us.”
“Order acknowledged.”
Elle looked at Jess, “When are we going after our families?”
“After we take the time to really learn everything there is to know about this ship.”
Elle nodded and leaned back in her chair. Too much had happened too quickly. She didn’t sleep the night before and her fatigue took her; she closed her eyes to slow her thoughts…and fears, and promptly fell asleep. Jess stared at her and quietly said, “Is there any way to make her chair more comfortable?”
Elle’s chair started reclining and a lower section lifted and moved her legs horizontal to the floor. The chair molded to the shape of her body and she rose slightly above it and then settled back down. Jess saw there wasn’t much of an indentation where she was lying. Well, it looked like the air mattresses were not going to be used. He smiled and said, “Please do the same with my chair.” Jess felt his chair recline and his legs and body moved horizontal to the floor. He suddenly felt weightless and then he felt a slight weight keeping him on the chair’s cushions that were suddenly very soft. He hadn’t slept in more than twenty hours and he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The last thing he remembered was Elle’s beautiful face as she slept.
• • •
Mike stuck the pitchfork into the hay and threw it over his shoulder out into the barn’s main corridor. Cleaning out the cow’s dirty hay after a calf was born was messy work. He stuck the fork into the ground and wiped his brow. He reached for the fork and heard a noise off in the distance. He shook his head and walked to the barn door and closed it. He lowered the board across the two doors and walked toward the house.
Tilly met him at the door with eyebrows raised and he caressed her cheek with his rough fingers, “Tell them I’m cleaning up and will be out in a moment.” She nodded and looked out over the fields to the west. In a few moments she saw them. She shook her head and wondered what Mike had gotten himself into this time. She stepped over to the door and pressed the doorbell and kept the button down for ten seconds. She heard a small beep and she moved back over and leaned against the right post on the front porch. A Bell Helicopter was moving quickly toward the farm and it was escorted by three Apache attack helicopters. It had to be something serious.
The Apaches fanned out above the Bell as it landed in the front yard of the farmhouse, started hovering, and then had their guns trained on her. She held her ground and looked up at them and waved. She saw the gunner on one of the Apaches wave back. She continued to lean against the front post and saw John Tyler emerge from the Bell and walk toward the front porch. “He’s washing the cow patties off in the shower. I don’t suppose you want to smell them all the way to where you’re taking him.”
“It’s good to see you too, Tilly.”
“I’d be real happy to see you, John;” Tilly nodded toward the hovering Apaches; “however, you just brought some uninvited guests with you. They’re wasting a lot of fuel hovering and trying to look all dangerous and stuff.”
John glanced out at the Apaches and shrugged, “Not my idea; I told them he was not one they needed to worry about.”
“And just who is
they
?”
“The Joint Chiefs.”
Tilly shook her head and sighed, “What did he do this time?”
“It’s partly my fault, Tilly. He asked me to take a look at something and I did it.”
“Isn’t that how it always happens?”
“I suppose.” John went to a rocker and sat down, “How long do you think he’s going to need?”
“He was cleaning out the birthing stall.”
“Ugh.” John shook his head and said, “He’s covered in cow manure; do you want him in the same helicopter as you?”
Tilly snickered, “He shouldn’t have cleaned up; it would serve you right.”
“Come on, Tilly; he couldn’t stand it anymore than we could.” Tilly shrugged. “How are the
“Order acknowledged.”
Elle looked at Jess, “When are we going after our families?”
“After we take the time to really learn everything there is to know about this ship.”
Elle nodded and leaned back in her chair. Too much had happened too quickly. She didn’t sleep the night before and her fatigue took her; she closed her eyes to slow her thoughts…and fears, and promptly fell asleep. Jess stared at her and quietly said, “Is there any way to make her chair more comfortable?”
Elle’s chair started reclining and a lower section lifted and moved her legs horizontal to the floor. The chair molded to the shape of her body and she rose slightly above it and then settled back down. Jess saw there wasn’t much of an indentation where she was lying. Well, it looked like the air mattresses were not going to be used. He smiled and said, “Please do the same with my chair.” Jess felt his chair recline and his legs and body moved horizontal to the floor. He suddenly felt weightless and then he felt a slight weight keeping him on the chair’s cushions that were suddenly very soft. He hadn’t slept in more than twenty hours and he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The last thing he remembered was Elle’s beautiful face as she slept.
• • •
Mike stuck the pitchfork into the hay and threw it over his shoulder out into the barn’s main corridor. Cleaning out the cow’s dirty hay after a calf was born was messy work. He stuck the fork into the ground and wiped his brow. He reached for the fork and heard a noise off in the distance. He shook his head and walked to the barn door and closed it. He lowered the board across the two doors and walked toward the house.
Tilly met him at the door with eyebrows raised and he caressed her cheek with his rough fingers, “Tell them I’m cleaning up and will be out in a moment.” She nodded and looked out over the fields to the west. In a few moments she saw them. She shook her head and wondered what Mike had gotten himself into this time. She stepped over to the door and pressed the doorbell and kept the button down for ten seconds. She heard a small beep and she moved back over and leaned against the right post on the front porch. A Bell Helicopter was moving quickly toward the farm and it was escorted by three Apache attack helicopters. It had to be something serious.
The Apaches fanned out above the Bell as it landed in the front yard of the farmhouse, started hovering, and then had their guns trained on her. She held her ground and looked up at them and waved. She saw the gunner on one of the Apaches wave back. She continued to lean against the front post and saw John Tyler emerge from the Bell and walk toward the front porch. “He’s washing the cow patties off in the shower. I don’t suppose you want to smell them all the way to where you’re taking him.”
“It’s good to see you too, Tilly.”
“I’d be real happy to see you, John;” Tilly nodded toward the hovering Apaches; “however, you just brought some uninvited guests with you. They’re wasting a lot of fuel hovering and trying to look all dangerous and stuff.”
John glanced out at the Apaches and shrugged, “Not my idea; I told them he was not one they needed to worry about.”
“And just who is
they
?”
“The Joint Chiefs.”
Tilly shook her head and sighed, “What did he do this time?”
“It’s partly my fault, Tilly. He asked me to take a look at something and I did it.”
“Isn’t that how it always happens?”
“I suppose.” John went to a rocker and sat down, “How long do you think he’s going to need?”
“He was cleaning out the birthing stall.”
“Ugh.” John shook his head and said, “He’s covered in cow manure; do you want him in the same helicopter as you?”
Tilly snickered, “He shouldn’t have cleaned up; it would serve you right.”
“Come on, Tilly; he couldn’t stand it anymore than we could.” Tilly shrugged. “How are the
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