Morning Star Full Novel

Chapter 19

"What is our position?" Ramsey asked the pilot.
"We have lost GPS," he replied.
"I bet," Tony said with a smirk.
"What does that suppose to mean?" Ramsey snapped at Tony.
"The GPS, it’s history."
"Is there something you want to share with the rest of us?" Ramsey asked.
Tony took a deep breath and scratched the back of his neck biding time. "We have no GPS because the satellites are no longer there."
"No longer there? Where did they go?" Ramsey asked.
"They didn’t go anywhere. They haven’t been put up there yet."
Ramsey stood dumbfounded. "What the hell are talking about doctor?"
Tony pointed out the window at the vast open sea and looked to Ramsey saying, "Twenty minutes ago we were flying over central Kansas. Do you have any idea where Kansas went?"
"No, but I bet you do."
"Yes I do commander. That Trans Pacific 747 is settling on it right about now."
Ramsey paused for a moment as he tried to figure out what he was saying. "Are you saying Kansas is under that water?"
"Ask the pilot."
The pilot cocked his head towards Ramsey standing behind him and said, "Yes sir. Our last reading puts us two hundred miles west of Kansas City International."
"You last readings must be wrong," Ramsey said hanging his head. He turned and looked to Tony. "How do you know?"
"Brinkman explained it all to me. He didn’t brief you on this?"
"Who the hell is Brinkman?"
Tony stood dumbfounded wondering if Brinkman informed the crew of their true mission. How else would he get seventy-five men to volunteer for a suicide mission?
"Captain, can I speak to you in private?" he said pointing to the mission control room.
They walked through the door and the Captain asked the controllers to leave for a moment. Tony hesitated, as he looked the commander in the eye.
"Captain, what is the purpose of this mission?" Tony asked.
Ramsey looked at him with an odd curiosity. "Surveillance of the Trans Pacific Airliner," he replied.
"That’s it? Just watch it and report back your findings?"
"That’s correct. Why? Is there something else I should know about?"
Tony felt the whole responsibility falling on his shoulders. He hated Brinkman right now for putting him in this position. "I don’t know how to tell you this." He hesitated and looked to the floor. "We are no longer, no longer, I can’t explain this right," he said waving his hand around nervously in front of Ramsey
"Spill it mister!"
Tony looked up and faced him eye to eye. "We have jumped. Jumped in time," he said disbelieving his own words. Ramsey closed his eyes, turning his head towards the cockpit. He turned back to Tony and said, "I don’t believe it, but it would explain a few things if it were true."
"They lied to you. I’m sorry, I had nothing to do with the mission, I swear. They just asked me if I wanted to go."
"You knew this was going to happen and came along anyway? What is wrong with you?"
"It’s a long story. We need to get this plane headed in the right direction."
Tony walked back into the cockpit followed by Ramsey. He squatted down on one knee and got the pilots attention. "How far can this thing go?" he asked.
The pilot replied, "two thousand miles with our current fuel levels."
"How far would it be to, let’s say, Ohio?"
"Well within our range if our last co ordinates are correct."
"We need to head that way before we run out of fuel."
The pilot looked up to Ramsey for confirmation then hand plotted the course to the best of his recollection. Tony stood and rubbed his chin thinking. He asked, "How long will it take to get to our destination?"
"Our current cruising speed is three hundred seventy miles per hour. I estimate four hours," the pilot replied.
"We have four hours to form a plan captain," he said to Ramsey.
The plane banked to the left and leveled out heading into the sun. For as far as the eye could see, a flat plane of water stretched, from horizon to horizon. The glare of the sun reflected off the C-130’s windows blinding the men standing behind the pilots.
"Where did all this water come from?" Ramsey asked.
"Niobrara Sea, ever hear of it in marine school?"
"No, just how to take out smart jerks like you with one shot," Ramsey said with a toothy grin.