Chapter 20
For the rest of the day, I didn’t pause for a break. While the robots focused on the engines, I finished up the last bits of the structural work that desperately needed doing, especially now that I had a metaphorical timer over my head counting down the hours until Adeogun returned with his warrant. He and his team had a habit of getting warrants cleared very quickly, but I was hoping that he might not have as much sway as Agent Miranda had, which would allow me at least twenty-four hours to get this spaceship ready to fly.
Francine and I had hoped we would have had longer to get this all done, but to be honest, I was surprised that we had already had this long to do it. So, instead of complaining about being rushed, I thanked my lucky stars that we were already this far along with construction and got to work.
I finished a few of the interior mechanisms, such as the sealed doors inside the ship and the panels that would cover up most of the wiring. When that was done, Francine asked me to hold one up the engine casings for the robots to attach.
“How long do you think you’re gonna need to finish these engines?” I asked.
“These engines are complex, and it will take time to complete them,” Francine said.
“Could you be any more vague?” I asked. “Can’t you at least give me a guesstimate?”
“My plan is to be done before Agent Adeogun returns,” Francine said.
“And you’re tracking Adeogun’s progress on the warrant?” I asked.
“I am,” Francine confirmed. “It will be close, but I believe we can be ready on time.”
That was all Francine was willing to say on the topic, so once the robots didn’t require my help anymore, I turned my attention to getting the ship livable. Over the last month or so, I had stockpiled canned and frozen foods, as well as those MREs that were so popular with the disaster preppers. I’d even sampled a couple and found them to be edible if not gourmet.
There was a breakfast package labeled ‘sausage and mash’ from some company in England, for example, but the packet was flat, and it sounded like there was just some powder inside. That explained the dried potatoes, but not the sausages. I shuddered and decided that I would break out the sausage and mash when there was nothing else left.
I spent the next few hours carrying boxes of dried and frozen food to the ship, as well as some fresh items that were in the house and that I didn’t want to waste. I filled the refrigerator unit as well as the freezer and then filled every square inch of storage space that Francine had allotted for food.
There was plenty of coffee, what felt like a lifetime supply of potato chips and Cheetos, and even a few beers. As I stowed the beer, I wondered if a cold one after a long day tasted any more wonderful in outer space, and I chuckled as I imagined sipping on a Budweiser while looking out of the window at a strange planet.
Even though Francine had told me that it would be easy enough to find water, or at least, the components for water, I brought plenty of the wet stuff as well. Sure, the ship would recycle water, and Francine had the technology to make it whenever we found hydrogen and oxygen, but I still wanted some on hand. So I put tanks in the living area and loaded the rest into one of the storage compartments.
After I’d packed all the food supplies, I turned my attention to my clothing. I’d wear the suit that Francine had made for me most of the time, but it seemed like a good idea to include some other options that I could use to blend in better with the natives. I added a few pairs of jeans, my favorite t-shirts, a couple of jackets, and some sweatpants and sweatshirts for colder weather. I tossed in a few more items, like a decent button-down shirt and some khakis in case I wanted to look a little nicer, added a couple of old rucksacks, and then carried everything to the ship.
Next came the other essentials, like toilet paper, toothbrush, toothpaste, towels, shampoo, plates, silverware, mugs… and yes, the coffee machine. If I was going to be spending who knew how much time in space, trapped on a spaceship, then I was going to have a damn coffee maker.
The dream home that I’d bought just a few months ago started to feel ever more empty with each trip to the barn. It made me sad as I stopped to look around, and I knew I would probably miss it, but the taxes were paid up on it, and I could always come back when I finished saving the universe.
“What else?” I sighed as I looked around the kitchen.
I added a couple of personal touches, like a photo of my mom from when I was younger and one of me with Francine the truck, and then I started to pack the stuff that I needed to entertain myself.
I’d been a big reader since I was a kid, but my years on the road hadn’t left me a lot of time for books. That didn’t mean that I’d stopped buying books, however, so I had a nice collection of unread or barely-opened tomes that I’d picked up over the years. I also added a couple of books of crossword puzzles, my laptop, and even some paper, pencils, and pens, because it just seemed like a good thing to have,
When the personal items were stowed, I moved on to tools and other supplies for Francine, even though the robots were still busy. I made sure to include some rope, wires, spare nuts and bolts, scraps of titanium and any other metals I could find, as well as the tools that I thought would be useful, though I had to relinquish a couple when the robots needed some for a last project. My welder, gloves, drill, wrench set, pliers, and hammer made it onto the ship, as well as a few other items I’d grabbed from the tool shelf in the barn.
“What do you think, Francine?” I asked as I stared into the compartment where I’d packed the tools. “Do I need anything else?”
“There is still one thing missing, Will,” Francine said.
“What?” I asked.
“Your captain’s chair,” the AI replied.
“Oh, yeah,” I said with a smile. “Don’t worry, that should be here today.”
“I hope so,” it replied. “Or it will be very uncomfortable for you.”
“It’ll be fine,” I assured the AI.
“You still won’t tell me what you have planned?” the AI asked.
“Nope,” I chuckled. “But trust me, you’ll love it.”
I was able to end the suspense a few hours later when a delivery truck pulled into my driveway. I signed for the box, waved to the driver as he drove away, and then carried the box to the barn.
“It’s here,” I announced.
The bug robots didn’t respond, but Bob gave me a beep for moral support before he returned to his task.
“What is it?” Francine asked.
I ripped open the box and chucked all of the polystyrene out of the way until what was in the package was revealed.
“Voilà,” I said with a flourish.
My customized seat from Francine One stood revealed in all its glory. The brown fabric was faded, and my butt imprint had become a permanent part of the cushion, but it felt absolutely right. Besides, the pockets on the sides and the seat warmer would be useful, even in deep space.
“This is my old trucking chair from the original Francine, my first truck,” I said happily as I sat down in the chair. “Ahh. Still as comfortable as ever. This chair is the most comfortable thing I ever sat on, and it seemed only fitting to have it be my pilot’s chair.”
“I suppose it is… acceptable,” Francine replied with a hint of disdain. “You will need to add a harness so you do not fall out every time we make a turn.”
“Good point,” I said as I picked up the chair and brought it around to the side of the ship. “I’d better get started on that.”
I lugged the chair through the side hatch that led directly to the cockpit and then started to install it. Francine offered a few tips on precise placement, though I could tell she still wasn’t sure about my seating choice. But once we’d reached an agreement on the exact spot down to an eighth of an inch, I bolted the chair into place, reinforced the headrest, and then added a harness belt.
“I’m not going anywhere in this,” I said as I tested the belt.
“Will, Agent Adeogun has submitted his request for the warrant,” Francine said.
“Wonderful,” I sighed.
“He’s asking for another warrant as well,” the AI added.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“He’s submitted a request for an arrest warrant,” it said. “He’s accusing you of being a terrorist.”
I waited for myself to be surprised, but I realized that I had expected Adeogun to pull something like that, especially since he and Agent Applebaum had made their thoughts on me very clear that morning.
“Figures,” I said. “Well, that’s even more reason to get those engines finished, I guess. Can I help with anything else?”
“I believe the robots can complete the rest,” Francine said.
“Okay, good, because I’m very comfy in this chair, and I didn’t really wanna get up,” I laughed. “I’m just, you know, testing it out.”
“Right,” Francine said.
I sat back in the seat for a moment with the harness still secured around my torso and allowed myself a quick, sentimental moment. I had logged thousands of miles in the old chair, and it had never let me down, and now we were gonna do millions of more miles together.
The guys who had bought my trucking business from me had sent it over, free of charge after I’d offered to contribute a few hundred dollars toward the purchase of a replacement. They hadn’t asked why I wanted the old seat, but I could imagine them sitting around and laughing at my sentimentality. Little did they know that this seat and I were going to experience things that they couldn’t even begin to imagine.
I closed my eyes for a second and sank into the chair while I tried to imagine what the next few weeks, or months, of my life were going to be like, if we got this thing off the ground before agent Adeogun came back with his warrant and put a stop to it. I could actually see the bright light of strange stars, the unfamiliar surface of distant planets, and of course, the deep darkness of true space…
And then suddenly I jolted awake, only to be yanked back into the chair by the seat belt across my chest. I was disoriented for a moment, and then I looked around and realized I had somehow managed to fall asleep in my new pilot’s seat.
“Damn, I’d forgotten how comfortable this chair was,” I said with a yawn as I undid the seatbelt.
“Good morning, Will,” Francine said.
“Very funny,” I replied.
“I do not understand how that comment was humorous,” the AI said.
“Wait…” I said as I glanced out the window and saw sunlight through the barn doors. “It’s actually morning? I slept through the night?”
“You clearly needed it,” Francine said. “And I thought it would be important for you to get some rest, considering the strenuous task we have ahead of us.”
“Right,” I said as I stood up and stretched.
“Actually, Will, perhaps you should sit down,” Francine said.
“Why?” I asked. “I’m all cramped from being in that chair all night.”
“I believe that now would be a good time for another upload,” the AI said.
“While Agent Adeogun isn’t on my back,” I sighed. “That’s probably a good idea. I need to learn how to fly this thing before he returns with his warrant.”
I sat back down in my chair and put my hand to my chest, where part of Francine’s mechanism sat. Francine allowed me a moment to prepare myself, and then the strange sensation, which was becoming more familiar and less overwhelming each time I experienced it, filled every inch of my body until I felt like I might burst. At least this time I was in a more comfortable seat while I took in all of the information. I gripped the arms of the chair tightly as I tried to keep myself braced, though I enjoyed the surge of power that I felt as my knowledge was expanded. A few images of various buttons and joysticks flashed in front of my eyes, but mostly, I just allowed it all to wash over me until it eventually stopped, and I returned to my senses.
I blinked a few times and looked around the cockpit, and suddenly, it no longer looked like just another sci-fi set. I could name each button and dial and what they were used for, and I understood exactly what I would have to do to perform various maneuvers, whether in space or flying through some planet’s atmosphere. I knew what each engine was for and how to control it, and while I wasn’t an ace pilot just yet, at least I had a fighting chance if we needed to leave in a hurry.
“How do you feel, Will?” Francine asked.
“Good,” I said. “That one was much easier.”
“That is good to hear,” the AI said. “Hopefully, soon you will be able to stay alert while an upload is occurring.”
“That would be more convenient,” I replied as I got up from the chair and climbed out of the ship. “What’s the status on the engines?”
“They are coming along well,” Francine replied.
“How much longer do you need?” I asked.
“I think a better question might be, how much longer do we have?” Francine replied.
“Good point,” I sighed.
I opened the doors of the barn and stepped out into the morning sun. I looked up at the clear, blue sky and took a deep breath of fresh air. The scent of dewy grass and soil filled my nose, and I could hear birds chirping in the trees around my land. It was possible that this could be one of the last times I smelled these smells or saw these sights, and I knew that this was something I would miss. However, I knew that I would find new things to experience that would be just as wonderful.
“Will, I do not mean to alarm you, but someone is at the door,” Francine said.
“What?” I asked as my adrenaline spiked. “Is it Adeogun?”
“I have not been able to identify them yet,” Francine said.
“I guess I’ll have to find out the old-fashioned way,” I chuckled.
I marched across the backyard, stopped in the kitchen for a moment while I considered starting a pot of coffee, then sighed and continued on to the front door when someone knocked on the old wood.
I opened the door and found myself face to face with Billy-Rose, my nosy neighbor, only this time she didn’t look as bright and as bubbly as she usually did. In fact, she looked red-faced and kind of awkward, and the conversation hadn’t even started yet. She fiddled with the button on her jeans and only stopped when she saw me open the door.
“Billy-Rose,” I said in surprise. “Good morning. I wasn’t expecting you.”
“Sorry to drop in, Will,” she said as she wrung her hands together.
“Is everything okay?” I asked. “You seem tense.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied. “Gosh, Will, do you just keep getting younger? You look great.”
“Flattery only gets you so far, Billy,” I chuckled. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to, you know, to check that you’re alright,” she replied.
“I’m perfectly fine,” I replied. “Busy, but fine.”
“Right…” she said, but it was clear she had much more on her mind.
“That’s not why you came here, though, is it?” I asked.
“No,” she said. “Look, you’re probably gonna think I’m crazy, but… Oh, did you eat those eggs I brought you, by the way?”
“Yeah, they were delicious,” I said.
“Oh, good,” she giggled before she got back on topic. “Anyway, I hope you don’t think I’m crazy when I ask what I’m about to ask. I read a lot of books, and I’ve been watching a lot of Star Trek lately, so maybe my imagination’s just running wild, I don’t know…”
“What is it, Billy-Rose?” I asked when she petered off.
“It’s just…” she said. “I’ve been seein’ some lights comin’ from your house and your land.”
“Lights?” I asked.
“Yeah,” she said. “And I know you’ve been up all hours of the night working on something in your barn.”
Oh, boy.
“And I know it’s none of my business,” she said. “But I was out in one of the other fields over there, birdwatching, and I happened to look over at your field, and I could have sworn I saw a… a robot.”
“Bob,” Francine sighed.
“A robot?” I laughed.
She stared at me for a moment, and then she laughed as well, but nervously.
“You’re right,” she said. “It’s stupid.”
“I’m sorry,” I chuckled. “I don’t think you’re stupid. I can barely work out how my phone works. I wouldn’t buy myself a robot as well.”
“I saw all of those deliveries arrive, though,” she said. “I was just curious.”
“No worries at all,” I said. “I’m planning on building a new barn, but one that’s a lot more sturdy. That’s all. I figured it would be a good idea, since my barn’s a bit rickety, and now I’ve got things falling out of the sky on my property.”
“Oh,” she said. “That makes a lot of sense.”
“I’m sorry if I’ve been disturbing you and your husband, though,” I added. “Sometimes I just get carried away, and it’s only when I check the time that I realize it’s the middle of the night.”
“I wish I had the stamina,” she laughed. “Don’t worry, we can’t hear you from our farm. I just like to walk around at night. It’s peaceful.”
“Yeah, it’s nice out here,” I said.
“Yeah…” she said. “Right, well, I’ve made a bit of a fool of myself, haven’t I?”
“Not at all,” I replied. “It’s nice to have neighbors that check on you.”
“Okay,” she said with a grin. “We’ll have to do that dinner at some point, too.”
“Definitely,” I replied. “Although, I’m a bit preoccupied at the moment.”
“No worries,” she said. “Around here, we’ve got all the time in the world.”
“Some people do,” Francine quipped.
“Well, I’ll leave you to it then…” she said. “Sorry to bother you.”
Billy-Rose gave me a small wave, and then turned to leave.
“Billy-Rose?” I called after her.
“Yeah?” she replied.
“I’m, uh, gonna be out of town for a while,” I said. “Another trip to Las Vegas. Would you mind taking my mail while I’m gone?”
“Of course,” she replied brightly. “No problem at all.”
“Thanks,” I said, and then I closed the door.
“I do not think you will be needing your mail for much longer, Will,” Francine said with an amused tone of voice.
“You never know,” I said. “I don’t wanna get back to Earth and not be able to get in my front door because my mail has piled up behind it.”
“That could be a problem,” Francine chuckled.
I made my way into the kitchen to make some instant coffee, since my coffee machine was already in the spaceship. The instant joe was decent, but it just wasn’t perfect like the black gold from my machine, so I slugged back the coffee quickly, rinsed out the mug, and then returned to the barn.
The robots were frantically assembling the last few pieces of the Ion engines, so I helped out where I could. But Francine finally told me that I was hampering more than helping at one point, so I went back to the house to make sure there wasn’t anything else I needed. I rooted through every cupboard and drawer, and then went upstairs to my bedroom to have a final look around. That’s when I realized that I’d left my old trucker hat on the back of my door, and I quickly snatched it from the peg.
“That would have been bad if I’d left you behind,” I said to it as I put it on my head.
I had one last look around my room, and then I stepped out and closed the door behind me. As the door swung shut, it felt like a chapter of my life had just come to an end, and that a new one had just begun.
And I was supposed to be retired. I guess saving the universe was a more interesting job.
Back downstairs, I looked at the four boxes that were left. They sat in the middle of the living room, and I’d left them there because there was nothing critical in them, and I wasn’t sure if I would have enough storage room for them. I opened the top box and saw it was the extra medical supplies I’d picked up. It was mostly stuff like Band-Aids and aspirin, but since I had the suit, they seemed less important now. Still, it couldn’t hurt to have some extra-strength Tylenol on hand, so I put the top back on and started to lift the box.
Suddenly, I felt an uneasy feeling in my gut, though I wasn’t quite sure why. I looked around the room for a moment until my eyes landed on the front window. The air felt still, and I could feel that something was wrong.
“Francine?” I said.
“Will,” the AI said at the exact same time. “We have a problem.”
“I thought so,” I replied. “What’s going on?”
“Will, the judge granted Adeogun the arrest warrant,” Francine said. “Agent Adeogun is already on his way. We do not have long.”
“Shit,” I groaned. “He’s already on the way?”
“He was already on his way when the warrant was issued,” Francine said. “I believe he is concerned that you will try to… make a run for it if you learn about the arrest warrant.”
“Damn it,” I replied. “How far out are they?”
“Maybe ten minutes,” Francine replied.
“There’s no way I can get away from here in time,” I said. “They’ve probably got every way out of here covered anyway. I guess the only way out is up.”
Francine was silent, and the lack of words said more than any could.
“Francine, I know it’s gonna be tight, but those engines have to be ready,” I said. “We don’t have another option.”
“I understand,” the AI replied. “They will be ready.”
“Good,” I said.
I picked up the box of extra medical supplies and ran through the hall, kicked the back door open, sprinted across the field, and chucked it carelessly into the storage compartment at the rear of the spaceship. Then, it was back to the house to collect the next box, which held more dried food. It barely hit the floor of the storage compartment before I was racing down the ramp.
I noticed that the robots were moving as fast as they could and did about ten things at once with their assortment of little, mechanical arms. The Ion engines looked like they were almost done, but with Adeogun and his army on the way, I couldn’t work with ‘almost done’. I needed them completed and ready to move this thing off the ground, or else my mission to save the Earth would come to an end before it had barely started.
“Francine, I need Bob’s help,” I said.
The dog-like robot appeared a moment later at the top of the ramp, and as I started to run back to the house, the robot followed me across the field and then inside to the living room. It waited patiently as I dropped the third box onto its body and then used the new arms to secure the supplies.
“Put that in the storage compartment,” I told it.
Bob beeped and hurried off down the hall with the box. I could hear the extra tools clanking as the robot moved away, but at least we’d have them. I picked up the final box and turned to leave as well.
That was when I heard the sound of helicopters approaching.
“Fuck,” I grunted.
I ran for the back door, but the sound of the helicopters was getting louder. In fact, it was deafening, and I could only imagine what Billy-Rose thought of the sudden commotion. I was two steps from the door when I heard a thump from above me. And then another thump. Followed by three more.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I said. “They’re on the roof!”
The soldiers must have fast-roped down from the choppers. I looked toward the front of the house, but Adeogun and the rest of his team hadn’t arrived yet. They wouldn’t be far behind, though, and I didn’t want to get caught in the open when they did arrive.
I dropped the last box and took my gun out of its holster. I set it to stun since I didn’t want my last deed on Earth to be killing American soldiers, and then I crouched down by the back door.
“Are these guys armed?” I asked.
“Yes,” Francine replied. “And so are the agents pulling into your driveway.”
I ran down the hall, crouched down, and peeked through the front window. Five armored personnel carriers had already pulled into the driveway, and I was sure that more were on the way and others posted on the roads in the surrounding areas. I was cornered.
As I watched, I saw soldiers climb out of the vehicles, all of them were armed, and pointed their weapons at the front of my house. Adeogun stepped out of one of the vehicles with a megaphone in his hand. At the same time, I could hear more footsteps on the roof of my house.
“Will Ryder,” Adeogun said through the megaphone. “Come outside with your hands up.”
“Francine, how long do you need?” I asked.
“Five minutes,” the AI said.
“We don’t have five minutes,” I replied.
“Will Ryder,” Adeogun said again. “I repeat. Come out of your house with your hands up.”
I sighed and opened the front window a crack.
“Can you come back later?” I shouted.
This wasn’t the reply they’d expected, and all the agents paused and turned to look at Adeogun.”
“Come out, now!” He screamed.
“No, thank you!” I shouted back. “I’m good here.”
I noticed Agent Applebaum beside him, and I saw her smirk at my response for a moment before she put her serious face back on.
“You are surrounded,” Agent Adeogun said. “There is nowhere for you to go. Come quietly.”
“I’m good!” I called back.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Agent Adeogun replied. “Believe me, Will, I know which way I’d prefer, though it won’t be a pleasant one for you.”
“He’s so dramatic,” I sighed.
“Will Ryder, this is your last chance,” Agent Adeogun said. “We are arresting you on suspicion of terrorism, murder, and possession of nuclear materials.”
“Francine?” I asked.
“Come out, now!” Adeogun shouted. “We will use tear gas if you do not surrender.”
“Okay, time to go,” I said.
I stayed low as I ran down the hall toward the back door. I pressed the neckline of my suit so that I’d have full protection of all vital organs in case they started shooting. I managed to remove my cap just in time, and I shoved it in the pocket of my cargo pants for safekeeping.
“Will, the soldiers on the roof will open fire if you exit the house now,” Francine said.
I heard a window smash, only this time, canisters landed on the floor and rolled around as tear gas began to billow out of them.
“Yeah, well, staying inside is no longer an option,” I said. “Are the engines ready?”
“Almost,” Francine said.
“They have to be,” I replied.
“Will, just hold on--”
“Too late,” I replied as I threw myself out of the backdoor.
I rolled twice and then leapt to my feet with my weapon already pointed toward the roof. The soldiers ducked for cover just as I fired two quick shots, so I started to run for the barn instead. I was running faster than I ever had before, but the damned helicopters were keeping track of me. Shots started to pepper the ground around me, and clumps of grass and dirt flew into the air.
“Will Ryder!” Adeogun shouted as they threw open the side gate. “Don’t take another step.”
I waved my middle finger in his direction and then tumbled inside the barn. I yanked the door shut, threw the bar in place, and then ran toward the cockpit entrance. There were still sparks flying from the engines, and I saw the robots scurrying all over the engines, which didn’t fill me with confidence that the engines were done.
Then, bullets started to bang into the wooden panels as the soldiers fired shots into the barn.
Crap.
“Francine, we’ve gotta go,” I said as I climbed into the cockpit.
I darted over to my chair and fastened my seatbelt. It sounded like there was a crowd of angry villagers surrounding the barn and banging on the walls, but it was actually bullets drilling holes in the wood.
Thanks to the nanobots, I knew how to start the launch sequence, and I heard the ship start to power up as Francine’s engine, the Dark Matter Conversion engine, started to whir into life. Lights blinked as they turned on and lit up the control panel like a city at night while other screens displayed the current condition of the ship and its many, many parts. The ship was on and rumbled beneath my feet.
“Francine?” I said. “Are we good?”
“Two minutes,” it replied.
“Two minutes?” I groaned as I watched a bullet rip through one of the thick planks of wood and exit through the wall on the other side. “We need to go now!”
“I am working on it,” the AI replied.
I could hear the choppers circling the barn now, and I could imagine Adeogun and Applebaum positioning the rest of the troops in a circle around the barn. At least the bullets had stopped, since the soldiers wouldn’t want to accidentally shoot each other.
“Will Ryder!” Adeogun’s voice crackled over the sound of the rotors. “Surrender now, or we’ll drag you out.”
“Francine,” I said.
“One moment,” it replied.
“Francine,” I pressed.
There was a slow cracking sound from the barn doors, and when I looked over, I saw the heavy doors swing inward. The soldiers must have brought a battering ram with them, and while the bar was holding for now, I didn’t think we had much time before it gave way.
“Francine,” I said. “Now, please.”
“Almost there, Will,” it replied.
The bar finally snapped, the doors swung inwards, and a crowd of soldiers poured into the barn with their weapons raised and ready to fire.
“Francine!” I shouted.
“Engines online,” the AI said calmly.
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I said as I pressed the button to launch, and then hit the thrusters.
It was now or never.
The thrusters roared to life, and suddenly, I felt the force of them as I began to hover off the ground.
“We have liftoff,” Francine said.