The Feminine Queendom. Charlie’s War 28 ©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.

Chapter 28

Lady Jane stared down at the almost pure white spray lashed ocean below them and shuddered.

“I hope to God this car of yours is reliable.”

The Southern Ocean was living up to its reputation as seventy knot katabatic winds shrieked across the ocean surface causing unimaginably high seas to rear up and loose long fingers of spray that resembled claws reaching to drag Chloe’s antigrav down into the lethal cauldron.

“Can’t you go a bit higher?” The defence minister wondered as a hefty ‘cat’s-paw’ swiped across the windscreen.

“This is better than any other conventional ‘anti-grav’.” Chloe confirmed. “Fifty metres above the surface is about as high as she can go and when that surface is thrashing around like those waves, it’s difficult to smooth the ride out. Don’t worry, Charlie’s close by with Dawn.”

Chloe tapped her headphones to indicate.

“He’s got us on his sensors and closing with us now.”

“Who’s Dawn?” The prime Minister asked.

“Oh, don’t worry, that’s the name of his spaceship. Ah! Here he is right on schedule.”

The three passengers peered through the driving snow to make out the vague grey ‘Cornish-pasty’ shaped ship slowly closing with them. Chloe became silent as she cautiously manoeuvred her car ‘Lady’ towards Dawn’s open, rear-facing maw and carefully threaded her into the cargo landing ramp. The passengers stared slack-jawed with incredulity as the ‘clam-shell,’ cargo door gently closed like the jaws of a baleen whale.

“You can get out now ladies, welcome to Charlie’s pride and joy.”

They emerged into the freezing space and shivered briefly in their golfing Jackets before Chloe punched a numbered code into the connecting doors and the locking pins released. She pushed the well-balanced door gently and it opened to reveal Charlie sitting with his back to them as he piloted the ship.

“Take your seats ladies, Chloe will be your hostess until we reach our destination.”

“Where is that destination?” Jady Jane asked as she was the first to recover from the experience.

“Anywhere that’s safe for me, space, the moon Antarctica but you’re not clothed properly for that. Mars is too far at the moment.
I’ll even offer Australia, but I must have your assurances that neither I nor Chloe nor our children will be harmed or detained in any way.”

“You can take that as a given,” the Prime Minister promised as her imagination ran riot at the thought of Australia becoming the world’s leading technological power.

“Uuhm, I’d prefer to take it as a signed affidavit if you don’t mind Prime Minister. I’m a man, and men have suffered under feminista laws for long enough.”

He handed the defence minister a pre-prepared letter.

“Point taken,” the defence minister concurred as she opened the envelope then pushed the pre-prepared document across the table whilst nodding significantly to her cabinet boss.

“I’d like to read it first, I -oh! It’s blank!” She exclaimed.

“Exactly Prime Minister. You write your own affidavit and I’ll check it. By the way, you have not mentioned where you want to go.”

The three visitors exchanged questioning glances.

“The moon would be interesting,” Lady Jane opined.

“Okay.” Charlie agreed and the passengers quickly found themselves above the clouds as the horizon started to curve. Lady Jane was scientist enough to realise they were accelerating incredibly fast, and her eyes widened as the moon soon re-appeared from behind the Earth and stabilised dead ahead.”

“That was quick!”

“Half an orbit in what – five minutes?” Charlie observed. “That’s approximately fifty thousand knots at this distance from earth. However, we’re heading straight for the moon, eta about two hours.”
“Bloody hell, that’s about a hundred and twenty thousand knots!” Jane gasped.

“Something like that.” Charlie confirmed easily. “If you care to look back through those blister ports, you’ll get an excellent view of your receding home. After that, it’s to business I’m afraid,”

The cabin fell briefly silent as the three newcomers savoured the rear view and occasionally pointed out identifiable places. Eventually, Chloe emerged from the tiny galley with tea, coffee and biscuits.

“See ladies, all the comforts of home.”

After studying the receding planet, they turned to the tea and biscuits as Charlie evacuated the pilot seat.

“There you are Chloe; can you take over the con while we chat?”

More than keen to demonstrate that she was a functional member of Dawn’s crew; Chloe almost leapt into the vacated command seat and deftly adjusted some controls simply to demonstrate her competence. Charlie joined the visitors at the table.

“Now ladies. This is where we talk real turkey!”

All three visitors leaned forward as Charlie handed them each a preprepared list his conditions.

“The four highlighted, red items are not negotiable, the rest are so. To business ladies.”

As the visitors read the list, Charlie made himself some coffee while Chloe spun the command seat around to face the table and join the negotiations. Once the course for the moon was set there was little to do but respond to any electronic warnings. Soon the visitors finished their lists and looked towards Charlie. The Prime Minister naturally spoke first.

“The top of the list Mr Sage; ‘True equality for all. That’s all very noble but Australia can’t enforce it in other countries.”

“Yet.” Charlie responded monosyllabically.

“Are you implying that once we enjoy the benefits of your science, we move to enforce equality?”

“Exactly that.”

“How are we to do that Mr Sage?” The defence minister pressed. “I don’t know of any precedent.”

“Read your history! The true history that is; not the propaganda shit that sits on library shelves today. The archived material that’s locked away.”

“What would we be looking for?” Lady Jane asked.

“Read how slavery was forcibly abolished in the eighteenth century. Consider the irony that it was your cesspit the UQ, that was actually instrumental in abolishing slavery by blockading Africa and stopping slave ships trading anywhere. Then consider just what retrograde steps your cesspit has taken to reintroduce those iniquities. Read it and weep Lady Anston!”

“I’ve never heard about this!” Lady Anston protested.

“No! You’ve never read your own history. What’s that saying so beloved of historians? - Those who don’t study history are bound to repeat the mistakes of history. So, I say here and now, item one is not negotiable. Australia must use its space-ships and the technology they offer to promote and if necessary, enforce equality for all; - and I mean ALL!”

“That’s going to be a huge ask.” The Prime Minister conjectured.

“Think of it as your route to universal, world-wide fame.” Charlie grinned wolfishly. “A route like that is bound to be difficult. Did you seriously think it would be easy?”

“Well, no – of course not but I – “

“Just do it, or at least try to do it. William Wilberforce and Hannah More never found it easy.”

“Who were they?” Lady Jane asked.

“As I said, read your real history not the populist, misanthropic drivel they spew out today. It’s still to be found, - locked up in warehouses all over. Now shall we go to item two? …., Freedom of conscience and thought.”

ooo000ooo

Thus, for a solid two hours they thrashed through the list and added more as the women contributed to the argument. Charlie was surprised that the defence minister proved to be his best ally until Chloe informed him privately that the minister was actually a feminised man and a very bitter one.

“If you want things to move and shake in Aussie darling, she’s your original mover and shaker. She’s also very bitter about never having children and she’s a sharp cookie!”

“The poor bitch!” Charlie sighed, “no wonder she’s bitter!”

“Yeah, well there’s a lot like her in Aussie, well in truth, there’s a lot like her all over the world. They’re our best allies.”

“We will have to cross those bridges when we come to them,” Charlie replied as they approached the moon. “Do you want to land her?”

“Please!” Chloe grinned as she saw another opportunity to demonstrate her skills.

The guests watched fascinated as Chloe landed next to the last messaged that Charlie had previously ploughed into the undisturbed dust. Charlie leaned to look down through the docking window then grinned.

“Nice one Chloe. Spot on the full stop of the last message.” He then turned to guests. “We don’t have space suits, so we can’t walk on the moon. That will have to wait until Australia learns how to make space suits. I was never any good at sowing.”

None of the guests even smiled and Charlie frowned uncertainly.

“It was meant to be a joke ladies, Space suits are supposed to be airtight!”

A nervous grin flickered briefly amongst the guests and Charlie suddenly realised how tense they were. To ease the tension, he made an offer.

“Would you like to write a moon message?”

“What! You mean like those?” The Prime Minister motioned to the huge expanse of previous writing scored into the dust.

“Yes. Like those. Tell me what you’d like to write, and I’ll programme the landing computer. Just say something to identify yourselves but keep it short.”

Being politicians, both Australians jumped at the chance, but Lady Jane had little to say as she protested.

“I’d look as though I was advertising, and this is too auspicious an occasion for commercialism.”

Charlie paused thoughtfully. He had written so many messages that the issue had become prosaic to him; but for his guests, the unique opportunity was historic. He added a cautionary rider.

“Don’t forget ladies. These messages will become a monument to space travel, and they’ll endure as long as Stone Henge or the Pyramids, unless a meteorite obliterates them, or future generations choose to erase them. There’s no air or wind here to disturb the dust. Think on.”

The cabin fell silent as the guests grasped the portent of the occasion.

ooo000ooo

So, readers, what do you think the three messages should be? Suggestions are welcome.

Beverly.