The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 21 ©Beverly Taff.

List of Characters.

Charlie Sage Maths and electronics genius.
Shirley Sage Charlies elderly mother
Chloe Charlie’s one time early school friend.
Josephine Flint Surgeon and associate of Chloe’s.
Mrs Jane Anston Director of Anston Aerospace.
Ronnie Garage mechanic at top of lane
Pauline Garage owner, Ronnie’s sister.
Briony Pauline’s teenaged daughter.
Billy Pauline’s middle son.
Abigail (Abby) Pauline’s youngest daughter.
‘Poppy’ Charlie’s little micro-runabout.
‘Doris’ The armoured mobile home.
‘Lady’ Chloe’s Sports Car.
Colonel Wilson Vindictive misanthropist doctor.

Chapter 21 (Looking for Charlie.)

“You What!! A year!” The Prime Minister almost shrieked. “A whole bloody year!”

Jane Anston swallowed fearfully as she prepared to break the rest of the alarming news.

“Well, - - - yes. We thought he was buried deep in his theory about gravity and we; uuuhm, - we thought it best not to disturb him.”

“But didn’t you bloody-well go and check his house?”

“Well we were getting regular progress reports by email and regular video links.”
“But you never thought to check that he was actually there, in the cottage where you can keep an eye on him.”

“I’ve said this before to your military people Prime Minister, Mr Sage was NOT a prisoner.”

“But you have not seen him for nearly a year!”

“We have, by video link, on-line. Several times per week.”

“By encrypted messaging I suppose.”

“Naturally, it was very sensitive material.”

“Do the Asians know we’ve lost him?”

“I doubt it Prime Minister. He’s been communicating several times a week and some of the information has proven to be useful.”

“Does it concern gravity.”

“It’s hard for us to tell. Indirectly it might, we’ve managed to get the height up to one hundred metres. That’s a huge increase.”

“I’d have thought he’d have put the theory part to bed by now. If he understands the principles, surely it would be just a matter of engineering; and if he can make it work up to one hundred metres, what’s the difference between that and eternity?”

“A lot Prime Minister; a hell of a lot. We think he might have cracked the theory long ago and he’s just been toying with us. The experiences of the International Space Station visit seems to prove that. The crew reckoned they were definitely human shapes behind the blurred visor. They seemed to be playing a game to tantalise the crew and, by derivation, the rest of us! The rest of humanity in fact!”

“Yes,” the prime minister responded thoughtfully, - “the rest of humanity, - you might be right. Our sources tell us that the Asian station was paid a visit as well. Nothing threatening, just a few stunts to demonstrate that their invention can manoeuvre in space with consummate ease.”

“Are you certain it was your man?”

“Yes. There’s nobody else that we know of who’s advanced so far with gravity; and if the Asian’s had solved it, they’d be all over us by now. I know we would be all over them.”

“So seriously, your telling me we had the secret of anti-gravity in our hands and we let it go.”

“No. We had the man who had the secret but we did not ‘let-him-go’, as you put it. He was never a prisoner and he chose to leave.”

“So why d’you think he left?”

“Oh come on Prime Minister! Be real! What planet are you living on?”

“Don’t take that attitude with me Miss Anston, you’re in a lot of trouble.”

“Not half as much as you Prime Minister.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No! He is. – Well, he’s sent you a very loud and clear message. I suggest you heed it.”

“Meaning?”

“There’s an election in a year. How do you think the government that lost anti-gravity will fare?”
Jane Anston could sense the shocked silence as the P.M., considered her political future, after a deafening silence she responded.

“There’s nothing that the government can do unless he’s prepared to talk and negotiate.”

“I’m not sure he’s prepared to negotiate, at least not with the Feminine Queendom. - Nor indeed any matriarchal government.”

“What! You mean he’s prepared to do a deal with an Asian government?”

“In all truth Prime Minister, I don’t know. He kept his feelings and thus also his political leanings very much to himself.”

“What sort of company did he keep?”

“Very much his own company, at least until he met his wife.”

“And then -?”

“Not much, in fact very little at all. They went through infant and junior school together then of course became separated via the feminista educational rules. They happened to meet again when he was problem solving and proving that he was a very smart cookie. She became rather enamoured of his intellect and very slowly a relationship evolved. She eventually popped the question and he agreed

She’s a geneticist by profession and she happened to learn of him through his work at Anston. Initially, she was looking to get a sperm donation from him but he cleverly avoided her and never registered as a sperm donor. She eventually realised that the only way she would ever get a sperm donation was if she could persuade him to marry her.

Once she got him to agree to marry, she told me the whole story. Charlie page is a very straightlaced, puritan personality.
she became rather enamoured of his intellect and very slowly a relationship evolved. She eventually popped the question.”

“Are you telling me, she asked him to marry her!” The P.M. gasped.

“Yes, all her friends and we at Anston were shocked to learn the truth but Miss Chloe Sage is not your normal product of the Feminista academia. She’s also very bright and it was Mr Sage’s remarkable intellect that initially attracted her. When they realised they were somewhat of like minds, the relationship blossomed.”

“Relationship?”

“Yes. They are tight a pair as you could ever find. They proved that all through their courting days when every woman’s hand tried to turn her away.”

“So we’re definitely looking for two people.”

“I’m not Prime Minister; - you are. You and whatever forces you can muster.”

“Are you prepared to help if we need you? You know, old friends and stuff.”

“If you ever find him, or if he turns up, I’ll need to see what he wants before committing myself to taking sides.”

“I see.” The prime Minister huffed slightly. “Let’s not be forgetting that your company is dependent on government contracts to prosper.”

“And your government depends upon our patented equipment and devices to function militarily. We’re in the same boat Prime Minister but you’re the one at the helm. Be assured we’re looking for him every-which-way we can.”

“Well obviously, that’s all for now. I’ll be in touch and if you do hear of anything, you are bound by the official secrets act, - don’t forget.”

Jane put the phone down somewhat forcefully as she contemplated the implied threat.

“Damn you Charlie Sage! Where the hell are you?”

ooo000ooo

Charlie and Chloe’s spaceship ‘Dawn’ was neatly garaged in their remote cave alongside their other craft while the couple considered their options. They had listened to numerous news items but as yet nobody had revealed their visit to the two space stations. It was obvious that governments world-wide were keeping their options close to their chests.

“So they still haven’t come clean yet,” Chloe remarked as she continued nursing Charlotte and watching the news.

“Seemingly not,” Charlie replied from the kitchen, “but I’ll bet my bottom dollar they’re looking for us.”

“That’s for sure,” Chloe agreed, “though I haven’t seen any pictures of you or me being posted anywhere.”

“Yeah, - Wanted alive! Ten thousand dollars reward.”

“It’ll be a bit more than that if they choose to offer a reward. There’ll be a bidding war.” Chloe opined.

“All the more reason for my lying low. Especially with this facial recognition technology. They’ll have all my i.d. info on the Anston company files.”

“Aussie doesn’t have much of that recognition stuff. They tended to object to it when it was suggested in their government. Seems Aussie girls are just as free spirited as the men.”

“Jeeze, it’s on just about every lamp post in the Queendom. Protecting the women was the excuse. Then it just grew from there.”

“Yeah, it’s too invasive now but the culture has grown with it and we’re stuck with it.” Chloe lamented.

“Glad I live in the outback,” Charlie added, “oh, and McMurdo as well.”

“You speak of it like a town.” Chloe grinned.

“I suppose it’ll become one if everybody gets antigrav.”

“Nah, nobody would ever want to live there, far too cold.”

“We’ll see,” Charlie replied thoughtfully, “some men might well choose fifty below as preferable to being forced to live as second class citizens. Can I nurse Charlotte for a while?”

“You like doing it don’t you?” Chloe wondered.

Charlie nodded.

“Yeah, it’s nice being a proper dad.”

“D’ you think we should go for another baby?”

“Are you up for it?” Charlie asked her.

“Why not. With the patent rights fees transferring via the offshore bank, they’ll have difficulty tracing the money or us.”

“Are you going to keep your job at the hospital?”

“Why not. It looks more normal if I earn a salary, especially under my maiden name.”
“So, apart from ferrying water and Ice from Antarctica, what will I do for a living?”

“Charlie, I’m not asking you to work, the patent rights should be yours by rights so the income is rightfully yours. Besides, you’ve got work to do here, excavating extra bedrooms plus a bigger cistern for a bigger family.”

“Yeah. I suppose you’re right and eventually they’re bound to find me, they won’t stop looking.”

“You have not broken any laws in Australia Charlie. You’re legally married to me and the immigration papers never mentioned marital status. They automatically allow immediate family members to enter and they presumed I only had Charlotte as a daughter and Charlie as a son. I was never asked about a spouse and the forms don’t even provide a box to enter a spouse or a spouse's name. Besides, if they discover they’ve got the creator of Antigravity, they’ll be loath to send you back. The links with the old mother country have been well and truly cut since the great transition and the feminista wars. Aussie chooses to remain neutral though anti-grav will put them on a new footing with the rest of the planet if you eventually choose to let it.”

“We’ll see,” Charlie replied, “we’ll just have to wait and see.”

ooo000ooo