The Beyondby Thomas R. Willits |
Table of Contents Part 1 appears in this issue. |
| part 2 of 6 |
“...We will persevere through the days ahead and the flight plan now perfect will be our trusted aid...”
Enough! Ethan suddenly broke his trance and interrupted the director. “You son of a bitch,” Ethan stammered. “It’s the plan you wanted. You’ve kept me here, right under your nose. And all this time it was the plan. You’ve waited until it was perfect, until the flight was a guaranteed success. So you could claim the breach for your own. For you’re own personal glory. So it will be your name that history remembers. That’s was this is about... You son of a bitch.”
The director was silent for a brief moment considering this. “I think you are mistaken, Ethan,” Droverson argued. “I only want what’s best for our company, Pegason. What’s best for our crew. What’s best for Mirano. I believe I can offer the best means of success and survival. I think you’re the one who is being selfish here. Perhaps it is you who wants the glory.”
Ridiculous. Ethan was appalled.
The room was silent and Ethan could only see the flight plan, drifting away. The plan was lost forever. Ethan said nothing in response knowing he couldn’t actually convince him to put his name back on the flight.
“Very well.” Droverson pickup up the flight plan and stood up. “If there is nothing more, this meeting is concluded.”
No one could say anything. No one wanted to say anything. The meeting was over and everyone walked out of the room. Norian stood up, gave Ethan a rub on the shoulder. “Tough break, Ethan,” he said.
But even Norian didn’t linger long. Ethan needed to be alone right now. Now was not a time for comfort or council. Ethan needed some time alone to sort this out.
Droverson stopped at the door, last to leave. He looked down at the floor and picked up the flight plan that Ethan had tossed there. He turned to the conference table and looked at Ethan. “I want you to know it’s nothing personal, Ethan. But it’s my flight now. It’s my mission.”
Ethan wanted to grab the flight manual out of his hands and force it down Droverson’s throat. As thick as his neck was, it would sure fit. The urge was overwhelming but he found the self-control within him to resist the temptation. Droverson started to say something more, perhaps some apology, but then didn’t. He left the room and Ethan was alone.
* * *
The rest of the afternoon Ethan spent at his home until later that evening. Sitting around the house for hours, sulking wouldn’t change anything. He decided it might be best to make his reservation with Norian. And to his surprise when diner was over he returned home feeling a little better after talking the situation over.
Ethan deactivated the security and let himself into his apartment. He desperately needed a glass of water. His mouth was dry from a lingering taste of wine from dinner. Ethan turned the cold water on and filled his glass to the brim. He raised and downed all the water, feeling a little better. The taste of wine was gone. Now if only there were a way to remove the other bitter taste. The taste of agony.
Ethan preceded to go down the hall and on to bed. He demanded sleep. The kitchen led to the main hallway and then his bedroom which was at the end. He glanced to his right looking into the living room as he switched off the light. The living room was dark especially with the kitchen and hall lights on blinding his view.
He turned his head back to the hallway. Something caught his eye just then in the living room. The couch. Despite the shadows the light left in the living room he had seen something. Ethan spun around to see what it was which was someone sitting on his couch the whole time, watching him. Ethan gasped for breath, stumbling against the wall behind him. He franticly reached for the switch and flipped the light back on. The figure didn’t move. But he was there, siting and watching.
Ethan looked closer. A man, but he couldn’t recognize who it was. “Who are you and what are you doing here?” Ethan moved back to the kitchen as if to make a run for it. The figure rose from the couch not speaking. Ethan repeated, “Who are you?”
After a short moment the man replied, “I’m here on business, Mr. Santari. Please come in and sit down.”
Ethan didn’t feel any better. “How did you get...”
“I have means of getting through your door and your security, Mr. Santari. I’m not here to harm you. As I said, I’m here on business. Now please come in and sit.”
Ethan saw no one else. After he conjured up enough courage he slowly moved to the living room switching on the light. He could make him out now. The man was older and balding and had a dark mustache. Just the type that could get himself through secured doors and perhaps much more. Certainly, a professional. He had never met this man before although he had a feeling this man knew him. The man looked at him still standing up and opened his hand to the couch offering him a seat.
“Please, sit.”
Ethan did, and so did the mysterious fellow.
“Good,” the man said. “Now we can talk. You do not know me. My name is Rickas Gellen. But please call me Ric.”
“You know who I am,” Ethan spoke. “Don’t you?”
“Yes, indeed I do,” the man who introduced himself as Rickas Gellen said. “You are Ethan Santari. For the past ten years you’ve been a flight coordinator at Pegason. And until recent events you were their lead flight coordinator. You’ve spent the most recent of your years concentrating on breaching the barrier.
“Before Pegason you were in school for six years studying space flight and engineering. You received high accommodations in your class and you had your shot at joining many engineering institutions as well a promising flight career. Both of which would no doubt be very profitable. Yet you chose Pegason, a government-funded flight company for research and exploration. Not a profitable business choice if you ask me.”
“It suited me,” Ethan replied amazed at how much this man he did not know, knew of him. “You seem to know a great deal about me, Mr. Gellen.”
“Please,“ Ric said politely but particularly annoyed at his formality. “Call me Ric. Well, you see I do my homework. I am here on business.”
“You mentioned that.”
“I understand you will not be leaving us next week. That is, I mean you will not be leaving Mirano.”
Ethan felt a little uneasy, and unsure where this was going. He crossed his arms and waited for Ric to continue.
“I also believe that the Director of Pegason, Director Droverson, has added himself to the flight and removed you from it altogether. Not exactly a scrupulous decision, would you say?”
“What’s your point?” Ethan questioned. He didn’t know why Ric was here but he wasn’t going to allow this to continue. The humiliation from the conference was still fresh in his mind and there really was no need for more. “What do you want?”
“Your ship will be leaving next week without you, Ethan,” Ric continued, not bothered by Ethan’s questions. He continued at his own will. “And the mission, too, will be leaving without you.”
“Please, Ric. Rickas-whoever-you-are,” Ethan said as he stood up. “I already know all this. I was there when it happened. Are you a reporter?”
“Oh, no,” Ric said responding to his question. “Not a reporter. Please sit. You must forgive me, Ethan. I always have a way of delivering the facts as they are, and I probably sound a bit cold hearted. I am sorry. Let me just put it to you this way. You wanted this trip very much, I know. You’ve worked many years for it. So I will ask. If there was a way you could go on this mission, no matter how or why, would you do it? Let’s just say the ‘how’ doesn’t matter for now. Only if you could go, would you?”
Ethan wasn’t sure why he was being asked these questions and so he answered the hypothetical question. “Yeah, I suppose I would. But it’s impossible now, so why are you asking?”
Ric laughed briefly, “Always thinking logically. That’s good. You see I am here to offer you something. And you must understand that what I say I mean to be true. I am here to offer you another chance at breaching the barrier. It’s not too late, Ethan, if you still want to go. But I must know soon.”
Ethan didn’t say anything in response. The offer sounded too good to be true. And when offers sounded too good to be true they often were. But it also sounded like it could be real. Was it possible? Was there another way? How? Ethan remembered Ric’s question: no matter how or why. But it did matter how. He couldn’t get himself aboard Pegason’s ship. Unless, he didn’t have to.
“Who do you work for?” Ethan interrogated. He was now unsure of this man sitting across for him in his living room. “Tell me. Tell me or leave right now.”
The man on the couch was not bothered by Ethan’s directness but he did feel compelled to answer. “I work for Lennport Shuttles.“
Ethan now understood everything. This company and many like it were greedy contractors for organized transportation. People would pay handsomely for a chartered space flight to the moon and back.
Not all flights at these companies were for pleasure, however. Some, through so-called “good will,” were for research. These companies used research as a cover to give their business a more positive look to the public. Ethan had seen through their deception years ago. Ethan now understood that Ric was offering him a ship.
“I’m not in it for the profit,” Ethan said quickly. “Your company cares little for the research of space or the barrier. You only concern yourselves with how it will profit you.”
“A crude definition of my company,” Ric said in protest. “But you are right, we do seek a financial means to our operations. Why can’t space flight be beneficial and profitable?” “You are unbelievable,” Ethan gasped. Never in his life had he dreamed of achieving his goals this way. This was the other side. The side he had detested for so many years. “I should ask you to leave.”
“But you won’t,” Ric responded. “Because you need me now. And I am offering you something you can’t refuse. You see there are no strings involved. No contracts to sign, no deals, no profits. I am simply giving you want you want.”
“How do you know what I want?” Ethan was sounding a little unsure and at the same time enticed.
“As I’ve said before, I make it my business to know. I know this is something you cannot pass up. And we would like you to go. We will give you a ship. Our best.”
Ethan’s mind was now racing through these new thoughts. To be funded by these vultures was ludicrous. But with recent events unfolding in the manner they had Ric’s offer was sounding more and more fair to him. More possible.
“Even if you provide a ship,” Ethan started and stood up. “a flight plan takes months if not years to plan. Droverson will be leaving next week. They will breach the barrier and there will be no point in any of this.”
Ric waved his hand in the air as if swatting a fly to the subject. “No matter,” he said arrogantly. “I believe the flight plan will be inadequate anyway. There will be adjustments needed. Maybe course corrections.”
“Inadequate?” Ethan was appalled. “I’ve spent nearly a year on that flight plan. It is perfect. Flawless. A trainee could run the mission and succeed.”
“No doubt,” Ric added. “And I’m sure now that Droverson has your plan tucked neatly under his arm there will be no way to get at it, even for me. But I did not mean the plan was flawed. I meant there will be unforeseen dangers. A flight plan will be useless.”
“And how would you know that?”
Ric did not answer this question. He reached down to his briefcase and pulled out a single black folder. He opened it and pulled out a photograph. It was a picture of the barrier. Ethan recognized the red gaseous clouds. A picture much too close to be taken from outside the barrier. This picture was taken from within, which was impossible. All data gathered so far had been from outside. Satellites could take all the photos they wanted and not turn up a photo this detailed. Probes had been sent in but never returned. They were unable to retrieve any data from the barrier and they were lost. No one in their right mind would enter the barrier for such a picture. But yet here was this picture, whether it was impossible or not.
“Where,” Ethan studied the picture with great interest and continued, “and how did you get this?”
“I think you know.” Ric gave him a quick smile. “I went in. But I was unprepared. I had to get out before my ship was destroyed. And it nearly was. I was able to take some data on the barrier as well as that photograph. I would share my data if you like.”
Ethan grabbed the photograph from Ric and looked at it closer. Yes, no doubt this was taken deep within the barrier. The clouds were reacting violently to the ship by what appeared to be white flashes of lightning. Inside was a raging storm.
“You see here,” Ric pointed to the white lines. “This was happening all around us. It began as we went further into the barrier. It was as if the barrier somehow detected our presence and reacted to us. We were nearly struck by one of these flashes. I wasn’t sure if they were dangerous but I wasn’t going to stick around and find out. One hit so close it shook the ship, and I had to adjust course. After that I made the decision to turn back. We didn’t stop until we were safely out of there.”
“So you piloted the ship? I didn’t realize you were a pilot.” Ethan was now enjoying this.
“Yes,“ Ric answered. “Whose ship do you think you’ll be taking? Yes, for many years now. Up until this encounter I thought I was good. But after that... well... I don’t know. I’ve seen some strange things before, but this was just...”
“You disobeyed the no-fly zone,” Ethan debated, not expecting any apology.
Copyright © 2005 by Thomas R. Willits
