Ocean of Storms: A Timeline of A Scientific America
- Thread starter BowOfOrion
- Start date
But do you follow the pre Rusan Reformation Code, or the modern one?
I played a pre-Rusan reformation code Jedi, a veteran of the Great Sith Wars, in the rebellion era, and it was--interesting...
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I don't think the Jedi or the Sith would be ideal for me. I identify more with the Jal Shey (hence the Aurebesh J S on the saber). If you want how I see myself in Star Wars, you should check out Bloodstalker. Orion is as close to "me" as I'd want to write for Star Wars.
I will check it out. Jedi or Sith--heck no; not for me! I'm too big on thinking for myself.
(Did Battlestar Galactica exist in this timeline?)
If any of you haven't already, make a point to check out @nixonshead 's amazing ongoing series
A Sound of Thunder
He does incredible work as an artist and his writing is absolutely top-notch.
A Sound of Thunder
He does incredible work as an artist and his writing is absolutely top-notch.
Just wanted to share this with this community as it had an impact on me.
When I was a kid, Eric Montross was my favorite basketball player. He played center and so did I. I gave him a passing reference a couple of chapters ago.
I never got the chance to meet him in person, but he was beloved by a lot of people in his community.
Hug the people close to you.
When I was a kid, Eric Montross was my favorite basketball player. He played center and so did I. I gave him a passing reference a couple of chapters ago.
I never got the chance to meet him in person, but he was beloved by a lot of people in his community.
Hug the people close to you.
LVII: Headlines
Headlines
23 September 2001
National Air and Space Museum
Washington, DC
38° 53′ 16.8″ N 77° 1′ 12″ W
From the entrance, you could see the crews still working by spotlight. Twilight was descending over Washington. The sound of industrial equipment sifting through rubble clashed with the whispers from those gathered at the entrance.
Search and rescue had officially ended two days ago. It had been more than a week since the last live body was pulled from the rubble. That had been Kathy Lakewood, a twenty-two-year-old staffer who was in her first week working for Senator Fornoy of Ohio. She was expected to live, though she would likely lose a leg.
Sally and Tam had got off at the L’Enfant Plaza station and walked through a cordon of DC Police, Secret Service, and FBI agents to reach the museum. They were quickly joined by a phalanx of NASA personnel.
This was a Who’s Who of the space community. At a glance, Sally could see astronauts, cosmonauts, politicians, and administrators. She threw an arm around the weeping frame of Sergio and was joined by Cynthia.
Sergio, wrapped in an embrace from both women, dried his eyes and cleared his throat.
“Have you spoken with his family?” Sergio asked.
Cynthia grimaced and put a hand on his shoulder, “Serge… we are his family.”
Sally nodded and, as second-in-command, led the group through the entrance to the museum.
“He would have loved this,” she said to her companions. “He’s with his heroes. I mean, just look around,” she said. She swept her arm a bit, gesturing to the various exhibits that surrounded the rows of chairs that had been laid out. She could see the Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis. Over her shoulder was the X-1. Around the corner, she could see the nose of the old X-28 Kestrel.
“Cale loved this place,” Cynthia said. “They’re not gonna keep him here though, right?”
Sally shook her head, “This is just the memorial. They’re taking the casket up to Moonbase at the next transfer.”
Calling the smooth, stainless-steel container a casket was not quite accurate. The sleek design was akin to something out of a science-fiction film. The size and shape were not what one would expect for housing human remains.
And such was not the case. The combination of kinetic and thermal energies which had obliterated the face of the Capitol building had also destroyed much of what was the body of Caleb Fletcher. Rather than confront the public with the grisly reality of his demise, Director Resnik had quietly made the decision to treat the funeral as one would for the death of a missing person. Those closest to Cale Fletcher each brought a small item of remembrance, all of which were placed within the container.
Sergio held up his small envelope, “We’d better go make our contribution.”
Sally and Cynthia nodded and, as a group, they proceeded up to the head of the arrangement.
Within the container, she could already see certain things that Cale would have fondly approved of. On one end was a Clemson football helmet. At the center, a steering wheel likely from some old race car. She spotted a pair of EVA gloves wrapped around a smattering of cards and letters.
Sergio quietly added his envelope to the pile and gave a tight, pained smile before finding his seat. Sally deposited a menu from Pe-Te's Cajun Barbeque House. Cynthia, bringing up the rear, put down a chess piece. A white king. She gave the edge of the casket a gentle pat and turned.
Judy Resnik stood at her side and beckoned her over. Cynthia joined the Director of NASA away from the line of mourners.
“Cyn, hey. How are you holding up?” Judy asked.
“There’s just… nothing,” Cynthia said, looking back at the casket. Then she shook her head and focused on Judy, “I’ll be okay. What did you need?”
Judy pressed a compact disc case into Cynthia’s hand.
“What’s this?”
“It’s his book. Autobiography… memoir… I don’t really know. I haven’t finished reading it yet. They found it at his hotel when they were clearing out his things.”
“What do you want me to do with it?” Cynthia asked.
“I need you to finish it,” Judy said.
“Oh, Judy… I…” Cynthia said.
Judy put up a hand to cut her off, “You’re the only one who can. It’s mostly done, but the last chapters… coming home and… after. I’d do it myself, but I’m a little busy these days,” she said, with a small, sheepish smile.
Cynthia nodded and took the disc, turning it over as if it might contain some hidden wisdom on the underside.
“The sales… we can do a lot of good with that money,” Judy said. “And he still had more things to say.”
Cynthia smiled, “He always had more things to say.”
Judy smiled warmly and nodded. Before she could reply, the crowd turned to face the front entrance. President Powell had arrived.
23 September 2001
Secret Service Mobile Asset “The Beast”
Washington, DC
38° 53′ 16.8″ N 77° 1′ 12″ W
After his remarks, President Powell had spoken to a few key people and then politely made his way to the rear of the museum. The hardened presidential limousine rolled away as soon as he sat down. He found his Chief of Staff in the facing seat in front of him.
“Excellent speech, sir,” Hogan said.
Powell looked back at the building as the car began to move, “They didn’t want to bury him out at Arlington?”
Dale Hogan shook his head, “Fletcher wasn’t military. And I’m told that he would have preferred the lunar site.”
“The cost of launches… we’re not doing this for every astronaut, right?” Powell asked.
Hogan shook his head, “No, sir. Special circumstances.”
“That’s fine. I just don’t want a graveyard up there,” Powell said.
“Absolutely, sir.”
“What’s waiting for me when we get back to the cottage?”
“FBI Director Myers wants to talk about the next steps.”
“Are we ready for next steps?” Powell asked.
“They’ve identified a few key people. Persons of interest. A couple of places that might have been used to plan and train.”
“Ninety-five all over again?” Powell asked.
“Same folks, different tactics,” Hogan said.
“Do we have anything more on the Times Square thing?” Powell asked.
“No, sir. The bullet points haven’t changed. The van was loaded with old radiological materials. It wasn’t weapons-grade anything. This was the kind of stuff you get from hospital waste. X-Ray equipment and things of that nature. The explosives in the van would have contaminated a wide area. Several blocks at the least. But that would have been nothing compared to the basic carnage of the bomb itself.”
“If it had gone off,” Powell said.
“We got very lucky.”
“I’ll say. Ten-thousand tourists in that place and one just happened to be an explosive ordinance expert. I’ll have to give that woman a medal or something. What were the odds?”
“God sees us out of the corner of His eye,” Hogan said.
“Amen,” Powell affirmed.
“Dale, what’s Myers going to tell me?”
“The FBI really only has one way of doing things,” Hogan said. “At least since Hoover died.”
Powell gave a light laugh, “You think we’d have had this with Hoover at the reigns?”
“I think he’d have been confounded by all the laptops and maglev trains we’ve got running around these days,” Hogan said, deadpan.
“There’s got to be a better way,” Powell said, lending voice to thought.
Hogan let that hang in the air as they made the turn into the White House.
“Sir… if you’re open to a different approach, I can make some inquiries…” Hogan said.
“The people want a response. They want something heavy and loud,” Powell said.
“What do you want, sir?”
Powell looked through highly tented glass at a night sky devoid of stars.
“No martyrs.”
25 September 2001
The White House
Washington D.C.
38° 53′ 52″ N 77° 02′ 11″ W
The most peculiar thing about this meeting was that Douglas Rufty had come without an entourage.
The CIA Director usually travelled with at least two or three deputies or senior staff. It was understandable. At any moment, he could be asked for intelligence regarding any particular spot on the globe. No one man could retain that much knowledge at his fingertips, so he tended to bring his spare brains along with him.
To see him alone was odd. And to see him alone in the Situation Room was downright unsettling. The Joint Chiefs were not invited to this little get together. Neither was anyone else.
The Situation Room was always for meetings that involved generals, admirals and other people who wore brass and distributed lead. Powell had once been on the other end of the table in Situation Room meetings, but, now that he sat at the head, the room had a very different feel.
“Doug, was there a reason we couldn’t do this in my office upstairs?” Powell asked as he entered and sat down. Behind him was Dale Hogan.
The three of them sat under low lights, illumination that was supplemented by the glow of electronic screens dispensing semi-random displays of maps, satellite photography and assorted statistics. It was an environment for deadly serious business, but, with the ever-present empty chairs, the whole meeting felt somewhat sneaky.
“I think the reasons for this venue will become somewhat obvious as we go on, Mr. President. Suffice it to say, this is a secure room with no chance of us being overheard.”
“My office is a secure room, isn’t it? Please tell me it is, or I should really go upstairs and start packing.”
“Mr. President,” Hogan said.
“We’re talking about a response to a domestic crisis. This room and this agency,” Powell said, gesturing to Rufty, “are supposed to be used for non-domestic crises. You see my point, Dale?”
“Yes, sir. But you wanted other options and Director Rufty has one,” Dale said.
“Shoot,” Powell said to Rufty.
“Sir, do you know who Ted Kaczynski is?”
“It’s never straightforward with you. Is it Doug?”
“Sir, if you’ll permit me…”
“Everyone knows who Ted Kaczynski is, Mr. Director,” Powell said. He gave a wry look to his Chief of Staff. Hogan looked at the director with interest.
“Yes, sir. The Unabomber and his story are known to almost everyone. So is Ted Bundy, and Dahmer, and Wayne Williams. They’re killers, awful killers, and the world will remember their names.”
“Agreed. What’s your point?” Powell asked.
“A long time ago, I had a chance to speak with the former chief of police for Moscow. This was at an international summit back in the nineties. He told me about a serial killer they had been investigating back in eighty-two. The killer was cutting off heads. Gruesome business. The Moscow Police were stumped.”
“Okay,” Powell said, prompting.
“They brought in a suspect that they liked for the murders. They interrogated him, in the classic Soviet fashion. And at the end of it he hadn’t confessed, but they were still convinced it was him. So, they took him out in an alley behind the station and shot him in the back of the head.”
Powell blinked, “Tough people.”
“And then three days later they found another body without a head. And then two more a week after. They brought in another suspect who looked good for the murders. After they interrogated him, they felt pretty certain that he was guilty. So, they took him out in the alley and shot him in the head.”
“Right…” Powell said.
“After they’d shot the fourth suspect, the murders finally stopped.”
“Mr. Director, I hope you’re not suggesting…”
“Mr. President, I assure you that I’m not going to suggest anything in this meeting tonight, sir,” Director Rufty said.
“Okay,” Powell said.
“The point is, you’d never heard that story, sir. And neither had most anyone else. I have no idea what the Russian serial killer’s name was. And neither does anyone else. No name. No copycats. No crazy followers sending fan mail to prisons for years after.”
Powell leaned in a bit and rested his elbows on the table.
“Terrorists aren’t serial killers, but we do tend to remember their names,” Rufty paused for effect. Powell remembered that charisma was a useful attribute for a spy.
“Let me show you something that I think may illustrate my point more clearly,” Rufty said. He pulled out two newspapers from his briefcase. He put the first on the table in front of Powell.
“This was the Post on the morning of September 11th, sir.”
The headline read, McVeigh Executed In Terra Haute.
“And this was the headline the next morning,”
He slid the second one across the table. Over an image of the flaming ruins of the Capitol, much larger letters read: Attack on America
“Six years ago, your predecessor was faced with a similar attack from the same foe. President McCain was one of the most honorable men to ever occupy that chair and he did exactly what anyone would have expected him to. He fought these people with honor. And this is what happened. He treated them as criminals, as an enemy to be defeated. But sir, as we learned two weeks ago, these people aren’t criminals. They’re rabid dogs. You don’t arrest a rabid dog and put him on trial for biting people.”
Rufty paused again and tapped the newspaper with McVeigh’s photo, “We shouldn’t kill terrorists on the front page of the newspaper. They should be buried with local crimes on page eight.”
Powell looked on as his previous skepticism began to erode.
“We tried handling this in the clear light of day. We dispensed American justice as best we could. We did it with honor and integrity and you saw the result. But there are other approaches.”
A new slide came up on the screen.
“Munich in 1972. Israeli athletes killed at the Olympics. Israel didn’t call for INTERPOL to investigate. They didn’t dispatch police officers to arrest the masterminds. And they didn’t ask the courts to politely dispense justice. No, sir. They sent out Mossad agents with explosives and sniper rifles and they showed the world that killing a Jew is punishable by death.”
“And Israel has never had a problem with terrorism since then,” Powell said, sarcastically.
Dale Hogan leaned in and spoke quietly, “Sir, we’ve seen the results of treating this problem above board. You wanted an alternate idea.”
Powell spread his hands, “Look, truthfully, my problem isn’t with the effectiveness of the approach. The moral questions are… troublesome.”
“If you’re concerned about the legality…”
“No, I’m talking about collateral damage. Mistakes. Civilian casualties. These things are inevitable.”
“To be fair, sir. Our side is the only one worried about issues like that,” Rufty said.
“Justice requires sacrifice, Mr. Director,” Powell said. His face contained a pained resolve. “The problem is that we’re talking about an ideology. You can’t shoot an idea. You can’t bomb it. And you can’t outlaw it.”
“That’s true, sir. But I think it’s important to remember, it’s not over when we say it’s over. It’s over when they say it’s over, or when there’s none of them left alive to say it’s over,” Rufty said. “A criminal solution has proven ineffective. A political solution would be akin to appeasement. All I am talking about is another approach.”
Powell sighed, “Continue, Director.”
“There are things that can be done. Things that are simple and untraceable. Things that will not be found out. Things that will not appear on front pages or in history books.”
“Things for which there would be no record?” Powell asked.
“Yes, sir,” Rufty said.
Hogan leaned in again, “Sir, this is your second term. You’ll never have to run for office again. You’ll never face public scrutiny for the way this is handled.”
Powell shot back, “Let’s not even pretend that that’s true.”
Rufty couldn’t help himself, “Sir, the type of things we’re talking about do not require paperwork. Do not require budgets or schedules.” He took a moment to meet the President’s eyes, “They do not require explicit orders, Mr. President.”
Powell spread his hands and took a breath.
“The operators and the financers?” Powell said.
“No martyrs. No headlines,” Rufty replied.
Powell sat up in his chair, back straight, West Point discipline returned to his frame. “Director Rufty, the FBI keeps a record of hate groups which pose a public danger. Is that not correct?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And the NSA has a list that’s even more comprehensive, I believe,” Powell said.
“Yes, sir.”
“Any group that appears on both lists must represent quite a danger to American civilians,” Powell said.
“Yes, sir.”
Powell rose from his seat, “Well, I think that’s all that needs to be said at this point.”
“Yes, sir.”
23 October 2001
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Debate in Athens for Special Congressional Election
Georgia Attorney General Daniel Hastings debated Athens businessman Elias Swiftwood at the University of Georgia last night as they each campaigned to fill the open seat for Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District.
The debate covered several topics, the first of which was the response to insurrectionist threats. Mr. Swiftwood attacked Mr. Hastings on his economic stances, and the failed prosecution of the executives of GPL. Mr. Hastings countered by citing Mr. Swiftwood’s record on LGBT issues and his staunch opposition to Georgia’s Homestead Act.
The debate, broadcast across the state, is the last before the special election for the seat left vacant by the death of Congressman Matthew Little in the attack on the U.S. Capitol building.
Voters in the 2nd district will go to the polls on November 6th, in one of four special elections which are being held to fill open seats in the House of Representatives.
Braves Offer Up Gil Sanders for Expansion Draft
In a surprise move, the Atlanta Braves declined to protect Gil Sanders from being selected in the upcoming expansion draft. Sanders, a 26-year-old starting shortstop, has been the Braves leading home run hitter for the past two seasons. A two-time All-Star selection, Sanders has one more year left on his contract and the move by the Braves front office is widely seen as a way to free up much-needed cap space.
Around the city, Braves fans expressed dismay at the move. Local sports-radio host John “Electric” Voltzman has called for a protest to be held at Turner Field this Saturday.
Sanders will likely be an early selection by either of the newly created teams. The Charlotte Knights and the Oregon Orcas will make their expansion draft selections at an event on November 18th.
Single Car Accident on Redbrook Rd. Claims Life of Local Man
Atlanta’s Police and Fire were dispatched to the site of a burning car on Monday evening. The vehicle, a tan Ford Buffalo, was found fully engulfed in flames. The vehicle had impacted a tree approximately twenty feet from the side of the road. The driver, an unidentified man from Dekalb County, was pronounced dead at the scene.
16 December 2001
Des Moines Dispatch
Holiday Parade Draws Record Crowd
Des Moines Police estimated a crowd of more than 12,000 gathered to watch the Holiday Parade which took place Saturday morning.
More than two dozen local groups sponsored floats or balloons. The live nativity scene from the First Episcopalian Church led the proceedings and was followed by the Marching Roughriders of Roosevelt High School.
The parade and its onlookers are projected to have brought tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of business to the downtown area with further economic benefits extended to the city as a whole.
Mugging Leads to Death
An area man was killed Saturday night in downtown Des Moines.
Police believe the victim was confronted at the entrance to a parking garage at the corner of 9th and Locust Streets around midnight on Saturday. The lack of a wallet or other identification indicate that robbery was a likely motivation. The victim, whose identity is being withheld until confirmation is complete, was not discovered until early Sunday morning.
No eyewitnesses to the crime have been located and anyone with information about the incident is being asked to contact Des Moines Police as soon as possible.
7 January 2002
The American Reflector
Athena II Launched
Under crisp Florida skies, the space clipper Intrepid launched the crew of Athena II on the first leg of their mission to Mars. Commander Jake Jensen, a veteran of three expeditions on the lunar surface, will be joined by American astronauts Charlie Hickory and Brett Morrison as well as three astronauts from the International Alliance for Space and Astronautics.
Clipper Intrepid will rendezvous at the Skydock Space Station where the crew will transfer to the awaiting interplanetary cruiser Orion. The crew of Athena II will then begin a six-month journey to the red planet.
Athena II’s mission objectives include the exploration of Mars’s moon Phobos, and the collection and study of subsurface water that was located during the flight of Athena I. During their planned eighteen-month stay on the surface, the crew will expand the Athena Base and explore previously unreached areas of Mars with a flotilla of probes and vehicles.
Protests Outside White House Calling For Crackdown
A throng of protesters braved frigid January temperatures to call for a more comprehensive federal response to the right-wing terror attacks of last year. The protest group Citizens for Justice renewed its call for the Powell administration to accelerate arrests and prosecutions of right-wing extremists.
CFJ Spokeswoman Virginia Gibson was quoted as saying, “The tepid response of the Powell administration is unacceptable in light of the threat posed by far-right insurgents. The American people deserve the utmost protection from extremist forces and that requires strength and resolve.”
107th Congress Convenes in Gettysburg
Newly elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi gaveled the 107th Congress into session at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.
The loss of more than fifty congressmen and over a dozen senators led to a wave of new appointments and flash elections, some by questionable Constitutional means. While the courts have been lenient in allowing for emergency appointments and elections, the slew of new representatives have been quietly added to the new Congressional roster.
The damage to the Capitol building led Congress to look for a new, temporary home. Gettysburg College offered its campus and grounds to the United States Congress for the calendar year of 2002. The school is now offering online courses in lieu of in-person classes.
Speaker Pelosi, a Democrat from California, has expressed an interest in working on bipartisan issues with the Powell administration.
3 February 2002
Boise Citizen-Times
Emergency Declared for Blizzard
Governor Prescott has officially declared a state of emergency in response to the blizzard which has dumped more than three feet of snow on the city of Boise in the last two days. The Idaho National Guard has been called up to provide aid and manpower in the clearing of roads and the transportation of food and fuel to local shelters.
Forecasters predict that the incoming cold front will lead to a further blizzard event in the next three days. Officials are asking Boise residents to avoid travel whenever possible.
Boise Brave Win 10th Straight
Led by a 22-point effort from star point-guard Jalen West, the Boise Brave Men’s Basketball Team beat Horseshoe Bend High 72-61. The Mustangs came out to a 12-4 lead in the early going, but were quickly overwhelmed by a masterful full-court press.
Brave center Keith Reader was 10 for 12 from the free throw line and ended the game with 18 points. The Brave continue their third week at the top of the conference standings.
Fire Victims Identified
The bodies of three local men who perished in a fire at a hunting cabin last month have been identified.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of three men: Lewis Granderson, Clement Roose, and Forrest Hall. The bodies were discovered by members of the McCall Smokejumpers who discovered the ruins of a scorched cabin while fighting a forest fire in Elmore County last month.
The victims were identified by dental records and the names were withheld until family members could be notified.
Lewis Granderson was a semi-retired local merchant who co-owned the Freedom Armory & Gun Range which has operated in Elmore County since 1987. Clement Roose was a rancher with links to the Idaho Independence Movement, and Forrest Hall was a close relative of Mr. Roose.
Officials from Elmore County are investigating the cabin as a possible crime scene, but the forest fire has made it difficult to ascertain the nature of the incident.
20 April 2002
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis, TN
35° 7′ 16″ N 89° 58′ 39″ W
Now celebrating their eighteenth season, the Memphis Hound Dogs had become a staple of springtime along the Mississippi.
Local Memphis fans had taken their one major sports team to heart. The city rallied behind the USFL’s perennial underdogs with a tenacity that belied their 2-8 record.
The Liberty Bowl, a fine venue for football since 1965, was filled with fans dressed in a cascade of red and gold. Amongst the crowd were more than a few Elvis impersonators of various levels of competence. Interspersed alongside them were quite a few fans in dog masks.
Truthfully, Clancy Stone was not happy to be here. He still thought football belonged in the fall and he wasn’t partial to the types of crowds that these games drew in. The urban riff-raff tended to flock to games due to the low ticket prices and he didn’t like having to deal with the lower-class people. The only reason he had made the effort was at the insistence of his grandson, Scott, a precocious eight-year-old who hadn’t yet learned that street people were dirty and to be avoided.
Stone was resolved to use some of the degenerates in the crowd as examples to his grandson that events like this were better viewed through the filtering lens of a television screen.
Scott was pulling at his sleeve, trying to hurry him towards their seats before the opening kickoff. As Clancy turned to look up at the stairs that led out of the concourse, he was nearly run-over by a young man in a grey windbreaker who was armed with a foam finger and a drunken stagger. The foam finger brushed by Clancy’s face. Beer ended up on Clancy’s overcoat.
“Oh, man. I’m so sorry,” the young man said, apologizing and starting to wipe beer stains out of the black wool coat. “I didn’t see you there, buddy.”
“Not your buddy, you mindless windbag,” Clancy said, trying to recover himself without being further accosted.
“Sorry again,” the young man in the grey windbreaker said, “Let me get you another beer. Yours looks like a lost cause.”
“That’s the least you could do, so it would seem,” Clancy said.
“Wait right here, I’ll just grab you one and be right back,” the man said, nodding to a concession stand with a relatively short line.
Clancy Stone huffed and set himself right again. Scott pulled at his coat again.
“Grandpa, we’re gonna be late!” Scott said.
“Not until I see that this wrong is corrected,” he said to his young charge. “When a man does you damage, you must seek restitution.”
Scott huffed a bit, but didn’t put up a fuss. His youthful eye roll passed under the watchful gaze of the elderly man.
A moment later the young transgressor returned with a plastic cup and handed it over.
“My apologies,” the man said.
“Next time you’ll be more careful,” Clancy said.
“Enjoy the game,” the man said.
“Hardly likely,” Clancy responded.
“Go Hound Dogs!” the man in the grey windbreaker said, frightening Clancy with the outburst.
Clancy turned to lead young Scott up the staircase. The man in the grey windbreaker promptly turned to leave the stadium.
When he reached the parking lot, the man in the grey windbreaker stopped his drunken stagger, took out a cell phone, and dialed a memorized number, “Package delivered. No residuals.”
In the middle of the third quarter, paramedics were dispatched to aid an elderly gentlemen who was found suffering a cardiac event in a men’s room on the concourse. The man, later identified at one Clancy Stone of Collierville, TN, was pronounced dead on arrival at Methodist University Hospital.
Scott Markinson was driven back to his parent’s home in Bartlett by officers from Memphis PD.
The Oakland Blitz beat the Memphis Hound Dogs 27-21.
7 May 2002
The American Reflector
Plans Revealed for New Capitol Building
President Powell and the members of the Joint Committee for Capitol Reconstruction revealed the plans for the New Capitol Building at a ceremony at the White House yesterday afternoon.
The Joint Committee, composed of members of both parties and both houses of Congress, has held closed-door meetings with architects and security personnel over the last three months. The resulting plans now require a full vote of Congress for implementation.
The new Capitol building will look cosmetically very similar to the former structure. One mandate of the guidelines for submission was to keep the Neoclassical-style architecture which is prevalent in many D.C. buildings. The new construction will allow for many modern features that the old Capitol could not accommodate.
Groundbreaking is expected to take place in the fall, and the goal is for the building to be ready to accommodate and house the 109th Congress when it convenes in January of 2005.
4 June 2002
Orion
Athena II
Flight Day 147
“Houston, Orion, we are fifty feet out and closing. Rate of closure is half a foot per second. Stand by for the call.”
Used to a sky of infinite black, Jake Jensen now stared out the front window to see a stark white cargo bay before him. Orion was making a slow approach to the ship that had once been Buran. The massive vessel, born of a Soviet desire to leapfrog their American counterpart, now served as a symbol of international cooperation on an interplanetary scale.
Within the blizzard-white bay, he could see the spindly lander Hall. In two days, Laura and Alexei would fly it to a rendezvous with Phobos. Jake envied them. It was a shame the little lander couldn’t carry one more.
Jake keyed his mike, “Charlie, how’s Aqsarniit doing?”
“All set, just waiting for you to do your thing. I need my parking space.”
“Give me a minute. Almost there,” Jake replied.
With the Aurora-class capsule typically occupying Orion’s forward docking port, there had been a small problem of configuration for this special mission. Orion now had to dock with Buran before beginning surface operations, therefore, the surface lander, Aqsarniit had to be disconnected and flown manually. Charlie Hickory, his second-in-command, now had the stick on the lander and was waiting half a mile back for him to finish docking two of humanity’s largest spacecraft. An hour from now, Charlie would make her approach through the docking module’s side port, but there was no rush.
In the right-hand seat, Brett Morrison called the final approach using Orion’s onboard radar. On the console between them, Jake saw the feed from the docking crosshairs.
“Alignment is good. Eighteen feet out. RCS all green,” Brett said.
“Easy does it,” Jake said, watching the screen and the window and fighting the urge to make any unneeded adjustments.
Silently they watched the screen go dark as the light was cut off by the welcoming docking port. The fade to black came with a slight bump as Orion’s relative velocity came to zero.
“Capture,” Brett said.
“That’s it!” Jake said.
“Barberpole on the DRC,” Brett called.
“Engage the clamps,” Jake said, hitting the switch by his left knee. The motors whirred through the panels under their feet. It a moment, all was silent again.
“Six in the green,” Brett said.
“Houston, be advised, we are docked,” Jensen said. The reply from Earth would take the better part of an hour to get here. He hit the ship’s intercom.
“Okay, all you IASA folks. That’s how America does a docking. Now get off my good American ship and go play with your international toys,” Jensen said. He added over the radio, “Charlie, bring her in whenever you’re ready.”
The applause from his three IASA crewmates resounded from the science module behind him.
“Let’s get to work!”
Well, that's one way to send a message, I bet.
Worse, it's arguably working. No copycats, just the financers and such dropping left and right. And their kids might not be as inclined to do what dad or grandpa did once they figure out what happened....
Worse, it's arguably working. No copycats, just the financers and such dropping left and right. And their kids might not be as inclined to do what dad or grandpa did once they figure out what happened....
Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, and/or Congressional Gold Medal.
This is frightening! VERY frightening. No martyrs--so extrajudicial killings. Even without collateral damage--and there will be some--it's a nightmare scenario. I despise the far right hate groups, considering what's happened to friends because of them, but this is cold blooded murder--did someone read Teeth of the Tiger?
I didn't expect the worries about copycats to escalate this far. I REALLY hope to see the conspiracy to be blown wide open.
The serial murders overwhelmed the space flight--but I am eager to find out what happens when the ship reaches Mars.
I cannot see how this... government done extrajudicial killings will not leak. Something will go wrong and the CIA and FBI better pray to god that the president who finds out just arrests some agents.
It won't be able to stop there. This will make Watergate look like a minor disruption when it gets out.
What would be worse is if it doesn't get out, since the perpetrators will know that they have that available--and some might just use it on political opponents. FRIGHTENING!
And what worries me is this program for lack of a better term will have to kill people to keep it quiet and remember, all it takes is some kid drinking what grandpa drank or grandpa and the kid sharing a soup that someone will get the guilt.
Oh this is going to ruin the intelligence community of America.
And imagine what they could do to a politician they don't like?
This is going to make Watergate look like a Sunday school picnic if and when this gets out (and it will)...
Granted, the victims likely had it coming, but this is still disturbing on so many levels...
For once, a certain Texas radio host named AJ is going to look absolutely right when he starts ranting about government conspiracies...
On a side note, I did like the other headlines featured with the deaths of the targets--kind of sets the tone for what's going on in the background...
Good (if disturbing) chapter, BTW, @BowOfOrion...
Granted, the victims likely had it coming, but this is still disturbing on so many levels...
For once, a certain Texas radio host named AJ is going to look absolutely right when he starts ranting about government conspiracies...
On a side note, I did like the other headlines featured with the deaths of the targets--kind of sets the tone for what's going on in the background...
Good (if disturbing) chapter, BTW, @BowOfOrion...
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I'm so glad this chapter is generating interest!
Just as a reminder, if frightening and disturbing isn't a problem for you, I'd direct you to the Star Wars story I put out last summer. Bloodstalker has been around for half a year now and hasn't generated as many reads or as many comments as this last chapter has in the past few hours.
Thanks so much for reading and keep those comments coming!
Just as a reminder, if frightening and disturbing isn't a problem for you, I'd direct you to the Star Wars story I put out last summer. Bloodstalker has been around for half a year now and hasn't generated as many reads or as many comments as this last chapter has in the past few hours.
Thanks so much for reading and keep those comments coming!
I actually haven't read it.
Can you give me the 30-second version? I'm curious how it relates.
(Maybe hide the response behind a Spoiler window for those readers who like to do their own research.)
Thanks!