The Feminine Queendom Charlie’s War 36

© Beverly Taff August 2021

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.
Dawn Charlie’s armoured spaceship.
Colonel Wilson Vindictive misanthropist doctor.
Margaret Thomas ‘Failed’ police security guard.
Sally. 1st Oz Special forces trooper
Jacky 2nd Oz Special forces trooper.

Chapter 36.

After checking her makeshift rope sling, Jacky swung out from behind the door while Chloe kept a tight hold of the clove hitch that secured the end of the point five oh barrel to the catch on the door. As soon she was sure of a shot, (which took a second or two) Sally pumped the heavy calibre bullet into the bonnet (hood) of the ute and swung back immediately.

A second later a stream of point seven six bullets rattled against the clamshell door while a couple ricocheted into the cargo bay. The first one rattled harmlessly against the inner cargo bulkhead but the second one just nicked Chloe’s ear.
A girl not normally given to cursing; Chloe let forth a stream of curses that brought a smile to Sally’s lips. After she had finished, Margaret quietly reported that there was some smoke coming from the engine.

It soon turned to a lot of smoke and Sally reported that she could hardly make out the ute.

“I can’t see the flat bed enough to be sure. They definitely can’t see us now; can you come down lower so I can get a sure shot through the battery bay under the flat bed?

Charlie duly obliged and immediately, Sally let rip with her assault rifle shooting through the now opened observation port. Within seconds the rear bed of the ute was torn to shreds and flames were erupting from the shattered battery cells underneath.

“That’ll fucking stop her!” Sally cursed contentedly.

And it did.

ooo000ooo

As the colonel’s ute started to loose what little height it had, the Dawn inadvertently overshot it and exposed its half-opened cargo bay. Immediately, a very rapid ‘birrrp’ of small calibre bullets from the colonel’s machine pistol rattled against the closed door while at least half of the bullets sprayed past the other half open clam-shell cargo door. As the fragments rang against the solid boiler plate the three girls dived to the floor but even so, Margaret received a fragmented bullet in the cheek of her arse.

“Ouch! Fuck it, I’m closing the door, this is too bloody dangerous.

Fortunately, Sally had spotted the danger from her observation port and screamed to Charlie to swing the ship around.

As the Dawn turned, Charlie was able to see the damage to the ute but, more importantly, he spotted Colonel Wilson dragging Charlotte from the ute and dashing for the cover of some rocks. A few seconds behind her, the other UQ trooper was lugging several ammunition magazines plus her assault rifle. Charlie warned all the girls.

“I’m going to put her down with all doors closed so we’re like a battened down tank. How is everybody?”

Sally answered first to confirm she was okay then Jacky gave a sit rep from the cargo bay.

“Chloe’s had her ear nicked. Margaret has shrapnel in her bum but I’m okay. What’s the plan?”

“We’ll discuss tactics once we’re grounded.”

The manoeuvre took seconds and by the time Dawn was landed everybody was around the cabin table. Charlie explained.

“They went to ground amongst those rocks. Sally, Jacky, you’re the military brains. Give us a plan.

“Well, the first thing I’d do is call for back-up." Jacky advised. "You need a three to one advantage to winkle out a bush-whacker.”

Charlie hesitated and Margaret sensed his uncertainty, so she pitched in.

“Jacky’s right Charlie. We’ve got them cornered but we’ve already got two wounded. We should do as she asks, call in reinforcements.”

“Is everybody agreed on that?” Charlie asked.

The collective nod was enough to convince him. He would have loved to go at it ‘gung-ho’, but he already knew that if anything went wrong, he would be accused of ‘acting like a man’. - And he would have no defence; he was a man!

He was also secretly relieved that the decision had been taken out of his hands. Nobody could accuse him of undue aggression

He shrugged and nodded towards Margaret.

“You’re the law. You can call them up on the Dawn’s radio. It’s already on the police frequency.”

Once again Margaret had cause to envy Chloe. 'She had married a man who took advice when offerd.'e Within seconds Margaret was in contact with her colleagues from Perth and a plan rapidly unfolded.

As Charlie saw it, the plan was simply lots of words backed up by lots of firepower, but he kept his counsel; (not so different from the old macho days of the patriarchy).

He summated it as ‘threats and violence and had concluded he was best left out of it. He looked at Chloe and motioned to the little bedroom where their infant triplets were safely tucked up in Charlie’s bunk.

“Where are you going?” Margaret asked.

“To have a lie-down.” Charlie replied. “I haven’t slept for two days since I left Canberra, and it’s out of my hands now.”

“We might need you to pilot this ship if need-be.” Margaret warned.

“Chloe’s perfectly capable of that. Besides, we’re in the safest place here if the bullets start to fly. If Chloe needs me, she’ll know where I am; protecting what’s left of my family.”

With those words, Charlie lay down on his bunk and curled around his triplets, like a cat nursing its kittens. Chloe had to smile for he had not disturbed the children, so she left him to get some sleep.

“You’d better turn the radio down,” she advised Margaret, “he’s already out.”

Two hours later, (it took that long to organise the details,) a large squad of police and military turned up loaded for bear. Margaret watched the convoy approaching and nodded with satisfaction as it dispersed and positioned each unit strategically around the rocky outcrop.

Chloe decided it would be a good idea to alert Charlie and she slipped into the little bedroom.

“Wake up, daddy,” she whispered, as she gently pinched his ear with her nails.

He murmured irritably but her effort had roused him without disturbing the babies. Seeing his eyes open Chloe explained.

“They’re here, so if you want to watch you’d better get up.”

“Where’s Margaret?”

“Outside with the two troopers speaking to the negotiators. They want to confiscate your gun.”

“Let them. I’ve got others but don’t tell them.”

“Where are they?”

“Antarctica.” Charlie grinned.

“Oh! Of course, stupid of me to ask.”

“Hedging my bets Chloe,” Charlie smiled wanly, “I still don't fully trust them; once bitten, twice shy and all that.”

They watched through the front visor until Margaret and some of the negotiating team returned back aboard.

“We’d like to use your spaceship as an observation platform,” the chief negotiator asked. “The sergeant has explained what it can do.”

“Has she now?” Charlie expressed surprise. “Why can’t you use one of your special negotiating vans.

“They don’t have armour plating.”

“You surprise me, considering you’ve come armed for a full-scale war! Anyway, what about drones and the like. Those two have only got an assault rifle and an Uzi machine pistol.”

“Plus a hostage; your three-year-old daughter.” The negotiator cautioned.

“I don't need to be reminded of that! So you need to get close enough to be certain of hitting the madwoman without hitting Charlotte. It’s not observers you need, it’s stealth.” Charlie argued.

“We know that perfectly well, but a bird’s-eye view of the situation would certainly help.”

“Dawn has only got one downward facing viewing port," Charlie warned, "you’ d better have a small crew woman to fit in the space.”

“Can I see it?”

Charlie wondered why Sally hadn’t described the viewing space, so she lifted the floor panel to reveal it. The negotiator nodded and declared it usable.

“Is that the only one you’ve got?”

“I didn’t build this thing for sight-seeing.” Charlie retorted. “Or laying siege to strongholds or castles. Nor was it built for combat. It’s simply a very strong defensive ship to take me into space. It’s not, and never was a warship.”

“Nevertheless, it’s the best bit of kit for hovering low over the assailants. Can I use it?”

“I suppose so, if you must; - but my wife and triplets had better be well away from here.” Charlie conceded before demanding; “I want my gun back as well. It’s not illegal when it’s aboard my ship.”

“Is it registered?”

“To whom? My ship isn’t even registered.”

“What do you mean, not registered?”

“You show me a space-ship registry and a space-port to register her; and I’ll do the deed. Better still, I’ll build an office on the moon and register her there. –

Name, - S.S. Dawn.

Port of Registry, the Moon.

Registration number Sol one!

I won’t say just ‘One’, because other star-systems might have their own unconnected registries. I can’t say! I’ve ever met any alien ships or aliens, because I’ve only been to the moon and back!

Don’t you see how fatuous your remarks are? Dawn is just a simple, little, bloody, space craft! And a primitive one at that! It’s not some super high-falutin, intergalactic, alien, fucking, battleship with a thousand alien invaders aboard. Give me a fucking break!”

“There’s no need to be offensive Mr Sage, I understand your concerns for your daughter, and we are here to help.”

Charlie was still suffering from lack of sleep, so he agreed to provide the Dawn for surveillance.

“Okay then, I’ll place her close above the rocks and put her in stasis until you’re done. Don’t ask too much of me by way of manoeuvring, I’m almost asleep on my feet.”

Seeing her partner show signs of irrationality through fatigue; Chloe stepped in.

“It would be better if I stayed with Charlie and the triplets were moved farther away. My husband is obviously fatigued! The triplets are not under stress, but Charlotte will be terrified. If we get her back, she’ll need her mother; her poor dad has been absent too many times to be closely connected, - thanks to feminista oppression.”

Charlie winced at Chloe’s brazen declaration concerning ‘feminista oppression’ and he half expected her to be arrested on the spot, but neither the negotiator nor her sidekicks raised any objection.

‘Things might actually be changing’. He mused.

ooo000ooo