Read Online Don't Mess With Earth by Cliff Ball - Free Book Online Page A

the world and announced her intentions to the
press. While she was planning this, she was summoned by Secretary
of War Harry Woodring to come to Washington. Amelia arrived in
Washington, was picked up by a car that was sent for her, and the
car headed directly for the War Department; Amelia was about to
find out why she was summoned. Once in Woodrings’ office, he said,
“Greetings, Miss Earhart. I’m sure you’re wondering why I have
asked you to come to Washington,”
    “It has crossed my mind, Mr. Woodring. What
can I help you with?”
    “I would like you to fly over Japanese
occupied territory and Japan itself, a reconnaissance mission to
some degree. Nobody would suspect that a world famous aviatrix
would be spying, and we can get the information we need without too
much trouble. We can find out through the photos you take if the
Japanese plan on doing more than occupy China, like attack the
Philippines or maybe even Hawaii. Do you think you can handle that,
Amelia?”
    “I don’t know. I’m not very comfortable with
the idea. Don’t you think Japan would see this for what it is, as a
spy mission? How would you and the Department of War protect me if
I were to get into trouble?”
    “I plan, with this being contingent on
President Roosevelt’s’ permission, on having the Navy shadow you
with battleships, an aircraft carrier, and some other navy vessels.
If you get into trouble, help will not be very far. I’m sure the
President will see the wisdom of this mission I want to send you
on. So, what do you think?”
    “I’m reluctant about it, but I will if
President Roosevelt agrees that I should do this. How am I going to
take pictures of everything you need, anyway?”
    “I’ll have my best Army engineers install
cameras and navigational equipment on your airplane, train you and
your navigator on their use, and if anyone asks, all you are doing
is conducting scientific experiments. Really, nobody should be the
wiser and you’ll have conducted a successful around the world
flight. Now, let me show you what we need from the flyovers.”
    President Roosevelt was consulted and he
agreed to the spy mission using Amelia Earhart. When Japan finds
out about her flight around the world and her supposed scientific
experiments, they complained that all Amelia Earhart was doing was
spying on them and if she flew over Japan, she would be shot down
immediately and if she survived, they would have her executed. The
United States countered that she really was just flying around the
globe and not doing anything untoward towards Japan. If Japan
chooses to shoot her down, then the United States Navy would be
forced to respond, by any means necessary; Japan backed off their
accusations. The Terrans found out what she was going to do, and if
it was one thing they didn’t particularly like, was when Terrans
interfered in the natural political processes of Earth, and spying
for one country on another was considered interfering. The Terrans
sent a small spaceship to the Pacific Ocean to wait for Amelia to
fly past them, and then she would be picked up, and taken back to
Terra.
    A few days later, as Amelia was flying over
Howland Island, she and her navigator, Fred Noonan, were having
problems with the radio and communicating with the United States
Navy. The Terran ship was jamming the radio signal and was making
it difficult for the Navy to pinpoint Amelia’s location. She was
beginning to suspect that her radio was being jammed by the
Terrans, so she waited for whatever that was about to happen, go
ahead and happen. The Terran ship flew above the small aircraft,
used a grappling hook, and then pulled the aircraft in. Naturally,
Noonan was frightened beyond words by this turn of events, but
Amelia seemed very calm in contrast and said to him, “Fred, there’s
nothing to be afraid of, everything will be all right.”
    “How can you say that? How can you be so
calm? We’re experiencing something like out of one of those