The Feminist Queendom Charlie’s War 84

© 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 84.

“The queen!” Charlie exclaimed “That’s a bit previous isn’t it?”

“The request came through an hour ago.” The Oz PM elaborated. “She and the young princess royal will be visiting Dawn 4 today.”

“I thought royal visits and stuff took months to arrange. You know, protocols, security, guest lists and all that palaver.”

“Not with the new young queen. She’s not such a stickler for protocol. Apparently the visit will be somewhat low key; just her and her young daughter. I’ll have to attend on her. Technically, she’s still our head of state.”

“Yeah!” Charlie mused. “I still have trouble getting my head around that. Does our schedule change?”

“Not much. I was scheduled to formally meet the UQ PM, invite her to take a flight either in Dawn 4 or Dawn 2 then have trade talks.”

“They still have not formally apologised for their attempt to kidnap my wife Chloe and our Children.”

The PM reached into her desk drawer and handed Charlie a letter sealed with wax and a blue ribbon around it.

“What’s this?”

“I don’t know but it’s from the Palace and addressed to you. Obviously, I haven’t read it.”

“It’s not a letter-bomb is it?”

“I doubt it. It arrived in the diplomatic pouch earlier. I had my forensics examine it and it’s not been opened as far as they can discern.”

“You’d better open it,” Charlie suggested, ”I don’t want to be accused of secrecy or intrigue.”

“That would be a serious breach of protocol Charlie. The letter is definitely from the Palace and it’s addressed to you.”

Charlie paused thoughtfully then exclaimed.

“Hold on. If this letter came by snail mail in the diplomatic pouch, she must have written it at least two days ago!”

“Yes.” The PM replied flatly.

“Do you think somebody put her up to this? I mean it’s no secret that the UQ and I are not best friends. What do you think they want?”

The PM smiled but visibly sagged with frustration.

“I’ve no bloody idea Charlie! Open the bloody letter!”

Charlie picked it up from the desk and pinched it gently as he examined it closely. The letter was very flimsy, almost as flimsy as an old-fashioned airmail letter. The PM watched sympathetically; Charlie had every right to be paranoid. As a last check Charlie sniffed the letter and the PM smiled indulgently then handed him a letter knife.

“If you’re going to do this with proper pomp and circumstance, you’d better use this to cut the ribbon.”

Charlie frowned, refused the knife and yanked hard at the ribbon. As it snapped the flimsy envelope dropped only to be suspended where the sealing wax adhered to the flap. Charlie ripped the flap, opened the envelope and removed the pages of the letter. As he unfolded the pages he remarked.

“She seems to have a lot to say, there’s three, four, - five pages here oh! – and another closed envelope.”

“Well read it out;” the PM begged, “what’s she got to say?”

Charlie first scanned the pages then laid them flat with his arm hiding the writing. The first few words had caught his eye and he decided he had better read them privately first.

After reading the first paragraph, Charlie stood up and held the letter close to his chest with his back to the wall.

“This is definitely a private letter Prime Minister. I’ll read it all the way through, then decide if anybody else is to see it.”

“Seriously!” The PM almost screeched.

Charlie just nodded as he read the letter from end to end. Finally he spoke.

“Is there a safe place to talk? Is this place bugged?”

“It’s swept every morning.” The PM confirmed.

“And re-bugged by coffee time I’ll warrant,” Charlie opined. “Come on, I’ll show you this while we’re aboard Dawn 1.”

Just before leaving the PM’s office, Charlie turned to her and asked.

“Have you got any hand-written correspondence between her and you?”

“Only her official invitation requiring me to form a government. It’s just a formality after my winning the election. Usually a copy is faxed immediately and the actual original arrives like this one, by diplomatic pouch.”

“Can you get it please; I’d like to compare handwriting.”

She stepped to her private chambers across the corridor and produced the framed original. After Charlie had compared the writing he nodded.

“Well it seems like her handwriting. I’ll show you the main letter on board Dawn 1, but the private envelope remains private to me only. Come on, are you ready for the UQ?”

“Yes. I’ve only got my briefcase; my luggage went ahead on Dawn 4.”

They stepped outside and Charlie fingered his wrist control. Out of the thin blue cirrus clouds, Dawn 1 descended silently and automatically. The PM grinned.

“That’s a really useful bit of kit Charlie, your own private Pegasus who only comes to your call.”

“Well, - mine and a couple of tried and well trusted companions.

“Of course.” She nodded as Dawn 1’s shadow darkened the landing apron.

ooo000ooo

Once aboard, the PM sat in the co-pilot seat and read the queen’s letter while Charlie set course for Woomera. Once they were in subspace she handed the letter back.

“I don’t like the tone of the letter. D’ you think she’s in danger?”

“If she doesn’t do exactly as she’s told; I think she is, yes.”

“Who’s pulling the strings?”

“Their new Prime Minister and their head of security.”

“Is that the one who’s got it in for you?”

“Yeah. Wilson! – General Wilson. - Doctor General Wilson to be exact.”

“Is she dangerous?”

“I think so; I think she’s mad; seriously misanthropic. She’s tried to have me killed twice and locked up way, way back. When I came to their notice at Anston Aerospace she turned up as a colonel with the Feminista security squad and tried to have me forcibly feminised. My mummy fought tooth and nail but it cost her her job, and eventually her life. That’s how Chloe and I met. That’s why my maths is beyond their ken!”

“So you don’t much like her then.”

Charlie’s voice dropped a tone with menace.

“Frankly, Prime Minister; if I met that bitch alone, I would probably cast aside all pretence of probity and kill her with my bare hands. She and her cronies once tried to permanently paralyze me with their tasers. That was after my mummy refused to have me feminised! I firmly believe the stress that caused my mum was the reason she died in her fifties, long before her time.”

The PM glanced sideways at the six-foot, four-inch giant in the pilot seat and shuddered slightly. Charlie had always, without exception presented as a passive, co-operative, gentle and intelligent acquaintance but for an instant, his Achilles heel had revealed itself. As she surveyed what to her womanly eyes, was a ‘man-mountain;’ she concluded the danger to General Wilson was very, very real.”

By then, Dawn 1 had reached Woomera and Charlie picked up Angie who had been supervising the continuing construction of the next batch of anti-gravity space-fighters. She grabbed a bag of clothes and her suit carrier then joined them on the next leg to Hammersley.

“What-choo going there for?” Angie asked.

“Oh just some extra clothes,” Charlie replied. If I’m going to meet the queen I’d better wear a suit and not my overalls.”

Both Angie and the PM smiled as Angie riposted.

“You’ve actually got a suit!”

“Yeah, I’ve got a spacesuit.” Charlie grinned. “Plus a ‘go-to-church-on-Sundays-jobby.”

“You’ve never been to church in your bloody life Charlie Sage!” Angie cackled.

Her laughter improved the mood in the ship and the PM arrived at Hammersley in a far better frame of mind. She and Angie waited downstairs sipping coffee while Charlie rummaged around upstairs and in the garage. The were puzzled when he returned with a large suit-holder and plonked it down in Dawn 1’s tiny sleeping cabin.

“What’ve you got in there, something to kill General Wilson with?” Angie joked.

“Just clothes but I won’t be poncing about at any big’ formal ‘cake-and-arse’ parties. These are just everyday suits.” Charlie lied easily. “And I’ll stay away from Wilson if nobody objects.”
“You might be forced together at any formal affairs,” The PM warned
“I’ll cross that bridge if I get to it.” Charlie replied as Angie took the pilot seat and set course south about Antarctica for the UQ.
“You fly this thing often do you?” The PM wondered.
“Second nature Ma-am.” She replied easily. All of us can fly any of the Dawns.
The pair chatted easily while they heard Charlie showering in his tiny cabin then grunting as he seemed to be struggling to do something. Eventually, he emerged in his ‘Sunday-best’ bib-and-tucker.

“Bloody hell.” Angie chuckled. “You don’t scrub up too badly Charlie Sage. Can I have your baby?”

“Oy!” Charlie motioned his head to caution Angie. ”Think about that girl!”

“Oh shit! Of course!” She suddenly remembered. Her own menage-a-trois relationship with Engie and Juliet, shared one of Charlie’s testicles.”

The prime minister picked up on the nuance and frowned curiously.

“Am I missing something?”

“Nah. Nothing to see here,” Charlie chuckled. “Strictly a private joke.”

“There’s a lorra’ that around here.” The PM complained mildly.

“Well we spacers have been together a long time now Prime Minister.” Charlie finished. “Who’s for coffee?”

By the time the coffee and biscuits were sipped and nibbled, Angie had also changed into a three-piece business suit with the skirt finishing a few inches above the knee. It fitted her perfectly and Charlie silently reflected it was a good outfit to meet the recently crowned young queen.
The PM glanced down out of her starboard window and asked.

“Are those the Cape Verde Islands?”

Charlie peered over and confirmed.

“Not long now. We’d better warn those paranoid buggers who we are.

Even as he spoke, the comms burst into life and confirmed their mutual identities causing Charlie to relax. There was too much scope for blunders when streaking through sub-space at fifteen thousand knots. Within seconds, one of the Australian space fighters appeared ahead and closing slowly until they could recognise the pilot.

“It’s Nancy.” Angie declared as they swopped waves.

The two ships chatted amicably until the UQ regional traffic centre hailed them and identities were confirmed.

“That’s how I like it,” Charlie remarked as they headed straight in.”

“I am the prime minister Charlie, I’ve a right to expect a modicum of priority.” The PM grinned.

Having won pratique, the two spaceships descended rapidly and soon Dawn 1 sat beside the protective bulk of Dawn 4 while Dawn 2 sat parked a few metres ahead of her. Nancy’s spacefighter loitered silently protective overhead.

As the Oz PM emerged, The UQ PM and General Wilson emerged from Dawn 4. Formalities were quickly exchanged as the UQ PM explained.

“Her majesty is expected in ten minutes. You cut it rather fine. Everybody else is lined up.”

“I was only informed late last night Australian time. It’s still two a.m. back home.”

“Oh. Have you slept?”

“No.”

“Are you happy to meet her?”

“Always. I haven’t seen her since the coronation.”

“Well, we’d better line up on the tarmac by the red carpet. There’s her helicopter.”

The Oz PM motioned to Charlie and Angie to stand beside her but General Wilson intervened and demanded that Charlie stand beside Juliet at the very end of the line. The Oz PM turned to the UK PM and whispered angrily.

“Just this once lady, just this once. You insult my personal staff one more time and you’ll have serious diplomatic incident right here on the bloody carpet.” She turned to Charlie and whispered.

“Are you prepared to co-operate with these idiots just this once for the sake of good order?”

“You know me ma-am,” Charlie replied, “I’ll step aside if you want and leave the reception all together.”

“No! I don’t want it Charlie. It’s a bloody insult and I’ll be telling her majesty as soon as I have my private audience. She’s our queen as much as the UQ’s!”

“She’s not my queen Ma-am. Don’t forget, I’m stateless.”

“But you’ll show respect I hope.”

“When have I ever not shown respect to a woman Ma-am?” He replied as he walked down the line to take his place alongside Juliet.

ooo000ooo