Last Train from Earth: Holy Christian Empire 2206

By Al Philipson

When Eric Stewart, my boss and inventor of the Stewart FTL drive, burst into my office, I didn't realize that my entire world would be turned inside-out.

The Free States of America's president was plotting to become a dictator after the 2208 election and Eric (with some other industrial magnates) decided to buy a planet, gather a lot of people and industrial capacity, and emigrate.

Problems:
-I want to go, but my beloved wife refuses.
-The president doesn't want to lose all that industrial capacity and she has a murder squad at her disposal.
-She has a spy in our organization.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Al Philipson
• Release date: Feb 14, 2018
• ISBN: 9781370656967

Al Philipson

Al Philipson was born somewhere around 1995 or later in the fevered imagination of a nerdish geek and sometimes technical writer who wants to remain anonymous when he writes fiction (including his tax return). Being a private person, he was afraid that his adoring fans (all three of them) would mob him both publicly and privately once his books caught on. Unlike his nerdy creator, Philipson suffers from none of the weaknesses of "ordinary" humans. His body puts Mr. Universe to shame. He can bench press a Kenworth, he's more intelligent than Einstein, and knock-down-gorgeous women find him irresistible.

Book preview

The President Must Die

We were just hurrying towards the entrance to the passageway when the door to the office burst open, followed by three surviving insurgents.

Dan pushed President Damon to the floor and fell on top of her, while the two armed security agents opened up on the intruders.

Two of the intruders fell, but not before the two agents were killed.

The surviving intruder snapped off a shot that blew Dan’s head apart, while Eric and I launched ourselves at him.

He yelled, Death to Satan, and was aiming for an exposed portion of Damon’s anatomy when Eric and I hit him in a classic defensive gang tackle. I hit him at the knees and Eric crashed into his chest, knocking aside his weapon which spat and blew a hole in the ceiling.

As he fell, Eric wrestled the gun out of his grasp and slammed the butt into his head before he hit the floor.

We came up with Eric covering the entrance and me diving for one of the guns lying on the floor. It seemed like an eternity, but in two seconds, I was seven feet to Eric’s right, with one of the guard’s hand weapons, covering the entrance.

By Al Philipson

Published by FTL Press

Children of Destruction (out of print)

SciFi Four Pack

The Holy Christian Empire series

Last Train from Earth –2206

Chandler’s Secret Princess – 2405

Reluctant Marine - 2495

God’s Assassin –2608

Holy Christian Empire - 2206

Last Train from Earth

Al Philipson

A Faster Than Light eBook

A FTL eBook

Published by Faster Than Light Publishing

Copyright 2015 by Al Philipson

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by Faster Than Light Publishing.

You are granted a non-exclusive license to this work. You may make copies or reformat it for YOUR OWN USE ONLY. You may not resell, trade, nor give this work away.

If you have obtained this book from a torrent site, it is STOLEN MERCHANDISE.

Created in the United States of America

First Publication: July 2015

Cover design & composition: Duncan Long

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters are a product of the imagination of the author and any resemblance to any real person, either living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Faster Than Light Publishing and the FTL logo are the exclusive property of Faster Than Light Publishing.

Dedication

To my late wife, the center of my life for over 40 years, who always encouraged and helped me. I miss you, Honey!

Chapter 1

July 2206

You’re fired!

I looked up from the report I’d been studying as Eric crashed into the room. A huge, sheathed, broadsword rested on his left shoulder and was steadied by his left hand.

He slapped the door shut with his right hand, blocking off my view of Susan, who shrugged her helplessness. Eric had never been one to observe the niceties of office etiquette and wait to be announced.

Screw you! I slammed the e-sheet down on my desk. "I quit!

And don’t scratch my furniture with that damned pig sticker.

Eric eased the sword down and dumped it onto my couch, then strode over to my desk and sat on a corner. Now, Rock —

Don’t you ‘now Rock’ me you overgrown brat. I’m not moving again. Rosemary won’t have any of it. She flat out told me she’d divorce my sorry ass if she had to move again. She’s set down roots and —

She won’t have to move. Eric held up a hand, palm out. I’m promotin′ you to corporate, just across town. If anything, you’ll be closer to work than you are now.

I bit down on my tirade. What the hell? What job in corporate would be a promotion from President of this company? I scratched my ear, a nervous habit that Rosy was trying to break me of.

Mine. Eric’s voice was flat. "I need you to take control of the whole shebang while I chase a problem.

My jaw dropped. Run Stewart Industries? I felt a little dizzy. I don’t know if I’m ready for that one.

Ready? Hell, y’all have run just about every company we own. Eric took out a pocketknife. No one knows more about what’s going on than you. If anything, you’re overqualified. He addressed himself to cleaning a fingernail.

He looked up from the nail. Who can take your place here?

My head was still swimming, but I was used to having to keep up with Eric’s rapid-fire demands. He seldom wasted any time on small talk when he was hot on a project. The best replacement would be Susan.

Eric glanced back at the closed door that hid Susan and her desk. Your assistant?

Hell yes. I brushed away a fly that had the temerity to buzz too close to my nose. She practically runs this outfit anyway. I just sign whatever she puts in front of me and energy pods flow through our plant, out of the warehouse, and to the distributors. She’d be perfect.

He looked at me like I had missed something important. Fine with me, but I’m bettin′ she won’t take the job.

Why not?

He tilted his head a bit to the side. Just have another name in mind as a backup before you talk to her. I have a feelin′ you’ll need it. Anyway, I’m takin′ Tiffany with me, so you’re going to need Susan or find someone as capable.

I had the sinking suspicion that something was going on and I had no idea what. Nevertheless, I gathered what few wits I had left. And what are you doing that’s so blasted important that you have to turn your baby over to me?

Turn on your tri-D and tune in LoneStar News.

I did so. A brick flew towards us from the image and faded out as it passed by the news camera. Thousands of people were crammed into an intersection. Many hand-held signs were in evidence. Heat waves distorted the air. I couldn’t figure out who’d want to be in that blistering summer heat, let alone expend all that energy in a packed crowd.

What the hell is happening?

That’s downtown Houston. And those nice people are rioting.

About what?

It doesn’t matter. In this case, I gather it’s a beef about inequality of income. Class warfare, if you will. The same bullshit the left has been peddlin′ for several years now. Envy of anyone who makes a credit more than you do.

Why doesn’t it matter? I scratched my ear again, realized what I was doing, and put my hand flat on the desk.

Eric shifted uncomfortably on the edge of the desk. Because the disturbance itself is the important thing. It gives the government a reason to move towards martial law and lobby for disarmin′ the public. This is probably a ‘rent-a-mob’ bussed in for the event, plus any sweepin′s they could sucker into joinin′ in.

I watched a bottle, trailing smoke, fly through the air and break against a store front. Fire erupted as something flammable splashed against the building. I doubted if the fire department was going to be able to get through the crowd to put it out.

I assume you have a reason for showing this to me. What’s it all about?

The camera zoomed in on one of the rioters. A face, ugly with hate and rage, mouthed something, but the only sound coming from the tri-D was the cacophony of the mob. He waved a sign that proclaimed, Equal Pay. There was no mention of equal work. It occurred to me that this clown probably didn’t even have a regular job, given that he was part of the mob rather than tending a job.

Eric frowned, like he’d bit into something sour. President Damon is goin′ to take over the country after the next election and she needs an excuse to declare martial law. We can expect more of these ‘spontaneous demonstrations’.

I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. You mean the rumors aren’t just the usual political rhetoric? I’ve been hearing the ConTea party yelling socialist for so long that I’ve quit listening.

Worse. Eric held up a finger. "She’s goin′ to nationalize all businesses with more than ten employees. She’s also startin′ to quietly purge the unreliable officers and enlisted folks from the military and replace them with more amenable people."

A cold chill ran down my spine. I grasped at a straw, even though Eric rarely made mistakes on information of this import. What’s your source?

Senator Hoskins told me personally.

Good God! He’s in Damon’s inner circle. How did you manage to get the information from him?

Following Barbara’s advice, I supported him in the last election to the tune of ten million credits. He owes me big time.

You and your wife supported Hoskins? I looked up into his ice-blue eyes. Why not the ConTea candidate … uh, Johnson?

In the Tri-D tank another storefront erupted into flames as the mob howled in glee.

"Because Johansson, Eric corrected me, is a moderate ninny who can’t be trusted to do anythin′ intelligent, let alone useful, and Hoskins is an honest politician."

Honest?

Yes, he stays bought. Eric gave me a lop-sided smile, the same smile he’d used before he called a play that would fake the opposing team out of its socks. He’d sported that smile in the final play of the 2166 Cotton Bowl, the year we both graduated. I still have the picture of me catching the winning pass he’d thrown, displayed in my, rather limited, trophy cabinet. We took the game by two points after the conversion.

In this case, it was money well-spent. Damon has managed to plug all the leaks in her inner gang.

Well, now that you know, I half rose out of my chair, we should be able to derail her entire campaign.

Both storefronts were completely engulfed in flame and the ones on either side were starting to burn as the fire spread.

"Can’t.

One — He held up his left hand with his index finger up. — she’d have Hoskins murdered before any lawyer could depose him. Two — He added his middle finger to his index. — we’d be next on her hit list. Three — Eric added his ring finger. — She has control of enough county auditors that she can produce any count she wants with a few phone calls. It doesn’t matter what the real vote is. His face had lost any remnants of a smile. You don’t think the 127% turnout in Apache County in the last election was an isolated event, do you? Nor the fact that the vote was 100% in her favor? The outcome of the election is a foregone conclusion. We’re just lucky she decided to play it safe and wait until after the election to make her move.

A force of Texas Ranger riot control troops moved into the crowd, tingling anyone who offered resistance. The tingled rioters froze in place, often falling to the ground in odd poses.

I sat back down, defeated. So, what do we do? We’re going to lose your company along with our freedom if we do nothing.

You’re goin′ to play President of Stewart Industries at double your current salary — with extra stock options — and I’m goin′ to do a hell of a lot of research and thinkin′. We’ve got just under two years to come up with a solution. And I need to know that the company will stay healthy while I give this my undivided attention. He leaned over and put a hand on my shoulder, as if he were an older brother instead of four years my junior. I need you to run this lash-up because you’re the only one I can trust to do it right.

Okay, Eric. I sighed heavily to give me 3 seconds to assimilate the impact of the information. But don’t kid me about the stock options. If Damon gets her way, they won’t be worth spit, along with my existing ten percent of Stewart.

My entire world had just been turned upside-down by a very gifted kid, who, when he should have been a freshman in high school, had shown up as my roommate in my first year of college. Give me a couple of days to bring Susan up to speed and I’ll show up at Corporate on Monday.

The professional mob members melted away, leaving some confused dupes to face the Rangers.

He cocked his head and stared at me with that same you’re missing something look he’d given me a few minutes ago. Okay. In fact, why don’t you take a couple of weeks off for a vacation before you dive in. Take Rosemary somewhere special. You’ll have very little time for a vacation once you get into my job.

He slid off the desk and bent over to take the sword off the couch. And don’t talk about this to anyone, especially over any public communications or any radio link. I’m fairly sure everythin′ is bugged, with a couple thousand A. I.’s evaluating every word.

I let that sink in. This was serious stuff.

He picked up the sword.

Why the hell are you carrying that carving knife around? I nodded my head toward the sword in his hand.

He held it up and stared at it fondly. I brought it in for Jim Doss to sharpen.

You’re taking our head machinist off the line to sharpen an oversized steak knife?

No. He promised to do it on his lunch break. He owes fealty to me now.

He owes you what?

Oh, didn’t I tell you? He grinned. I’m the king of Ansteorra. I won this year’s tournament. I had a side bet with Sir James and he has to sharpen and polish my sword for my coronation this weekend.

You’re playing medieval games at S. C. A. with a bunch of overgrown children when we’ve got this kind of crisis going on?

Actually, it’s important. There are a large number of very rich and influential movers and shakers in the local Society for Creative Anachronisms kingdom. We’d have a lot less business if I wasn’t involved in this ‘game’, as you call it.

He drew himself up to his full 6 foot 5 inch height. And y’all can call me ‘Your Majesty’ henceforth. He looked more like a tough Marine drill sergeant than a king.

Fat chance, Infant. I used my favorite nickname which I’d hung on him in school. He may have been a child prodigy with a physique well beyond his years, but he’d still had the social skills of a high-school Freshman when he entered U. T. Dallas as a physics major. Four years later, I had my B.S. and he’d rocketed through to a PhD. And somewhere along the line he’d learned to infect other people with anything he believed in passionately; a natural-born leader and football hero. Now get out of here and go play with the other overgrown children so I can get my act together before this weekend.

He threw the sheathed sword over his left shoulder again and grinned. See you in three weeks. Enjoy your vacation.

With that, he was out the door sporting a jaunty gait that made you think he had nothing in the world to worry about.

I touched a button, even though he’d left the door open — as usual. Susan, could you please come in? And shut the door behind you.

Susan closed the door and took a chair in front of my desk. Her long, wavy hair was a dark brown with chestnut highlights this week. What’s up, boss?

Eric is moving me again.

Where are we going this time? She smiled past a pair of dimples.

Actually, it’s just me this time.

Her face fell.

I’m being promoted into Eric’s job while he chases a bigger problem and I need someone to run this company. I paused for effect. I hoped you’d take the job.

Me? Ah’m just a secretary.

"Just a secretary? Hell, you run this outfit already. I’m just here for window dressing and to sign stuff you stick in front of me. I figured we’d cut out the middle man so you can sign your own orders."

Boss, that's bullshit and you know it. She smiled playfully, showing a set of white teeth, and her brown eyes sparkled. Thanks for the compliment, but there’s no way Ah run this company. So quit blowing sunshine up mah sexy ass and tell me why you’re trying to ditch me. We’ve been through too many moves together for me not to smell a rat.

I sighed and leaned forward slightly. "Susan, you do a lot of the running of EnerPod’s day-to-day operations and I’m confident that you can also handle my job."

Susan was indeed sexy, as she’d put it; a wholesome, girl next door version of sexy; and most people assumed I’d hired her for her looks and perhaps some side benefits. But they were wrong on both counts. She had a sharp mind that missed very little, and she was a very fast and agile learner. Many men had tried to hire her away, but she fended them all off with a polished skill that left their egos intact. I had no idea what her social life was (not my business), but she never mentioned a boyfriend — or a girlfriend.

I’m not trying to ‘ditch you’. I think you deserve the opportunity and I’m confident you can handle it. Also, I’m just across town if you need help. Then I played, what I hoped would be, my trump card. And the job carries a five-fold increase in your salary.

I didn’t get the happy reaction I’d expected. Her face went deadpan, showing no emotion at all.

"Boss, I don’t need any more money. You pay me too much already. Which, by the way, makes the other assistants and secretaries quite jealous.

If you’re going to Stewart, then I’m going to Stewart. She allowed herself a half smile. Someone has to keep an eye on you to keep the backstabbing wolves at bay.

She had me there. In upper management, there were hundreds of ways to sabotage a boss and take his job. Susan usually managed to learn about raids on my job by overly ambitious junior executives and to fend them off. Sometimes, I had to learn about her activities from other parties, since she never bothered me with them unless she needed me to do something as part of the counter-plot. She made my work a lot easier, especially since, after ten years working together, I could trust and depend on her.

I knew from our years together that she wasn’t going to give on the point. If she wasn’t motivated by a huge increase in salary, I had nothing left to offer and if I pushed it, she’d probably quit. She was too valuable for me to risk that.

Okay. I leaned back and sighed. I started to reach for my ear, but intercepted the motion before it started. Who do you think should take my job?

She considered briefly. Harry Washington?

I agree. I was glad her choice echoed mine. I valued her opinion quite a bit. "Please ask him to come over. He can do the job — just not as well as you. Can Blanche handle your