Julie would get along great. John could already picture them leading a mutiny against him. He wondered if they would hold off until they were out of the solar system or take over while EXODUS was still in Earth's orbit.

  “How are we supposed to run this ship in a military fashion when most of the crew is civilian?” asked John as he refocused his attention back on the meeting.

  “The crew has been working here as a blended group for years,” explained the admiral. “They are accustomed to working within military protocol and have adapted quite well.”

  “But what about issues such as disciplinary actions?” John couldn’t believe he was actually bringing up the topic. He was the last person to be asking about punishing insubordinates. He spent his entire Academy career either breaking or circumventing TERRA rules. Alex’sis again was on the spot with an answer.

  “Civilian personnel on board are subject to the same court martial proceedings outlined by TERRA’s code of conduct. Civilians would be disciplined by their department heads as needed and as they see fit. If a criminal offense is committed they would be subject to any disciplinary action deemed appropriate by you, the ship commander.”

  "Him?" Julie didn't like the idea of John playing the role of judge on this ship.

  "It is standard military practice for the ship commander to assume the role in the absence of a standard court," explained Alex'sis. "EXODUS will be far from the solar system and we have elected not to staff the ship with legal personnel."

  For a moment John got the sense that Alex'sis was being sarcastic with that last sentence. “The people have agreed to this?"

  “Both the military and civilian sides had to make accommodations in certain areas,” said the admiral. “The civilians understand the final rule of authority on this ship rests with the ship commander.”

  “The Academy has trained us in scenarios where we command a ship exclusively of military personnel,” reminded John. “This will take some getting used to.”

  “With all due respect sir,” said Alex’sis. “Your lax regard towards military discipline makes you the ideal commander to work under such conditions.” Now John couldn’t tell if she was insulting him or giving him a compliment. She seemed to display a good poker face, revealing nothing of her emotions.

  “Well, glad to see I’ve already got a reputation here,” said John. "Read my Academy file, I take it?"

  “My point sir is that your record shows you can adapt to new and unknown situations rather adeptly.”

  Julie interceded before John could reply back. They were quickly going off track and Julie wanted to keep the discussion focused on the ship. She wasn't about to let John fall into his usual behavior with the senior staff.

  “Ship disci
pline is only one of a myriad of issues we have to contend with. This ship has technology the Academy taught as only theoretical. It’s going to take some time for John and I to get familiar with them. I think it's unrealistic to launch the ship tomorrow when we aren't even prepared. Shouldn’t it be postponed a few weeks until we get a grasp on some of the systems here?”

  “Unfortunately we don’t have the luxury of time to put the launch off,” replied the admiral. “You are both on winter break for just two weeks. The Academy will notify TERRA when you fail to report in January and will initiate a search. Second, the command council is scheduled to conduct a walking tour of EXODUS at the end of the week. The status reports they’ve been receiving omits a significant number of details regarding the ship and if they discover what EXODUS is really capable of it may complicate our efforts to launch it.”

  “What about the Screen?” asked John. “As soon as we move beyond Mars’ orbit we will no doubt encounter a Screen vessel. EXODUS will be at a disadvantage with two green officers calling the shots.” John couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth and he wanted to hit himself. Since when did he talk like that? This was his chance to command a ship and here he sat bringing up the negative points of being commander. He was starting to sound logical like Julie and that sickened him.

  “I will bring you up to speed on the ship’s offensive and defensive systems today,” said Alex’sis, interrupting John’s thoughts. “You will find EXODUS will be more than a match for the Screen.”

  John found her comment interesting. How come she was confident that the ship could stack up against a Screen vessel? “Doesn’t that seem presumptuous?” he said. He didn't care how many assurances were thrown out. The simple fact was this ship had never been in battle against the Screen and no human ship had ever survived a Screen attack.

  “We have detailed scans of each Screen attack since the inception of TERRA,” said Alex’sis. “This ship possesses the appropriate countermeasures to handle Screen technology.”