Forbidden Tomorrow

He left the office for the elevator, which took him down to the parking garage. There, he found his car. He walked inside his Ford as the door closed. He sat for a few minutes in the quiet, and then he tapped the initiator sensor on his console. The car lifted. He made a mental note of the ever-increasing cloud balls forming in huge stacks of shining white mixed with black. The Corvus Building in Tulsa where General McBrea lived centered amid the ruins of the weed jungle. Vince drove his car up into the low clouds until he landed at the US Army Command Center. He walked out of his car and down into the general’s lair. “I watched you come in on my big board,” the general said. “Then you understand why I’m here?” Vince said. “My access to the community database is locked down.” General McBrea said, “You talked to General Peters. I had to interrupt his laughing binge to find out what was so funny. He said you tried to start your own fleet.” Vince started to say something, but the general waved his hand at him. “What is this delusion about your being qualified to lead a colony?” he said. “I didn’t ask to lead anything but something needs to be done,” Vince said. “The community doesn’t know what’s going on. I see everyone looking the other way.” “And you will save them,” the general said. “What have you got to work with?” Vince said, “I am not applying for a job. I just have an interest in what is being done to save humankind.” “You served in the war,” the general said. “Why aren’t you old and wrinkled?” “Family longevity, medical science from the late 21st century, and good luck,” Vince said. “Well, you can’t fly a starship,” the general said. “You can design one, you can build one, and you can maintain a fleet of trade ships. You can’t command. That is for trained military officers. They’re the rare men who can face death.” “So are we negotiating?” Vince said. “I can send you to training,” General McBrea said. “You’ll fail. It will cost big credits to do that. Your company could pay the bill. Even then, if you should succeed against impossible odds, there are two additional tests you must not fail.” Vince said, “Traders go through training. The company gives them the schooling they need as a tryout. We pick commanders from the cream of the classes. That is all that is necessary. I came out at the top but understand me. I’m not applying for a job." The general sat back in his easy chair and gazed at the big board. A different view washed over the mapping display. A fleet of unknown objects moved over a sector of Earth space. “That is the Earth Star Fleet. Each officer who commands a ship has received the training I described to you. To command a military starship, you must survive training. If you do not, then you die. There is something for you to ponder. We can’t afford failure.” Vince said, “Then you have nothing to lose if I get your fee. I’ll be dead. I’ll be out of your way. Is that what you want? I only came to the US Army with an idea. I’m not going to lead anything. The fee can go to anyone you think can qualify.” “You’re an engineer and executive at Space Dynamics. We need such men doing their job,” the general said. “That would be the loss if you trained and failed.” “Talk to my boss,” Vince said. “He could help you build a colonizing fleet.” “I do not want to embarrass him,” General McBrea said. “Now, get out of my command center. I’ve half a thought to just throw you off my building, but you’re too damned important to the trade fleet.” Vince said, “But what about the trade fleet? We are being attacked!” “And, we have Earth Star Fleet on the job,” the general said. The general left no ammunition for Vince to use in reply. He stood there paralyzed, trying to come up with an argument. “Go on,” the general said. “Get back to that girlfriend of yours. What’s her name, Eddy?” “How did you get that?” Vince said. “We see everything,” General McBrea said. “Bruno Carlton is screwing your wife. We know that you haven’t got the courage to divorce that queen of shit.” “What?” Vince said. The general said, “You don’t wear your mask, half the time. You visit your father, that crazy old man who lives in the forest south of Tulsa by the dyke. You are a damned hero of the people!” Vince’s face burned with anger. “I’m not trying to be a hero. I thought you might already have a plan in place.” The general said, “We do. The syndicate seems to know our every move. You come in here proposing something, and I have to assume that you’re a spy. That makes you more than an amusement. It could make you an actual annoyance.” “So you have a plan?” Vince said. “It’s time for you to go,” the general said. “I’ll send you a consolation. I’ll recommend that your boss pay that fee. Find out what he likes about that.” “I’m leaving,” Vince said. “Good!” the general said.