Starstorm (Starstorm Saga) (4 page)

Jack sighed. He felt truly alone in the world. Orphaned at a young age, he had no family. More than anything he wanted to meet the right woman, fall in love, and have the family he’d always wanted.

Jack corrected himself. Red
was
his family. Red too was an orphan. They had grown up together at the same orphanage. He was the closest thing he had to a brother. Now Red was on a ship somewhere out in the Solar System, but Jack had no idea where. He had not sent him so much as a single video message. Jack wasn’t surprised. Red was easily distracted and being in the Space Force, he probably didn’t have the time to record a vid. And even if he did, there was always the possibility that he was unable to transmit it.

Jack pulled out his comlink to check his e-mail. He was still hoping beyond hope that one of the job apps he’d put in would be accepted.

I am a pilot. It’s what I was meant to do. Whatever I have to do to get behind the controls of a spaceship where I belong, that’s what I’ll do.
   

The United States Space Force had no academy of its own. America’s spacefaring branch of the military had only been around for a little over a decade. It had quite literally been thrown together in the spur of the moment to counter the sudden threat of space pirates that had emerged in the early 2110s. The Space Force had grown enormously over the previous ten years. Most of its officers had been trained at private academies like the Condor Space Academy.

Jack had taken most of the military training courses, but unfortunately not enough to get an instant commission.

There were really two routes that could be taken to be a pilot for the Space Force. The most common one was to go through the Space Force ROTC program at a private academy. The alternative was for a graduate to go through the officer candidate school and then go to the Space Force’s flight school, which Jack had heard was terrible when compared to the training you received at a full-fledged space academy. Having made his decision to join, Jack went through the Space Force’s OCS. While there he went through basic military training: push-ups, obstacle courses, hand to hand combat, marching and survival training. His sergeant, Joe Ferch, was the meanest, ugliest man to ever walk the Earth. It was more like the Army than the Space Force. In addition to the physical fitness and military drill, there was also training for being in space, most of which Jack had already learned at the academy. His experience paid off though, and by the end of OCS he was at the top of his class. Finally after five miserable months, Jack was in dress uniform and in line with the rest of his company.

“You have done fairly well, maggots!” said Sergeant Ferch to the entire company. "My job was to kick your afterburners into shape and make sure you were fit for military work. Now you will be leaving me and I know that makes you all sad. Now it's off to flight school to learn how to fly. That's right boys and girls, there won't be any flying for you all any time soon. It takes a good year to learn how to operate the highly sophisticated Star Sword spacecraft used by this United States Space Force!"

Jack wanted to puke. He’d spent six years learning how to fly, and now it seemed that the military was going to teach it to him all over again.

“You're all going to flight school maggots! All but you Midshipman Thunder. You've already had four years training, which qualifies you as a type D advanced pilot. You are to report for duty immediately. You're hereby promoted to Lieutenant Junior Grade. Congratulations, Lieutenant Thunder. Don't disappoint me. Now everybody clear out the barracks and move your stuff onto the transports headed for the flight school. And leave those barracks clean! My next victims arrive tomorrow afternoon. Lieutenant Thunder you are to report to Ground Base 14 outside of Washington D.C. for transportation to your first assignment.”

For the first time in a long time, Jack was feeling pretty good. His four years at the Academy had finally gotten him something—a promotion right out of OCS. 

Jack left that afternoon, and the next day arrived at ground base 14. It was huge. A large tower stood at the center of the base and around it shuttles of all shapes and sizes were launching and landing. Jack went up to departures.

“I'm Lieutenant Jack Thunder. I was told to come here for transportation to my assignment.”

“Did you say Thunder?” asked the clerk.

“Yes, Thunder.”

“Hey sir, he's here.” The man the clerk had called to came out from behind the counter. He was tall, thin and clean shaven. His sandy blond hair was closely cut. He was about thirty years old.

“Lieutenant Thunder, I'm Lieutenant Commander Trey Knight. You'll be coming with me to the USS
Saratoga
. Some other crew members and I are here on shore leave, you’re coming back with us. They should be coming back any time now.” He looked at his watch. He looked startled when he saw the time. “Listen I have to take care of something, I'll be right back.”

Trey went into a side room, pulled out his comlink and called his wife and children to tell them goodbye one last time. Jack took a quick stroll away from the departures counter. He stepped outside the main gate and relaxed against the wall. About that time a whole group of guys wearing uniforms like his, rushed past him and inside the main gate.

“We made it!” said one of them and then continued on his way.

Seconds later, a lady in civilian clothing approached Jack. She had two large suitcases. She was about Jack’s height with dark blond hair and looked to be in her late twenties. 

“You there, put these suitcases on transport A immediately and then wash the white solar car over there. And clean it out real good.”

“Sorry lady, I’m not a bell boy, I don't have the time.” Jack still had his mind on Jen, and he wasn’t in the mood for bossy women.

“What!” yelled the woman. “Do it now!”

Trey heard from a distance.

Oh no!
he thought and ran over towards them.

“I am not washing your car—Your Majesty.”

“I'm going to make your life miserable, mister!” yelled the woman now red in the face.

“And how are you going to do that?” said Jack. Trey then interrupted.

“She's second in command of our ship, Lieutenant. Trust me she'll find a way.”

Jack gulped, then came to rigid attention. 

“Lieutenant Commander Knight,” said the woman. “Did I not order before I left, that anyone caught outside the base’s gate after 1400 hrs would be punished by having to wash my car?”

“Yes Mam,” said Trey. The woman continued.

“This insubordinate, undisciplined, disgrace of a loser pilot has tried my patience long enough! I demand an explanation for his unacceptable behavior!”

“Yes mam,” said Trey and started with an explanation. “Lieutenant Thunder is our new recruit. He just arrived here minutes ago. I forgot to tell him not to step outside the gate and for that I take full responsibility. And as you are wearing civilian clothes mam and he has never seen you before in his life, he had no way of knowing you were military personnel, much less his commanding officer.”

There was a long silence. The woman was stunned at first, but rallied quickly.

“Well then Commander Knight, since you take full responsibility, you can help him clean my car.” Trey looked suddenly irked, but he saluted and said, “Yes, mam.” 

“Proceed, gentlemen.” She began to walk away but stopped and glanced briefly at Jack.

“By the way I’m Commander April Kelley. I’ll see you aboard, Mr. Thunder.” She then took her suitcases and hurried off.

“Way to butter up the boss, Lieutenant.”

“Sorry sir, I didn't...”

“I know, I know” said Trey. “Come on, let's get this over with.”

An hour later, they clambered up the steps into a huge military transport shuttle. Jack feared that he may have offended Trey as well as Commander Kelley, but the squadron commander took a seat next to him. A while later, the shuttle took off. Unlike the old NASA space shuttles, this shuttle took off by itself without any giant boosters. They streaked out of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Jack felt queasy as they entered space and zero gravity.  

“Come on lets go up to the cockpit,” said Trey.

“Are you sure it's okay?” asked Jack.

“Yea, I know the pilot, now come on.”

Jack reached up to his wrist controller and magnetized his boots. His feet locked securely to the deck as he stood. He and Trey then walked up the shuttle to the cockpit. In a way, walking in zero gravity wearing magnetic boots was more difficult than regular walking because he had to put more effort into separating his foot from the deck but Jack adapted quickly. Much to Jack’s relief they did not pass Commander Kelley on their way to the cockpit. 

“Hey, Sam,” said Trey to the pilot.

“Hey Trey, what's up? Let me guess, you’ve got another new recruit?”

“Yea, Sam Grayson meet Jack Thunder.”

“Good to meet you, Jack.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Call me Sam, everyone else does.”

“Well Sam you know the routine,” said Trey.

“Right.”

Trey turned to Jack.

“Lieutenant, take the helm.”

“Sir?”

“I always bring new guys to the cockpit to watch them fly so I can get a sampling of their abilities. Sometimes the flight schools send us guys that can’t tell a thruster from booster. This shuttle is easy to fly. It’s child’s play compared to the Star Swords. Now take the controls.”

Jack took the controls and handled them excellently.

“Smooth as a baby's rear end. Not bad Jack!” said Sam. “You should have seen the last guy he brought in here. Thinks he's the greatest pilot in the world and took us into a barrel role trying to prove it. When Styler hit the boosters it sent several of the passengers flying towards the rear of the shuttle.”

“Styler!” said Jack. “Red Styler?”

“Yea, know him?”

"Yea, he's kind of sort of...my best friend,” said Jack. “Actually, you might say he’s like my big brother. We grew up in the same orphanage. I know it might not seem like it but he’s a good guy. He’s watched out for me all my life. He just takes about twenty years to get to know.”

“Well I haven’t got that kind of patience,” said Sam. “In any event, that barrel role of his sure ticked off Commander Kelley,” said Sam.

Trey looked mischievously at Jack.

“Her Majesty was one of the one’s flung to the back.”

Jack laughed, and wondered how Commander Kelley had exacted vengeance on Red. Trey turned back to Sam.

“Don’t be fooled Sam. Angering our esteemed first officer is something Jack here has in common with Styler.” Trey then told the story of how Jack first met Commander Kelley. When he was through with the story Sam was holding his belly in laughter.

“It's not funny,” said Jack.

“It is from where I'm sitting!” said Sam. He then turned back to Trey. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with two of these jokers on board.”

“Neither do I,” said Trey.  

“So what about you Sam any stories?” asked Jack.

“Sorry Jack, I'm just a boring shuttle pilot. If you want some good stories though talk to Trey, after all he's the war hero.”

“War hero!” said Jack.

“Well I wouldn't say war hero. Hot shot maybe but not hero.”

“Oh don't be so modest,” said Sam. “You’ve got to be more than a hero to win the Space Force Cross!”

“You won the Space Force Cross?” said Jack.

“He sure did,” said Sam “In fact by the end of the Pirate Wars he had personally shot down fifty-three enemy fighters.”

They continued to climb into a higher orbit and finally they saw their destination, the U.S.S. Saratoga.

“There she is,” said Trey. “A real beauty isn't she?”

“She sure is,” said Jack. The Saratoga was the biggest ship that Jack Thunder had ever seen. The fleet carrier was two hundred and fifty meters long.

“Better let me take the controls again,” said Sam. He took the controls and Jack and Trey returned to their seats. Sam slowed the shuttle speed and signaled the Saratoga.

“Saratoga this is shuttle 141 requesting permission to land.”

“Roger shuttle 141, permission granted to land on shuttle pad three.”

“Understood Saratoga. Shuttle 141 out.” Sam maneuvered the shuttle over the deck of Saratoga and set the shuttle down nice and easy on the shuttle pad directly in front of the command tower. The pad then dropped below the deck and doors closed above them as the shuttle was lowered down into the ship’s shuttle hangar. They then clambered off the shuttle. Trey turned to Jack.

“I'll take you to your room, show you around the ship and then we'll take out the Star Swords.”

Just as they were leaving he saw April Kelley get off the shuttle. Sure enough she was wearing a military uniform with Commander's insignia. It seemed to take forever to get to Jack's room. The interior of the Saratoga was extremely cramped. They made their way through the maze of narrow corridors walking with magnetized boots.

“There’s no free floating allowed outside your quarters—it creates havoc in the corridors. As a Junior Officer you'll have to share a room with some one else. The other pilots have been drawing straws to see who has to bunk with Red Styler, but since he's your best friend you get the honor.”

“Terrific,” Jack said sarcastically.

“Wait here a second,” said Trey. He hit the door buzzer.

“Come in. Hey Trey, what's up? How's the second best pilot in the known universe?”

“Just fine Red. Your new roommate is here.”

“Who got the straw this week?”

“No one. Come on in.”

“Well, well, look who it is,” said Red.

“Hello Red,” said Jack.

“I thought you were going to be one of those classy space liner pilots.”

“Well, I'll tell you all about it later.”

Jack put up his stuff and then Trey took him on a tour of the ship. He showed him the engine room, the hangars, the launch bays, science labs, medical center and combat information center. Jack declined a visit to the bridge knowing the commander would be there. After the tour they went to the recreation center which was a lot like the old club and Jack met a bunch of the other pilots. Then Trey and Jack went down to the pilots’ lockers and got into their flight suits. They then went to one of the Star Sword hangars.