Jericho Calling

By Charles Zuendel

A gifted and talented high schooler invents the first sub-atomic communicator. What will he and his friends do with it?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sunset Publishing
• Release date: Mar 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005217075

Charles Zuendel

Charles Zuendel is a novelist and screenwriter from Colorado, USA. He attended the University of Colorado where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film Production.

Book preview

JERICHO CALLING

By

Charles Thomas Zuendel

JERICHO CALLING

Published by Sunset Publishing

Copyright 2021 Charles Thomas Zuendel

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Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 1

LOCATION: SOUTH CHINA SEA, USS CARL VINSON

TIME: 20:53

Admiral to the bridge… Enemy approaching! blared the intercom aboard the aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson. Admiral James Morris strode onto the bridge.

Battle stations, his simple command.

All hands battle stations. This is not a drill. All hands battle stations the intercom announced, repeating the Admiral’s order.

What have we got Ensign? asked the Admiral.

Sir, Chinese battle group approaching. 15 ships, 12 miles out and closing fast.

Scramble the alert aircraft, maintain course and heading, the Admiral’s order. Are these guys trying to start World War 3 today? he murmers to himself. Get me Captains Fredricks and Samson on the horn, to the Ensign.

After a moment, They’re on, Sir.

Morris pauses, then addressing the captains he commands, Increase your speeds to 30 knots gentlemen. Move your vessels out front to intercept.

Captain Samson’s voice protests over the intercom, Sir that will look like aggression, are you sure you want to—

Yes, I’m sure, Captain. I’m tired of playing cat and mouse games with these guys. If they want a war, I’m going give it to them.

Yes sir, Captain Samson replies, giving the order now.

…

LOCATION: FALCON HIGH SCHOOL, FALCON, COLORADO

TIME: 2:53 PM

And so the robot will have to determine the tennis ball from the ping pong ball, the colors yellow from blue, and only pick up the blue tennis ball—excuse me, Steven, do you find this funny? Mrs. Schackley, the teacher addresses Steven Thompson, student, age 15. Steven stares at her and after a moment, says, I find it ridiculous. The National Gifted and Talented Contest wants us to build a robot that picks up tennis balls? What for? What is that good for?"

The other students sigh, and one murmurs here we go again…

Steven, maybe your challenge in this contest will be to try and determine a suitable use for—

Mrs. Shackley, I’m not doing this silly contest. We’re about to go to war with China and you want us to build this stupid robot.

And you can do something about China? I’d like to hear what you have in mind.

Well all I’m saying is there’s bigger problems out there than building a silly robot. We’re supposed to be the ‘brightest young minds in the country’. Can’t we just—

Steven, I’ll not have you interrupting my class again. I’ll see you after class and we can discuss it.

I have to stay after for this?

Yes, you do.

A few moments later, Steven sat slumped in his desk, listening to Mrs. Shackley. The other students had gone.

I’m tired of having you interrupt this class, Steven, Mrs. Shackley scolded.

Mrs. Shackley, being a gifted and talented student, I have thought about this. Ever since Einstein published his theories of relativity, we live in an age of super-intellectuals. Intellectuals who start out with all of known science as their base. What did the first super-intellectuals do with their knowledge? They built the bomb. A weapon to destroy the world. And what did the next generation of super-intellectuals do? They just got rich. That’s it. Destroy the world and get filthy stinking rich. I know we can do better. We have to. Building silly, do-nothing robots is pointless.

Well then what do you suggest we do? asked Mrs. Sharkey, exasperated.

We should be working on the big problems of the world. Pollution. Starvation. Diseases… world peace.