Preparations

By Jeff R. Smith

Welcome to a future where a world catastrophe is imminent. Most Americans have been conditioned to rely on our government for guidance. Still, there are a few who can think for themselves. Its just dangerous to say their thoughts aloud because someone is always watching or listening; waiting to punish those that dont agree with the governments control. This is the story of a few of those who would like to get away from that control and certain death. Thus start a handful of adventures of their lifetimes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493168767

Jeff R. Smith

Jeff R. Smith was born in California and now resides in Nevada with his wife, children and their 10 mischievous cats. He began work on this first volume with the goal of sharing the story with the world. This first volume has come to fruition and he hopes you will enjoy it. So, enjoy this journey to another world and dream big. Maybe you, the reader, will become the next big sci-fi writer.

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Copyright © 2014 by Jeff R. Smith.

Cover Design by Jeff R. Smith. All Rights Reserved.

Cover Illustrations by Don Childers. All Rights Reserved.

The photo of the author is courtesy of Sherri Lang-Smith. All Rights Reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Rev. date: 01/28/2014

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris LLC

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

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Contents

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Acknowledgements

• My Wife, Sherri—I love you very much. Once again you put up with me and still find the time to help edit my sometimes too vivid imagination.

• Mike and Beverly Mahoney—Love you Mom. I thank you both for supporting my work and getting the word out. Mike, it’s a crazy family you’ve entered.

• Kenneth and Carol Smith—Love you Dad. I hope you two have the Forever Honeymoon. Carol, welcome to the family.

• Ross and Becky Lang—Thank you for your continued support and putting up with my interpretations of things.

• Don Childers—Once again I thank you for your help with my covers. Glad I could make this one a bit easier, but watch out for the next one.

• Torri Gibbs—Thank you for proofreading and not breaking the bank for it.

• Ron Durst—My self proclaimed #1 fan—Don’t shoot! I’m still writing! LOL!

• Last, but most—Steven, Jeffery Jr. and Christopher—Well boys, here’s another one for you to hold on to for your future children—haha.

Introduction

"And now, your newly elected President, Dalini

Filmore."

Thank you, thank you all so very much. If you recall my promises to you if I was elected; my main platform promise was to cut governmental spending. Now that you have elected me, I will be working on that while waiting for my inauguration. You people out there are the best people in the world! You are Americans.

Do you think they bought that load of B.S.? Filmore asked.

Those idiots ate it up. You’re going to be the first Woman President in our history. Congratulations. Now, here are some of the things your real financial supporters want you to do once you’re in office . . .

Cut out the Active Military? Are you kidding? I would like to at least have some of it functioning.

Look lady, you’ve been a porn star, so you know what taking it in the ass is like. That’s what your financial supporters want the American people to do now. So, you will do all the things on that list.

Won’t they rise as one when I downgrade the Bill of Rights by Executive Order?

They’re all sheeple. As long as you keep acting on one item of the list each month, they won’t stay focused on any one of these unconstitutional mandates long enough to make it matter. Don’t worry about it. The US citizen is now used to government doing what we want.

Are you sure this will work?

It always has. All you need to do is use a percentage of your cuts as giveaways to those that don’t want to do anything for themselves and you will keep your voter numbers high. It’s really very simple. If you give your voters what they want, they will support you while they once again loose their precious rights and freedoms.

How do you know this?

We’ve been doing this for nearly 2,000 years. It’s always worked before and always will.

Except when this country was formed.

There’s always an exception to every rule. It’s been used already. Mankind will forever be slaves to our families, just as you are.

Chapter 1

Mrs. President? Jay Miles, head of the Secret Service, stood before her.

Yes. What is it? You know I’m on a tight schedule. Dalini Filmore wasn’t a woman of patience these days.

Mr. Miles aimed his thumb behind him before announcing. Mr. Stinsen here needs a moment of your time.

Tell him to get in line.

What he needs to tell you won’t wait that long, ma’am.

This had better be good. All right Mr . . . .

Stinsen ma’am, head of Astronomy for NASA.

Yes, yes, get on with it. She snapped impatiently.

That asteroid we have been keeping track of is on a slightly new course.

So we sent it away with your toys you play with, great! She interrupted him.

No ma’am. It is now headed on a probable collision course with Earth. He touched his ear piece. One moment ma’am. This had better be important. I’m with the president right now. He listened to the person on the other end of the call for a few seconds. I’ll let her know.

Well? The president urged.

I’ve just been updated that its present trajectory won’t hit Earth, per’se, but will come so close as to ruin our atmosphere for some time.

So send up some more of your toys and change its course again. The president was loosing patience quickly.

It’s not that easy ma’am. If we tamper with it again, it might hit Earth dead-on. That would destroy the whole planet.

Isn’t that what you were starting to tell me anyway? She looked at him like a lion ready to pounce upon its prey.

Yes ma’am. Either way, we need to get people off of this planet. Stinsen replied.

And just how do you propose we go about doing this simple little chore Mr . . . .

Stinsen, ma’am.

Whatever. Get on with it.

We have had two developments over the past three years that make survival possible, three actually. The first is that we have found a way to travel beyond the speed of light through space. He watched the President nod at him to keep going. It is still primitive when compared to all of the science-fiction novels out there, but it’s much faster than anything we’ve ever had before. There is a glitch in it that we haven’t yet figured out that makes us stay under one hundred years travel time. Using this time-speed configuration, there have been hundreds of planets looked at for human habitation, but only four of them look promising. That is the second piece of the puzzle.

Okay, what’s the third item you were going to tell me about? The President was now less anxious for him to leave.

We have already put together a list of production lines if you will, easily adaptable for building spacecraft that we were hoping to use to colonize those locations that we deemed most promising. With the updated stasis units, the materials and funding, we could be in full production in a matter of about four months.

The President looked over at Mr. Miles. Why was I not informed of this before?

The pentagon director has been trying to see you about this for nearly a year now. You have steadfastly refused to talk with him since the meetings in Vienna nearly two years ago, ma’am.

Why couldn’t someone besides that incompetent boob tell me?

Due to several factors involved. It comes down to jurisdiction ma’am. Miles informed her.

Very well, set up a meeting with him, tonight. In fact, make it an emergency council meeting at, say 5pm. You will be there as well I assume, Mr . . . .

Stinsen. A sigh. Yes ma’am.

Good, I will want a full report and presentation ready by then. And it had better be good.

Daniel Stinsen was glad to be out from under the intruding eyes of President Filmore. That was less than one minute before placing a call to his New Mexico headquarters.

Mitch? He hears a brief answer on the other end. Yeah look, I need everyone here in D.C., ready to give a presentation to the Emergency Council by 5pm Eastern Standard Time. Yes I know that’s short notice, but we’ve got to try and save humanity. There is an unkind retort on the other end. Don’t talk like that, besides, I doubt she would stoop so low as to leave the planet. Yes, 5pm. Alright, goodbye.

Mitch Manning couldn’t believe it. He had been working on how to colonize other planets almost exclusively for the past fourteen years. The technology was just recently coming online, the planet needed a relief valve and he could tell that many of the people needed a new shot at freedom.

Now, due to a mishap in offsetting the trajectory of an asteroid, he would not only get the chance to show his ideas to those able to finance his life project, but actually have a chance to see it to fruition.

If he had been given more than a TOKEN budget to work with, he would have been more enthused about a presentation of this sort, with such a short time schedule. That seemed to be how things worked these days. Here’s a cubicle with a computer, save mankind. Oh yeah, you have six hours to be ready.

Had it not been for a few outsiders who believed in his work and financing his research, he would have had to stop many years ago. He felt it was now time to call those financial helpers and inform them that it was payback time. He would start as soon as he was finished in Washington.

*     *     *

Janet Chi wasn’t a wealthy woman by any means, but she did have enough to live comfortably and to share a bit with a couple of others that she believed in.

Her grandparents immigrated to the U.S.A. in the 1980’s and started their own small business. After their deaths, by the hands of some gang members, that business was sold off. The money was used by her father to support his own business venture.

When her father married an American lady, things started going well for them. They had three children together, of which Janet was the youngest.

An ill-fated train wreck took away all of her family, yet she was spared by a twist of fate. When the train ran off the tracks and into her families car, her car seat wasn’t latched properly. She went flying through an open window next to her placing in the car and landed in the back of a farmer’s truck. Luck of luck, the truck was filled with pillows that were going to be sold at a Farmers Market.

Janet would forever wear a scar across her chest from the hand sewn zipper on one of the pillows that had cushioned her landing, but she had been spared from dying that horrible day.

By some miracle and a bit of influence from a family friend, social services let the farmer and his wife adopt the girl as their own and it was them who raised her until a half dozen years ago. Now a spry young lady of twenty-four years, half Chinese descent, with large almond shaped eyes and straight brown hair, she looked at the world with wonder.

She received the life insurance from her birth parents and a settlement from the railroad company, which would dole out a fairly good check each month for the rest of her life.

It was while she was in college that she met Mr. Mitch Manning, a guest speaker in her astronomy class. He was talking about people moving beyond Earth and that idea inspired her to meet with him after class so they could talk in depth. She decided then and there that she wanted to help him in any way possible to bring this vision to life.

There was of course one item of trade for her support, she would be guaranteed seats for her and her parents on one of the craft to leave, if it ever happened while she was active enough to want to relocate.

Back then this was all just a dream. Now the contemplations of actually leaving were starting to set in.

Only a half hour ago she had finished talking, no, listening would be the word to use, to Mitch telling her about the Federal Government stepping in to fully fund production of the ships to be used as per his plans to try to save part of humanity from extinction.

I never thought I’d live to see the day. Had been her first thought, but now a different mental process was taking over, Survival!

*     *     *

Two more similar calls were made by Mitch that night, keeping his promise to those who supported him through all the years. The three still alive that is, the first of the four had died a few years back.

Now that he was done with those phone calls, he could get on to his next item of business, finding his daughter. For this, he would have to Set-up a deal with a private investigator he knew, as he didn’t have the money to hire anyone. The kicker is that he had saved seating for himself, his three workers and thirty-six others. Forty seats total for those that helped him with the necessities that kept him going. The terminology was purposefully vague and he could do as he saw fit with any left over seats. Using one of those to find his daughter was well worth the cost and he was just now realizing that he had just gone from nearly bankrupt, to possibly becoming a very wealthy man if he so desired. The next thought to hit him was, what good was money on a planet of death?

*     *     *

Nathan Hill had just turned thirty one. The celebration of this event included a bartender and several drinks, a far cry from last year’s event. Just nine days ago he had buried his wife and two sons, murdered so a punk could have a short joy ride behind the wheel of a new Maserati coup, out in the country. The fifteen year old killed himself that night too, driving off a cliff and plummeting over 200 ft to the bottom. The media had boo-hoo’d about how he hadn’t had a fun childhood and how his parents should have just bought him what he wanted so he wouldn’t have to steal it. Nathan’s comments to the media never hit the airing.

Now the only family that knew he existed was the family pet, a still young Queensland Heeler named Penny. He had a half-brother, but the man didn’t know who he was. The thought of needing to go home and take care of Penny was enough to stop him from getting too plastered, but only just so.

He was watching the news, trying to sober up a bit more when the face of a woman he had met only a couple weeks ago lit up the screen.

Hello, this is Angela Parker with breaking news.

Yup, that was the whining bitch that told him it was his wife’s fault for not giving the punk the family car and a blow-job like the punk had asked her for, as seen via the cars digital audio/visual recorder, its signal transmitted to a collection computer.

We have a first-hand confirmation that our Government will be spending tens of trillions of dollars on a new space program. That’s right ladies and gentlemen, trillions upon trillions of tax-payers money, just so our military can have weapons in space. We all know that this will make the rest of the world hate us again. We should be spending that money to feed the hungry in Africa or somewhere else, so send letters to your local authorities telling them you don’t want your money to fund our military. Thank you all and have a nice day.

*     *     *

Did you see the news tonight honey? Randal Wagner asked his wife Loranda.

Yes. What about it? She asked in return as he closed the door behind him.

Well, I heard something about a space program, but came in on the last bit of it.

Oh yes, that. Well it seems as though our government is planning to spend nearly the whole countries budget on that, leaving only enough left for the military, law enforcement and necessary infrastructure. Loranda declared.

That doesn’t sound right. I wonder why they would have such a massive change in policy.

What do you mean Randal?

Don’t you remember how space exploration was stopped in its entirety when Filmore took over the Presidency a few years ago?

Except that one launch not too long ago dear!

Yes, but that was to offset an asteroid so it wouldn’t go between us and the moon, which they swore would cause severe tidal waves, earthquakes and storm patterns. Randal explained the governments reasoning for the exception.

Sometimes I believe you need to slow down in life and quit thinking so hard.

But why the sudden and drastic change Loranda? It doesn’t make any sense.

There was a small bit on how this could be a military project that would give us weapons in space.

Honestly honey. He looked at his wife. We probably have them already and I can’t see President Filmore ever supporting the military, especially with that kind of funding.

All right genius, then tell me what else it could be. Loranda looked at him expectantly.

Maybe some super control devise to suppress the whole world to her wishes?

Randal Wagner! Loranda gasped. I didn’t know you hated our president soo much!

Oh, I don’t hate her that much. I just don’t trust her is all. He smiled like a stalking cat.

You have been getting ever more cynical these past years. I’m not sure if I even know you at times.

I’m still the same person, I just keep this part of myself under guard most of the time. Randal pointed to his head.

What are you talking about? Loranda asked.

Well, with all of this SNOOP equipment everywhere, it’s hard to say or do anything that’s not approved by the all watchful, Big Brother. He hesitated. Hell, I’m taking a chance talking this way right now.

You should know by now that I’m not going to call the authorities on you because you don’t like our president. Loranda seemed exasperated.

Who said I was worried about that? I’m talking about microphones in our home.

Really Randal, you are sounding paranoid now.

Am I? How about the T.V. enhancement?

Next, you’ll say that a group of storm-troopers are going to come in here and get you.

He just grinned at his wife.

Randal? She started to sound worried. What about freedom of speech?

We still have it. We just have to be ready to pay the consequences for what we say now, that’s all.

You’re actually serious, aren’t you?

It was at that point in their conversation that their two oldest boys, Kevin and Michael entered through the door after a long day at school. It was Kevin’s second year, but Michael was still not used to having to be away from home all day.

Their newest addition Kyle was still too young to have to worry about school, crawling on the floor was fun though. He seemed to like the idea of going where he wanted, like he had just gained a freedom.

*     *     *

Yes Mr. Miles? President Filmore asked of the Secret Service agent as he knocked at her open doorway.

Madame President, it has fallen to me to inform you of a major misunderstanding with the Space Project.

In what way Miles and quit calling me Madame, it makes me sound like a hooker. Jay Miles had to stifle his real feelings at that last part. He and millions of others around the world remembered when she had been very close to that. She had made some adult PORN movies when in her late teens, into her early twenties, but blamed it all on the economy of the time.

Well ma’am, the media is saying that you are funding a new SUPER WEAPON of some sort. The people of this country and others are starting to believe what is being said. If you don’t make a statement soon, I’m afraid things could get out of hand and fast.

And what do you think is going to happen if I announce the truth?

Then our people will likely start to panic, but we at least wouldn’t have other nations aiming their weapons at us.

Maybe. She replied, still in thought. But if I could tell part of the truth, then we might keep both from happening.

Ma’am?

Nothing Miles. She fidgeted for a moment in contemplation. Get me that space guy, Mr . . . .

Stinsen ma’am?

Yes, that’s the one. I want him here in the morning at say 8:00am, and let the others know that I will be holding a press conference by 9:00am. Better yet, I want an emergency… . Scratch that too. There will be a State Of The Union address at 7:00 pm tomorrow night, all channels.

We don’t have a contract to interfere with several of the networks.

Then get them before 7:00pm, one way or the other.

Yes ma’am, anything else?

Not yet. Oh go on and get out of here, you have things to do.

*     *     *

Jimmy Shea had been dodging the bullet all of his life. It had started his first day of school when his peers decided they didn’t like the way he looked.

It’s true he doesn’t look like most others. Dark skin, large lips and tight curly hair are all parts of his African ancestry and normal enough. It’s the large number of white and pink patches of skin and his constant limp from one leg being longer than the other by nearly two full inches that made things hard for him.

It didn’t help matters to know that he was adopted though with two white parents, it only made sense. He had been taken from his real parents because of his abnormalities. Child Protective Services believed that his parents had somehow caused these things to happen. With no money to hire a good attorney, they lost him within less than a year.

He was finally able to locate his real parents when his adoptive father died. The adopting mother made the mistake of leaving the safe unlocked in a moment of grief and he took advantage of it, taking the pertinent paperwork out and making a copy of each page.

He had only begun to get to know them a couple of years ago, but already felt more comfortable with them than he ever did with the adoptive parents.

He was now in his eighth year of college, studying for his doctorate in ancient civilizations, mainly Egyptian and Norse. He chose this field for two main reasons. The first is that he always had an interest in the ancient mythos of several civilizations, mostly those with Gods and Goddesses for (usually) singular purposes within their beliefs. The second and to him most important reason, was that there weren’t many people wanting to do what he was and that meant less scrutinizing by his peers.

Nearly all of his professors paid him a respectful amount of attention, as he had shown an almost uncanny aptitude with all he did. His grades were all in the highest percentile of each class, except for speech, which was a struggle for him. No matter what effort he put into it, he was lucky to carry the 72% in the class that he did. He often times wondered if the professor fudged on his behalf with the final grade. He thanked the Gods that this class was only one semester long and he was still able to stay in the top ten G.P.A.’s within the university.

Paying for college fees was one of the good things that he received from his adoptive parents, the funding now being paid through the will of his deceased adoptive father.

He didn’t need much else. He hadn’t had any serious relationships, lived in the dorm and almost always ate the dorm food. He had no money of his own, but no out of pocket expenses. He would occasionally have a meal with a professor, who wanted to talk in depth about a subject and would on rare occasions go off campus with Nehii Shunang, the closest he had to a real friend.

This was his life when he received a call from his parents.

Jimmy?

Mom, what’s the matter? You don’t usually call during the week.

Turn on the television. Don’t ask, just do it. His mother used a tone not normally heard by him.

What channel?

Any channel except 193.

Huh? That doesn’t make sense!

Just do it, the President is about to get to the microphone, now hurry! She instructed.

With the old fashioned phone still off the hook, he turned on the Television that came standard in each room, he usually only watched T.V. for assignments that required it, or to find out the weather report for his parents’ few visits.

*     *     *

Ladies and gentlemen. An announcer called out. I give you the President of the United States, Dalini Filmore.

Thank you Mark. President Filmore started. There seems to be a lot of speculation about my renewed space program policy and I have therefore felt it important to set the record straight. Our scientists have found that our global warming problem is worse than we once thought, so I’m having large spacecraft built to take people of this country to colonize other worlds. Worlds that we can now get to, due to a propulsion system that has been recently discovered by a group of experts I have helped to fund. We will still be alright here on Earth, but we must learn to live a different way of life, or we may have a large number of people who end up with skin cancer, among other problems. I want the rumors to stop. If you hear anyone spreading them, please inform your local law enforcement, as we want to correct their wrong thinking.

She went on talking about less important issues afterwards without missing a beat.

Why was that so important mom? Jimmy asked his biological mother, somewhat confused.

Cause they’s some things goin’ on that we jist ain’t privy to and I heared that the president was goin’ to address them. Kind of a let-down nows that I heared her.

*     *     *

Mitch Manning watched the president with disbelief. Here she was taking all the credit for helping, when all she really did was strip funding to nearly nothing. The audacity of the woman to blatantly lie in all the other aspects didn’t help his attitude toward her. She was a good politician all right, telling half-truths at best, blaming others and still coming out smelling like a rose. If only people knew the truth.

*     *     *

Janet Chi sat in her easy chair laughing at the incompetent woman that was called president. The mockery of sanity displayed in this country could only prove that mankind was on the downhill slide back into barbarism. At least she