The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 82

© 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.
Lieutenant Engadine Asi Charlie’s second prisoner.
Charlotte Charlie and Chloe’s older daughter
Michael, Jessica & Lucy Charlie and Chloe’s younger triplets

Chapter 82

Lady Jane Anston stood transfixed as Dawn 1 started to descend into the atmosphere proper and a flat featureless land appeared below.
Lady Jane turned accusingly.
“That’s not New South Wales!” It’s semi desert and totally flat. Canberra is green with trees and hills.

“Oh! You’ve learned your geography then; well done. Quite right, that’s the Nullabar Plain. I have my reasons for entering Oz this way and the Aussies know why.”

“What are they?”

“You don’t need to know. All you need to know is that it’s for security reasons.”

As he answered her, Charlie reached across to the comms panel and tapped in a code. There was a brief pause and then three green lights flickered as a screen illuminated. A young woman’s face appeared.

“Hi Charlie, did it work?”

“Hi Engie. Yes but I didn’t get everything; time and logistics you understand.”

“That’s a pity, we hoped you’d rescue the witness to the little sanctuary massacres.”

“She’s still in hiding at the moment. Nobody knows where she is.”

As he spoke, Charlie turned to Jane and put his fingers to his lips to signal silence before he resumed speaking.

“Okay Engie, I’m dog-legging for Canberra, I’ll be back with you once I’ve spoken to the PM. How’s the fecundity going?”

“Thanks for asking. Everything’s on course. Bye-e for now.”

“What was that about fecundity?”

“She’s pregnant.” Charlie replied as he adjusted course.

Jane watched the suns’ shadow sweep around into the cockpit and realised that Dawn 1 had turned east for Canberra.

“How long?”

“Twenty minutes, we’re ascending back to sub-space to make the speed.” Charlie explained as he deepened the shade in windscreen glass to filter the sunlight.

Soon they arrived and settled silently on the apron where Katie was waiting with a couple of security guards.

“Welcome back Charlie. This is Jane Anston I presume.

Jane nodded, smiled and extended her hand. Surprisingly, Katie did not shake it. She just clutched her thick file and motioned to Jane to follow.

“Welcome to Oz Ms Anston, we go straight in, they’re waiting.”

Jane was slightly surprised at the total lack of formality and brusqueness but she hurried along as Katie strode purposefully into prime ministerial office. More brief formalities were exchanged and agreements made as per the earlier communications. Finally, Jane Anston emerged to find Charlie bantering with the receptionist while he sipped a large mug of coffee. She explained to him.

“Apparently your PM is reluctant to risk you again; something about you’re being too valuable.”

“Yeah. My secrets are still locked up in here.” (He tapped his temple.) My ace in the hole!”

“You still don’t trust people then?” She sighed.

“What d’ you expect?” Charlie countered. “Look what you and your cronies did.”

“I’ve apologised as best I can for that.”

“And your apologies are accepted but it’s still a case of forgive, though never forget.”

Before the discussion went further, Katie emerged and asked both Charlie and Jane to return to the PM’s office.

Jane’s expression clearly said. ‘what now?’ Charlie just shrugged and stepped past Katie. Once again there was little ceremony and Jane Anston found herself pitching straight into negotiations again.

The issue was getting information and intelligence sufficient to locate and assist the people Jane Anston had listed in her earlier request for asylum.

“Are you sure nobody else has seen this list?” The Prime Minister pressed.

“I compiled it at home in my bedroom .” Jane revealed.

“What do you feel Charlie?”

“The same as Katie. We need good intelligence and a cunning plan.”

“Any ideas.”

“How are the new trade talks progressing, the new ore sources and rare earths exports?” Charlie asked.

“Well, lots of people are interested; the UQ amongst them.” The PM explained. “Everybody wants to escape the Chinese hegemony.”

“Right, the first time Dawn 4 delivers a cargo of precious ores to UQ, it means we’ve got a means of getting people out. The hard part might be getting people out of their hidey holes and secreting them aboard Dawn 4.”

“Any ideas about that?” Katie asked Charlie

“We could make a big deal about the first visit of an Australian ore carrier delivering celestial supplies of ore to the UQ. Open the ship to the UQ public for an educational visit.” Charlie continued. “We issue invites to colleges and stuff. Employment opportunities in space and so on. Oz being short of people to work on the other planets and all that sort of thing. People will flock to see the ship and if we make it publicly available for a special ‘open day’ even men will be allowed to look at it.”

“I don’t think the UQ would allow men to visit a spaceship.” Jane remarked.

“Tell them we need men for doing manual work in space. Mining the ores and stuff. If the UQ wishes to share in the celestial bonanza, they have to go by Oz rules. No supply of labour, no ore.”

“The UQ has never liked being bullied.” Jane continued.

“Who said anything about bullying,” Charlie argued, “it’s simply a ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ offer. Just make sure the offer is well publicised. There’ll be millions of Brits wanting to see a green industrial renaissance in the UQ. The same would go for the ‘rust-belt’ regions of the Feminista republics in America.”

The prime minister grinned.

“That’s same deal you gave us Charlie, take it or leave it.”

“And it seems to have worked.” Charlie concluded.

On that phlegmatic note Charlie stepped disinterestedly out of the office. It was up to the politicians and wheeler dealers to come to terms with his terms.

‘They can sort out their own issues,’ he concluded as he wandered into the canteen and bought himself a coffee.

ooo000ooo

Charlie was on his second large mug of coffee when Jane Anston and Katie re-joined him in the canteen. He looked up as they approached and sensed all was not well.

“Go on,” Charlie ‘encouraged’ them, “you want me to go back don’t you?”

“We haven’t much option Charlie.” Katie confessed. “Your idea of using that huge ore carrier as some sort of reverse trojan horse, seems to be the most viable option.”

“Why did I think this was coming?” Charlie chided the pair.

“Cos, short of using unwarranted violence,” Katie continued, “it’s the only option available.”

“It’s a sneaky option,” Jane opined “but needs must.”

“Yeah, like Katie’s old military unit’s motto,” Charlie chuckled, “what was it again; not by strength but guile; - or something wasn’t it.”

Katie nodded and confessed. “Yeah the only time I felt I had dignity and worth.”

“Well,” Charlie stood up and frowned, “we might as well get on with it. You’d better let old iron-knickers know I’ll play ball. But I want my team on board and some space-fighters if it turns to rat-shit.”
“Who are your team?” Jane Anston asked.

“You ask too many questions Jane. That’s not for you to know .”

“You still don’t trust me then!” Jane whinged.

“He’s right not to trust anybody,” Katie intervened on Charlie’s behalf. “You’ll be playing a very minimal part in this;- nothing more than a few cryptic messages on your mobile phone.
You’ll go In with Charlie, then text two or three words to your niece, then out again, and straight back to Oz. We’ll have the comms centre on Dawn 4 kitted out to monitor identified mobile numbers; plus of course we’ll have Dawn 2 working as a catch-all ariel high up in space. Any suspicious phone traffic and we call the op off, or - plunge in loaded for bear.

“If you are trying to double cross us,” Charlie cautioned her, “then your niece might be the first to suffer. This isn’t a bloody game!”

“Damn you to hell!” Jane cursed. “What does it take to convince you?”

“Success!” Charlie replied. “Success, pure and simple!”

“I suppose I deserve that,” Jane sulked, “in truth, you’ve got just cause.”

“Right!” Katie surmised, “time to put together a plan. Get your gang together Charlie and sort the ops out. I’ll work with the PM to get this good-will, cum educational visit sorted for Dawn 4. It’s been on the table anyway, ever since we made it known we were building a Dawn 4.”

“And me?” Jane demanded. “Do I get any chance to assist?”

“Sorry Miss Anston,” Katie declared. “We have to hold you incommunicado until the operation’s set to go. You might as well enjoy what there is of Canberra but frankly it’s a bit of a sterile place compared with the more vibrant cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Sorry we can’t offer you much hospitality and you’ll have to suffer a twenty-four-hour escort for the duration.
I know Charlie confiscated your phone for now but you’ll get it back after the op. The only time you will use it is when you contact your niece.”

Jane Anston shrugged irritably, there was nothing she could except wait with the Defence minister while they watched Charlie disappear into the clear blue cloudless sky. After he had disappeared she turned to Katie questioningly.

“He get’s carte-blanche for the whole of Australian airspace?”

Katie grinned before riposting.

“Why not? He’s got carte-blanche for the whole of the bloody solar system!

Now let’s get you organised with a secure suite of rooms. You won’t be under house arrest, but you’ll be escorted everywhere you go and absolutely no phones.

ooo000ooo

“Several days later, the supposedly ‘educational visit’ by Dawn 4 to deliver half a million tons of assorted ores to the UQ was organised. The spaceship would arrive at Port Talbot steelworks and deliver the assorted ores to whatever locations the steelworks wished, then clean up prior to inviting school parties and assorted dignitaries to tour the ship as it loitered effortlessly above the local pleasure beach and promenade.

The wide flat beach with its numerous extensive promenade and parking spaces was an ideal visiting venue. The high fronted promenade also provided an excellent public viewing platform for visitors to simply ‘rubber-neck’ the ship. More importantly, the exceptionally high range of tides meant that the Dawn 4 would regularly be hovering over water nine to fourteen metres deep at high water, then alternatively be hovering over sandy beach at low water.

This would enable Dawn 1 approach underwater then slip aboard Dawn 4 un-noticed at high tide when the cargo bottom discharging flaps were left open ostensibly for the sea to slop out the hold.

Once all the dates and arrangements had been fixed; Dawn 4 arrived in space directly above Port Talbot; firstly to be met and greeted by the UQ Feminista Prime Minister,

After she had ‘touched down’ as light as a feather, she welcomed the reception committee aboard.

As the now permanent Captain in command, Juliet welcomed the UK Feministas aboard. The virulently feminista PM eyed Juliet distastefully as she failed to disguise her prejudice.

Juliet ignored her bad manners for she was just pleased to be a part of a plot that would quite probably destroy the Feminista usurpers.

Apart from the undisguised hatred to Juliet shown by the UK feminista PM. the initial reception ceremony went reasonably well; but only because Captain Juliet showed remarkable restraint.

The next organised stunt involved moving Dawn 4 to the stockyards and lowering the cargo flaps to ‘dump’ the bulkiest cargoes of very high-grade iron ore and meteoric iron. As the ores tumbled out of the holds with a thunderous roar onto the stockyards below, huge clouds of fine dust erupted upwards in a spectacle that resembled an active volcano. Fortunately, the hermetically sealed accommodation area protected the governmental party; but the filthy brown cloud quickly spread over the town for several miles.

Juliet grinned at the UQ Prime Minister before allowing.

“Methinks you’d best find a way of enclosing your stackyards before we next bring another load, We can’t have another debacle like that polluting the town, can we.”

“That would be a considerable investment!” The UQ PM opined.
“I’m sure for a modest stake in a modernised steel-making operation, the Australian government might show a willingness to invest in shares for the new company. It’s in our interest to be making steel with our own ores as and where it’s needed worldwide.” Katie offered. “We could readily build stock sheds that could enclose your whole stock yard area!”

After the years of monopolistic exploitation by China, the UQ government was ready to tear the Australians’ hand off. A day later after assorted ores had been deposited in their dedicated bays, a new deal was signed betwixt the UQ and Oz.

Two days later Dawn 4 was cleaned up and ready to receive school and college parties for educational visits. The second stage of the Aussie plan was set.

ooo000ooo