The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 49

© 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.
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.
Juliet Charlie’s Mal engineering assistant.
Laura The second mate of the Second Dawn
Kate (Katherine Bergson) The Australian defence minister.

Chapter 49

“Who’s in command of this thing – er this craft?”

“The gentleman who’s addressing you missy,” Katie replied with an edge to her voice, “and you’d better be respectful to him.”

“You sir! Seriously, you’re the commander?”
Charlie stood up from the command seat to his full height. It was only one metre ninety, but to a girl he seemed to tower over her. She did not flinch or pale and Charlie had to admire her pluckiness.

“Yes missy, as the good lady says, I am the captain and commander of this spaceship, so perhaps a salute and some respect might be forthcoming.”

The girl, (for girl was all she seemed,) stiffened slightly and snapped a smart salute. Charlie returned it courteously then sat down again and invited her to sit around the plotting table, while Juliet took the helm.

Charlie spoke softly as Chloe and Katie joined them.

“Now young lady. I believe I’m entitled to ask for name rank and number.”

“Sir! Lieutenant Engadine Asi. Identity number F847366. That’s all I’m required to give you.

“It would help if you declared which army or air force you belong to. Your plane had no markings and your flight-suit has no markings of rank or identity!”

She fell silent as she contemplated her options and Charlie simply waited silently. At this juncture, Juliet reported everything ready for passage and asked Charlie for instructions.

“We’ll do the same as we did with the other girl, take her to Darwin. The proper authorities can do what they wish with her there.” Charlie declared before turning again to Lieutenant Engadine Asi.

“Well, I’m still waiting lieutenant. Who are you fighting for and why?”

“I don’t believe you’re a bona-fida military operation. None of you are wearing any ranks, nor does your aircraft have any markings.”

“Who we are is not your concern lieutenant. You are our prisoner and we’re taking you to Oz; Darwin to be exact. What’s our ETA Julie?”

“About ten minutes boss.” Juliet replied.

Lieutenant Asi’s eyes flashed with disbelief.

“That’s not possible, we’re at least four hundred miles from Darwin!”

“Four hundred and fifty-seven to be exact,” Julie revealed as Charlie flashed him a warning glance.

“Let’s not be giving too much information away Julie.”

“So it wasn’t a missile that hit me, it was you!” Lieutenant Asi gaped.”

Charlie just shrugged and added. “Our ship is fast.”

“Fast! My radar had you overtaking me at over three thousand knots and yet I was getting no missile lock alarms. It was you; it was this thing!”

“We didn’t hit you at three kilo-knots, you’d have been smashed to smithereens. We slowed down before we hit you.”

“But I couldn’t dodge you. We know our planes are the most manoeuvrable on earth!”

“Which brings us back to my earlier question. Which air-force do you belong to?”

“The planes were made in China. I’m sure the Australian government knows about their performance.”

“Are you fighting for the Chinese then?” Charlie pressed. “Because if you are, then your intrusion into Aussie airspace is technically an act of war. You’ve not revealed your nationality or whom you’re fighting for, so technically, that makes you a spy, and spies can be shot!”

“I’m not fighting for the Chinese!”

“It’s no matter now,” Charlie declared, “you’ll be in Australian hands soon and out of my hair.”

With these words, Charlie gave up his interrogation and ate the coffee and toast that Chloe had prepared for everybody.

As he was eating his toast, Juliet declared.

“We’ve got company boss, looks like four jet-fighters coming out of Darwin to meet us.”

“We’d better slow down then; we don’t want to embarrass them.” Charlie grinned.

Lieutenant Asi squinted disbelievingly as she watched the Australian coast appear on the electronic navigation chart. Being a fighter pilot herself, she was fully au fait with charts, speeds and ranges, and her eyes were telling her impossible things. She was standing in an armour-plated craft that was capable of impossible speeds and yet commanded by a MAN!.

And that meant that much of what she had been told by her teachers about Australia and it’s feminista misanthropy was a lie. It was too late now however to seek remedies and truths. She was a prisoner and headed for an uncomfortable fate.

ooo000ooo

Dawn landed without a whisper or shudder and Lieutenant Asi stared out of the pilot window at the scene surrounding the ship. Next she heard the rear clamshell doors opening and four armed soldiers appeared to escort her to a military building set aside from the commercial airport. They slammed to attention as Charlie stood to face them.

“Right ladies, I want my prisoner to be unharmed when I come to attend the interrogation. I’m handing her over to you entirely for security and care while I and my crew get cleaned up before we meet the Prime Minister. See that she gets fed and checked medically.”

With the prisoner issue sorted, Charlie and her team were driven to the regional military headquarters where preparations were being rushed to receive the prime minister. The local commander had been hurriedly briefed about the arrival of a spaceship carrying the defence minister and she was still collecting her wits as Katherine Bergson (AKA Katie) arrived with Mr Charlie Sage no less, the inventor of the gravity engine and the rumoured spaceship.

She stood up with an information folder in her hand as Katie entered.

“Good morning Minister. So it’s all true!” She remarked as she tapped the folder. “I received this from the Prime Minister’s office less than an hour ago and she’s due here at eleven.”

“Good morning General. You’ll not have met Mr Sage I presume but I’ve no doubt his reputation precedes him.”

“Yes indeed Minister, welcome to Darwin Mr Sage, or should I say Captain Sage, as I am advised in this folder.”

Charlie frowned slightly.

“Ahem,” he cleared his throat modestly, “I’ve never taken any oath of allegiance, nor formally joined your armed forces. It can only be an honorary rank general. Would I be right in thinking it’s a naval captaincy?”

“It is and it enables you to have the free run of the base. What do you think you’ll need of us?”

“Security for my prisoner first of all, the Minister will explain why.”

With that, Katie took over the explanations while a quick breakfast was served to all four of the Dawn’s crew. As they ate, Katie explained that there were a lot of unanswered questions surrounding the airborne incursion.

“You’ll be fully aware that a second prisoner of Mr Sage’s will be arriving by one of our warships HMAS Diamond. She is also to be treated properly and brought straight to our interrogation process when she is landed. We have reason to believe that somebody want’s these two prisoners dead. The problem is we have no idea who.”

“Who’ll be conducting the interrogations?” The general asked.

“The PM has got some trusted specialists flying with her. The interrogators will be Mr Sage, myself, you, the PM and the two trusted specialists from Canberra federal police.”

The general nodded with satisfaction and glad that she was being included in the loop. After the ‘working breakfast’ was finished, she took the four on a tour of the base but it was interrupted by the arrival of the HMAS Diamond and they drove to the dock to supervise the landing of the prisoner. When she stepped ashore she immediately recognised Charlie and Katie and searched their faces for answers. Charlie realised what she was concerned about and immediately set her mind at rest.

“If you are wondering about your wing-man; - or should I say wing-woman; she is unharmed, and alive and well in our custody.”

Both he and Katie noted the wave of relief wash across the pilot’s features and realised the pair were probably in a relationship.

On realising this Katie made sure of their security as she instructed the four naval ratings and their petty officer to make absolutely sure the pair of prisoners were kept separated and unharmed. For his own peace of mind, Charlie asked Juliet to accompany the second prisoner and escort party to the security suite in the headquarters building. The base commander could not help commenting.

“What the hell is going on Minister?”

“Frankly General, we don’t know yet. It might just be a plot to embarrass the PM and oust her from the premiership or, it might be something a lot more serious.”

“Like what?”

“A military coup organised by an Asian power. The plane that Mr Sage brought back is definitely of a very advanced Chinese design but we don’t think the Chinese are directly in volved.”

“But those two ladies are not Chinese!”

“Exactly General, wheels within wheels, and we need to get to the bottom of it.”

“So what do you personally think?” The general asked Katie.

“I think they’re after learning Mr Sage’s secrets or capturing Mr Sage himself.”

“Yeah. That would figure,” the general concurred as she turned to Charlie.

“Is the technology in your ship so very different from the energy used by your new hover cars?”

“Yes.” Charlie confirmed. “Chalk and cheese.”

“Is it totally secure? I mean, the people on my base, are they safe? I’ve heard that a few people have been injured and even killed trying to reverse engineer the hover car engines.”

“Well every hover car carry’s a clear warning and it’s the same with my spaceship. Provided they don’t try to tamper with her or steal her, - yes, she’s safe!”

“General,” Katie interrupted, “I’ve travelled a couple of times in Mr Sage’s spaceship Dawn; indeed I’ve actually been in what could be described as combat these past twenty-four hours with the Dawn. She’s as safe as anything I’ve ever seen and as you will know, I was in the SAS before I went into politics.”

“Yes, Minister, your reputation in Afghanistan was well known. Oh excuse me.”

She picked up the phone and nodded before explaining to Katie.

“The Prime Minister’s plane is on its final approach, duty requires me to meet her on the tarmac.”

“I’ll join you General, are you coming Charlie?”

“I’d like to check on those two prisoners first Katie, I’ve got a bad feeling about stuff.”

“God! You’re a suspicious tyke Charlie. Okay, you go to the interrogation suite while I meet the PM. It’s not an official visit anyway.”

They separated as a young army captain led Charlie across the square to the interrogation suite while Katie and the general drove to the runway to receive the PM on the tarmac.

The army captain naturally was curious about Charlie Sage and his spaceship and as they crossed the square she struck up a conversation.

“Is it true that you are the one who invented the anti-gravity engines.”

“Yes,” Charlie replied monosyllabically for he was concerned about his prisoners.

“And then you built the engines?”

“Yes.”

“But where did you go to school, the feminista culture is reputed to be strong in the UQ?”

“It is, and violently so as well.”

“Who taught you the science?”

“Nobody, I taught myself. What’s that noise?”

Charlie didn’t wait for an answer, he could recognise the sound of a woman screaming.

ooo000ooo