Dark as Daylight Ch. 05a

"This Captain stuff is going to your head. You are getting too smart for the rest of us. I think I'll take Delicious outside for a walk and talk to her there."

"Sounds like a marvelous idea to me."

"Sounds like a marvelous idea to me too."

I opened my communicator and called out, "Delicious Thyme, report to engineering. Delicious Thyme, report to engineering."

"Jack, Even, think of something that's outside the ship that my daughter and I would have to check personally, and do it quick. You have about 90 seconds."

"I hate you Even."

Delicious and I arrived at nearly at the same time. She looked at me and said, "What's going on dad?"

"I have no idea, Jack called me, and said he needed the both of us."

We walked in and Jack was going over diagrams of the external portion of the ship.

"Hi Even, Delicious, we have a vibration outside the main elevator shaft, and since were following that asteroid towards the White Hole, I need to know if we will hold together going through there, even with that protection in front of us. You two guys put this thing together, you have to tell me if it's a go or no go. You also have to tell me if we can fix it, and how."

"How far past the elevator do you think it is?"

"It may be directly under it, left or right of it. We can hear it, but we can't isolate it."

I looked at my daughter and said, "We are going for a spacewalk."

"Are we going to be tethered, or using backpacks?"

"Do I hear a chicken clucking? My daughter is afraid of a backpack? Well, she is a new mother; so we will let her use the tether this time. I will take the backpack to investigate further way."

**************

As they stepped out on the large elevator, Delicious got nervous.

"Dad where is my tether?"

"It's out here Delicious; why would you need a tether by the entry door. Nothing is going to happen while the guys are still out here without spacesuits on. It would not be too good for their health. Let me hook you up."

"Look at this, this is not rope, it is not steel. This is what our ship is made of so it will not break, tear, go on fire, or melt. It is the same stuff that pulls in the nuclear engine, only a little thinner. You are perfectly safe on it unless you weigh 18000 pounds. If you do, I want to look exactly like you."

"The buckle is ceramic; it is not going to break. Someone I know has the patent on it. Do you feel comfortable now that you're hooked up?"

"Yes dad, I'm fine."

"Just remember, if you look at the front of the ship, there is a huge rock in front of us. Callie is in control of the ship, we are maintaining 25000 meters behind it, and the exact speed of the asteroid ahead of us. Concentrate on your job."

"Clear the elevator."

"Remove the oxygen."

"Breathe normally Delicious. This is a cakewalk."

"We have a vacuum, lowering the elevator."

"If you think the stars are stunning as you look at them through the monitors, wait until we clear the lower lip of the ship."

"Oh dad look at that, isn't that amazing?"

"Give me your hand, and trust me."

Panicky, Delicious said, "Where are you taking me, dad?"

"I'm taking you to the end of your tether, and then I'm going to release your hand and stay right behind you. I want you to take a look at the heavens. I want them to sink into your brain and to see how wonderful they are. No talking, just look.

*********************

Jennifer walked into engineering and asked Jack where her errant husband, and daughter were. It was over an hour and a half, and she was wondering which one of us was dead, and which one of us was almost dead.

"They're not in here Jennifer, unless they're playing with the turkeys. I know Gordon was down here a few hours ago playing with them. Teddy was telling him some of them got lost, because there weren't as many as there used to be. Gordon said he would try to do something about that for her."

Jennifer grabbed Jack by the top of his uniform.

"Jack, I recognize Even's distraction technique. Where is he, and don't tell me he's in the containment unit, because I won't believe you."

"He went for a walk with Delicious. He said he wanted to be alone with her. It sounded pretty important."

"Which way did they go Jack. Point in the direction, and then follow your finger as you lead me to them."

"I'm really not supposed to leave my post."

"Newton are you here?"

"No grandma, I'm up here."

"Do you know where your mother, and grandfather are?"

"Yes they went for a walk."

"Could you be a little more specific?"

"Sure, their outside walking on the ship. The Colonel said there was some sort of vibration out there, but I think it was a ploy so the ship couldn't hear my mom yell."

"Newton, you are smart beyond your years."

"Jack have you been in contact with my husband?"

"Not exactly."

"If I don't get a correct answer Hannah is going to be a widow."

"I was told to maintain radio silence from this end. When they wanted to come in Even would signal me."

"Jack, this is Even you can bring us in."

"As I said Jen, he would call me, when they were ready to come in."

*******************

Jennifer was not sure what was going to come through that sealed door when Delicious made her entrance. What she got she never expected. Delicious walked through the door smiling and laughing with her father.

Delicious walked over to Jen. "Mom can you imagine having to put up with him in the computer for the rest of our lives. It doesn't seem fair, the computer is in all of our rooms, we can never get away from him."

"The computers in our rooms have off buttons. We can always get rid of him that way. What else did he tell you?"

"He actually saw my mom today, and told me how she pretty she looked. They had the same discussion they always have and there's no right or wrong in it. It just is as it is. I have to learn how to live with it. I realized today I haven't learned how to do it. I've always used it as an excuse for being angry at myself, Gray, or anyone else around me. I should have always had a different life was the way I always thought about it. The way I should of been thinking about it was this was my life, deal with it. Things would've been so much easier with me and Gray if I just did that one thing a long time ago. I've got to talk to him again, and tell him how sorry I am that I missed something so simple and screwed up 15 years of our marriage because of it."

"It's always nice to grow up, regardless of when you do it. You have to remember no one else knows about your father, so far it's only you and I. I'm not sure who else he will tell, but I'm sure he'll tell Gordon, and that is going to go down hard."

I had just finished stowing my gear, and Jennifer kissed me, when a 3-year-old fireball came rushing at me with tears the size of her cheeks running down her face.

"Why you go? Why God want you now? I pray you stay, She say "NO, need you now. I angry with God, don't want you leave Teddy."

I scooped her up into my arms, and scolded her. "You must never be angry with God. She always has a reason for calling people to her. Why do you think I made you my number 2? I knew one day this would happen, and I knew it would be soon. God told me so, and I am ready to go to her. Now you must pray for the others on the ship. You must pray for grandma, mommy and daddy, Gordon and Newton, and everyone else that this ship is entrusted to. Do you know who else you must pray for? You must pray for you, because you must grow up straight and tall and beautiful in God's eyes. I know you already are, but you must continue to be that wonderful person you are inside. Did God tell you I'm going to be in the computer?"

"No."

"She probably knew you were angry with her, and kept that information from you. You know how you go inside Callie, well that's where I'm going to be. I am going to join with her forever. She will take the best of me, and throw the worst of me away. Anytime you want to talk with me, I will be there to listen to you. Won't you like that?"

"Yes grandpa, I sorry I angry with God."

"I don't think you're supposed to tell me; I think you're supposed to tell Her."

Teddy closed her eyes, for a moment, and when she opened them, she smiled.

"God say I forgiven being angry, because I only 3. I will understand, when I get older, what going to Her is."

"Jen, instead of me going through this time and time again, use your communicator and call a staff meeting in the ready room in 30 minutes. I may as well get this over with once and for all. Make sure all our trainees attend, our son, and a special notice to Newton to be there please."

Teddy said, "I know where Newton go with girl."

Her mother asked, "Are you spying on your brother?"

"Not spying, watching."

"Delicious, she's too young for that talk."

"Mom if she's watching him, I don't believe she needs that talk."

"All Newton does is kiss, hold hands."

"Thank you Lord for very large favors."

"Why say grandma?"

Jennifer blushed. "Teddy when grandma was a little older than Newton she was a very bad girl. She had sex and became pregnant with Gordon. She had baby Gordon, and became good for a long time. That's how she met grandpa, and we got married. Grandpa adopted Gordon as his son. We one big family now."

Teddy laughed. "Gordon booby prize for grandpa."

While everyone was laughing, I kissed that little cherub's face.

If you never say anything else in your lifetime that's correct Teddy, you are right about that, "Gordon is one big booby prize."

"When Gordon 4, he say "I know!"

I began tickling her, while everyone was laughing again. She squirmed out of my arms, and ran to her mother.

"I think we should start going to the ready room. I want to be at the meeting before Newton gets there."

Teddy asked, "Want me get Newton?"

Delicious said, "No let me do it."

She opened her communicator, and said loud and clear, "Newton Even Luck Thyme, you have exactly 3 minutes to get to the Ready Room starting now."

"I hope no one is on the stairway, they may get killed."

"Why grandpa, today Newton in your room."

"I'm going to kill that sneaky son of a bitch."

"Grandpa, NO BAD WORDS. GOD NOT LIKE BAD WORDS!"

"You are right Teddy. I will ask God to forgive me, by praying more, and being bad less."

"Not forget pray, she angry with you."

"She has every right to be angry with me. I should not have lost my temper over something so small. I will pray on our way to the meeting."

*****************

16. THE MEETING

"Sir, Mister Zabo is waiting."

"Let him in. Whatever brought him to Washington must be extremely important. He rarely leaves New York anymore, because of his age."

The chief of staff was about to say something, when the president cut him off telling him to let his guest into the oval office.

The chief nodded, opened the door, and announced, "Mister President, William Zabo."

The presidents jaw nearly hit his desk when, 36-year-old, William Zabo Junior walked through the door and into the Oval Office. He regained his composure, reached out his right hand, and greeted him warmly.

"Mister President, my father sends his greetings, and his regrets. He was rushed to the doctor this morning with a large swelling in his throat. He was finding it hard to breathe, and even though he wanted to make this meeting himself, the doctors said "No." Grudgingly, he sent me in his stead.

This meeting is of the utmost importance. I suggest that your Chief of Staff be the only other person in this room with us, while we speak of the matters at hand. I don't want any taping of this meeting, neither visual or audio. If you cannot accommodate me with these wishes, I will bother you no longer.

I have been searched 3 times, since I entered this building. My briefcase has been x-rayed, sniffed by bomb sniffing dogs, and tested for chemical residues. In the interests of being cooperative with the Secret Service, I opened my briefcase, so they could look inside, and run an analysis of the envelopes I am carrying. The only thing that is a threat to you in this briefcase, is the information I am carrying.

Now, either turn off the cameras and microphones, or I get in my helicopter and go home to my wife, and family."

The president made a slashing movement across his throat, and in the Secret Service office in the basement, all the monitors, and listening devices were turned off.

William Metcalf asked, "What do you have that is so important Mister Zabo?"

"I will start out with High Treason, that may or may not start in this office. Corruption at the highest levels of government. Capital murder. Intent to destroy government property, and while doing so killing hundreds of people, including the 4 astronauts on top of an exploding $1 trillion rocket."

The Chief of Staff, Stephen Bollinger, went white, when he heard the charges, but the president sat back, and asked for proof of all these accusations.

I will be leaving everything in my briefcase with you, because they are all copies. Your CIA, FBI, NSA, DIA, Pentagon and everyone else in your alphabet soup, will be receiving copies later today. We are watching the heads, and all the chief assets of all these agencies, to see which one's start covering their asses, and starting to run for the hills.

My father has almost as much money as the treasury, and everyone will be monitored night and day by multiple assets, with better technology than the military.

His friends in Omaha, Washington State, and Palm Beach have also joined the ranks of citizens, who wish to get these people out of power, and into jail. I will tell you at this moment Mister President, and Mister Bollinger, that you are high on the list of suspects. You have access, and access means power. Let me begin by showing you this...

Williams 30 minute scheduled meeting ran for over 2 hours. Whether the president was acting or not for Williams benefit, he was doing an excellent job. He had his secretary call the heads of the 5 agencies mentioned, and had them in his office within the hour.

This was highly irregular, and even though he was the president, the heads of these agencies were not used to getting run out of their office, at a moment's notice, to meet with him.

After hearing the charges, and looking at the copies, the head of each service said the same thing: We can't take these photocopies as real evidence. We have to see and test the originals."

Much to their surprise Williams said, "We have no problem with your request. Pick a team of experts in every field necessary, but no more than 12 of them. We will know if there are any moles amongst your group. If there are, you will find them floating down the Potomac, face down. We are doing this in good faith. You may bring your own materials to do the testing. Each member of your team will be thoroughly vetted. You can deliver them to my father's home, in New York City, on the agreed upon date. From there, we will disperse them to other parts of the city to see the authentic documents. If any attempts are made to follow them, they will be returned to my father's home, where you may pick them up and return them to Washington. You may now begin to argue among yourselves, who has the best 12 experts. Since this is a typical government bureaucracy, it will probably take you 2 to 4 months to pick out these 12 experts.

However, Mister President, inside this sealed envelope are the names of the 12 experts they will finally agree upon. My father asked me to bet you $1.00 on it. He has bet and won $1.00 from every preceding President, since Lyndon Johnson. Now he wants $1.00 taken directly out of your wallet."

"I like 12 to 1 odds Mister Zabo; I accept. Will I get to see your father take a dollar out of his wallet?"

"I would love to say yes to your request, but my father hasn't carried a wallet in more than 60 years."

"How does he pay for anything?"

"Everyone knows him. He carries a very large sum of money on his person. Two of his security agents carry pieces of luggage that do not have clothes in them. Just like every other piece of luggage they are handed to the bell boys and brought up to his room. Those men and women guard his luggage with their lives. When he leaves, no one in the hotel goes away unhappy. From the chambermaid, to the bellboy, they sometimes receive a year's salary when he walks out the front door."

A general from the Joint Chiefs of Staff joked, "Can I go to work for him?"

William said, "No general, your current mistress disqualifies you, because you are married. My father does not hire philanderers."

The president looked at General Marcus, and asked him if it was true.

"It just started 3 weeks ago, I don't know how we found out about it so quickly."

"Pack your bags, you're fired."

"Yes sir."

As Marcus was passing Zabo he asked, "How did you know?"

"It doesn't matter how I know general, but did you realize she is 17-years old?"

"She couldn't be 17. She showed the clerk her driver's license to buy liquor. It said she was 22, and she looked it."

"She is still younger than your daughter."

"I can give you all the excuses in the world; but I cannot excuse myself for going to bed with a 17-year-old girl. Goodbye Mister Zabo, and good luck in finding whoever is trying to kill American citizens, and destroy American property."

William handed the general's card. "Give me a call after you've cleared out of the Air Force. I liked the way you put American citizens, before American property."

"I swore an oath to protect the citizens of this country, and I've done it for 37 years. I'll never stop doing it, in whatever capacity I can."

************************

[9 weeks later]

"Zabo residence, this is Gwen."

"Mrs. Zabo, is Mister William Zabo Junior available?"

"Yes he is. He is attempting to beat his little brother in a game of chess. It's not going well."

"This may be a little more important, the President of the United States wishes to speak to him."

"One moment please."

"How many moves to checkmate big guy?"

"Depending on how stupid he gets, 3 or 4."

"Can you free him for a moment, the president wants to speak to him?"

"Which president?"

"Our president, the one that lives in the White House."

"In that case, it's okay."

William said, "You're such a sport."

"William Zabo Junior here."

"One moment for the President please."

"Hello William, I've just been handed a list with the names of the 12 experts they want to do the testing on the original documents. I thought it was only fair to open your envelope, while talking to you so I could take your father's dollar honestly."

"Remember Mister President, I am going to fly to Washington to watch you take a $1.00 bill from your wallet, so my father can hang it on his wall."

"Here we go: Doctors DeKalb, Leacher, Orlando, Bonnet', Mayweather, Blanchard, Norris, Edwards, Leaker, Atone, Day, Liaison."

After comparing the lists, and checking each name, the president said, "Son of a bitch, I owe you a dollar. How could you possibly know?"

"It was very easy Mister President. My father told me each of these experts refused to work for the military, or any government establishment for any reason. Each of them hates the Government of the United States for the way they handle contracts, and American Secrecy. They just love America, and will do anything to protect her. These 12 people will take apart these documents, and analyze them to make sure they are authentic. If they bite a bureaucrats' ass, they will make it known to everyone worldwide. If they find out it's the head of the Corporation, that man's head will roll until it winds up in jail."