The Earthrise Trilogy Part 4

"It might be one of the people who worked at Star Labs," Steve said, picking it up. "h.e.l.lo," Steve said, into the phone. He was holding it away from his ear so that Clare could listen in.

"Please don't hang up Mr. Forester," came the stranger's voice. "My name is General Hammond, and I've been looking for you for the past few days."

"Were they your men I saw arriving at my house General?" Steve asked.

"No Mr. Forester, they were Carter's men, I'm glad you were smart enough to evade them, I have them in custody even as we speak."

"And what about Carter and Vinkle?" Steve quizzed.

"Hmm, I was rather hoping you could help me out there. They've both disappeared and I have no idea where they are."

"Try the launch-pad General, they're heading for the s.h.i.+p."

"Are you sure about that Mr. Forester?"

"Count on it General, I know what they're up to."

The caller was silent for a moment and then said, "Mr. Forester, I realise that this may be difficult for you, but I need to speak with you about a private matter, it's not something I can discuss over the phone, will you meet me somewhere?"

Clare looked anxious, "It could be a trap she whispered."

"I don't think so Sweetie," Steve said, following his gut instinct. "Sure General, I'll meet up with you."

"Where and when?" General Hammond asked. "Let's say Star Labs in fifteen minutes."

"Good, and thank you Mr. Forester."

The phone went dead.

"Oh well, we'll know just what's going on in a little while." Steve announced.

"Do be careful daddy." Sh.e.l.ley insisted as she hugged him tightly.

"Yes, do." Clare added.

Steve collected his coat and left.

"Right kids," Clare said, "let's get everything packed up in case we need to leave in a hurry." The young foresters obeyed, as usual, and Rufus stood guard at the door.

Steve arrived at the Star Labs main entrance just as the big black limousine pulled up. A rear window went down and a friendly voice said, "Mr. Forester? Please get in." Steve got into the limo' and it pulled away.

General Hammond looked every inch a General. Unlike Carter, who looked more like a crook than a soldier.

"How can I help you General?" Steve asked.

"It's like this Mr. Forester."

"Please call me Steve, General, everybody does."

"Thank you, Steve, it's like this. We've been aware of a covert operation, code named cuckoo, for some time now, but until recently, we had no idea what its motives were. A recent discovery seems to have triggered them into action."

"Carter and Vinkle are part of this I a.s.sume General."

"Yes, that's right Steve. We think Carter is the master mind behind it, with Vinkle as his puppet."

"Makes sense, Carter never did strike me as being a real General."

"You're right again Steve, he isn't, but somehow he managed to fool the top bra.s.s into thinking he was useful to them, and he worked his way into the Moon Base Alpha project. That's been his goal all along, to infiltrate the project. He found a way in via Vinkle who proved to be an easy target for him to subvert."

"We now know that Cuckoo is a plot to take over Moon Base Alpha, and use it for their own ends, we didn't know, however, to what lengths they would go in order to achieve this-"

"You mean the explosion," Steve interrupted.

"Smart man Steve, I can see you've already worked it out. They sabotaged an old Russian storage facility to throw the world into a panic. They hoped this would buy some time for them to bring about their escape, but they hadn't reckoned on being found out so soon. We were able to upset their plans still further by arresting some of the lower order operatives, but Vinkle and Carter have eluded us. What makes you think they're heading for the launch-pad?"

"It's the only safe place General...There's no virus on the moon! We have to stop them before they get there or all is lost."

The General thought for a moment and then closed the dividing window between themselves and the driver.

"Steve, what I am about to tell you is top secret, only myself, the President and a few highly trusted others know about it." He paused. "Have you heard of Lark?"

"No, can't say that I have General, what is it?"

"It's the final solution Steve, the last resort, the place where the buck stops for good, if you like. Lark, is short for Lunar Ark."

General Hammond paused for it to sink in.

"We've known for years that something like this virus leak could happen. Either theirs or ours, it was only a matter of time before there was some sort of accident, or act of terrorism.

"Some ten years ago I began plans for Lark, heavily disguised as just a s.p.a.ce station on the moon's surface, but we've been secretly s.h.i.+pping stuff up there for years. Dr. Peebles, a brilliant mind, discovered a way to search for water on the moon, and it worked. We've found water, Steve, deep inside the Moon's crust. It's ice and it's everywhere. Pure water stored for millions of years just waiting to be discovered. The MBA project included a secret section on botany; your wife's research was used as the basis for this whole section. Her discovery of that high-oxygen producing plant, and her work on other hybrids made it all possible. A hybrid of that plant now exists on the Moon in vast quant.i.ties. Her discoveries in the desert plants also helped: a hybrid of a high-oxygen producing plant, and a very low-water using plant was developed; we call it B37A+. It's there now growing like wild fire. With enough water it grows at an astronomical rate."

He paused again.

"Steve, the moon is getting an atmosphere. Carter and Vinkle didn't know this until recently, when a report came in of a green mould growing on the Moon's surface. We estimate that in another twenty years, the moon will have a breathable atmosphere comparable to that on Earth."

"Wow General, that takes some swallowing. So Lark is a success."

"Yes, Steve it is, but we need someone to oversee its development, someone who really understands plants."

"You mean Clare."

"Yes, we do. We think that you, the Forester family, would be perfect to populate Lark. There are others who would be there with you, of course, from various walks of life, but all with a specialised knowledge that would be a benefit to Lark. It's quite literally, the Ark Steve, a remnant of the human race preserved."

The General paused.

"I need your answer, I'm sorry, but I need it now. Will you go?"

"Can I talk it over with my wife and kids first?"

"Sorry, I need to know right now, I can't delay the launch any longer."

"OK General, we'll go," Steve said. "I know my family, and we...they, will be honoured to serve in this way."

"Good man, I was hoping you would say that, we can pick your family up on the way...Erm, where are they?"

Clare was looking out of the window. "Here's the limo," she called to the kids, "and daddy's getting out of it."

A few moments later, Steve burst through the door breathless and saying, "Leave everything, just leave everything and come with me."

There were some strange looks but they obeyed. Clare grabbed Rufus and followed Steve and the kids down the stairs and out of the hotel. They all jumped into General Hammond's car, which sped away at high speed.

"Everyone," Steve said, even more breathless now, "this is General Hammond, he has explained to me everything that is going on. I'll tell you all later, but for now, you need to know that we are on our way to the Moon."

This was all Steve could manage in his breathless state, so General Hammond took over.

"Mrs. Forester, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. You don't know just how big a part you have played in the salvation of the human race. I salute you." And with that, he did. Clare just stared in amazement.

Slowly, Steve got his breath back and between them, he and General Hammond relayed all that had been said at their meeting. Clare wept as she began to understand what was happening. She didn't weep for herself, but for all who would be left behind to face the consequences of mankind's folly.

"Is there an antidote General?" she asked.

"None that we know of Mrs. Forester, but we still have time, and prayer." He said warmly.

The car journey seemed to go on and on. The kids and Rufus were fast asleep and Clare was not far from it herself. Steve and General Hammond talked softly.

"Where are we going General?"

"A secret launch-pad," he answered.

"Does Carter know about this place?"

"Most probably," the General replied.

"Then that's where they'll be. They'll either try to steal the s.h.i.+p, or sabotage it. That kind of sc.u.m will try to spoil what they can't have."

"Point taken Steve," the general picked up his phone and called ahead.

"We'll keep a sharp lookout for them sir," came the response to the general's orders.

"Get some rest Steve," the general said, "there'll be plenty of time to catch up on the flight." Steve was all in and so took the General up on his offer. The car sped on with just the General and the driver still awake. It was a long journey to the launch-site.

Some hours later the car slowed.

"Where are we General?" Clare asked drowsily.

"Just some place secret." Was the General's answer. "Where, is not important, that we are almost there is. Please awaken your family, we'll be arriving any moment now."

Clare gently woke everyone up.

"Are we nearly there yet mom?" Sh.e.l.ley asked sleepily.

"Yes, we're nearly there young lady." The General said, smiling for the first time.

"Do you have any children General?" Clare asked.

"Why yes Mrs. Forester, I have three, two boys and a girl, and three grand children!"

"Wow, it must be great to have such a family, I hope we'll have one like that one day," she said, looking at her two adorable children.

"I hope so too Mrs. Forester, I hope so too."

"Sorry for being so insensitive General, it must be a great concern for you considering the current crisis."

The sentence needed no response, the General was a soldier, he would do his duty, as would his family.

Steve had been silently watching all this, "Isn't she wonderful?" He said, looking at General Hammond, who just smiled that knowing smile and said, "You are a very lucky man Steve Forester."

The car pulled up at a run-down old gas station. "This is it," the General smiled, "hold on."

The car backed into what appeared to be a mechanics workshop, the doors closed and the car began to descend. Slowly at first, but picking up speed as it went. Then, just as suddenly, it slowed and stopped. The doors opened at the front, and the car drove out of the lift and into a brightly lit hanger. The lights hurt everyone's eyes for a few moments, but as they became accustomed to it, they could see the s.h.i.+p some way off, and there were soldiers everywhere.

"Can't take any chances," the General said, "this is a one time effort, if it fails, we all fail. The folk up on the Moon right now don't have the skills to make it work, they are just basic maintenance people and a few guards."

"Then we better not disappoint them," Clare said, taking a deep breath before leaving the car.

"Tell me General, are you coming with us?" She asked.

The General paused a little and said, "No, sadly, I'm not. My place is here with my troops. Who knows, we may be needed in the days to come, but some of my family will be joining you, my eldest son, his wife and daughter. He's an engineer, and she's a teacher. You'll need to go to school up there." He said, looking at Chris. Then he smiled again.

Shortly, an officer came over to the car and saluted General Hammond. "We're ready sir," he said, and stood to attention by the open door.

"It's time folks," the General said. "This is sergeant, Mahoney, he will look after you from now on. Take good care of them sergeant, they're a big part of this."

"Yes sir, I will," Mahoney replied, with another salute.

The Forester family exited the General's car, closed the doors, and waved as he was driven away. It was the last time they saw him.

"Follow me please," Mahoney said. Everyone turned towards the s.h.i.+p and set off after the soldier. They had taken only a few steps when they were knocked over by the force of the blast. After a few seconds, Steve called out, "Is everyone OK?"

"Yes." came their various replies. On seeing that his family was safe, along with sergeant Mahoney, Steve turned to see where the blast had come from. It was the General's car, some sort of anti tank missile had hit it. The General and his driver were dead.

"Oh no," Clare sobbed, "this is not real, please tell me this is not real."

"Sorry Mrs. Forester, but I'm afraid it is." Mahoney's voice had a tremble in it as he spoke. Soldiers poured out of every doorway visible. The General had laid a trap, with himself as the bait, and Carter had walked straight into it. There were shots and cries that echoed around the hanger for a little while, and then it was over. A corporal came running over to Mahoney and said, "Carter and Vinkle are both dead sarge' along with all the other conspirators."