Rescue Mission to the Stars by Philip R Benge
Chapter Three
Rescue Mission to the Stars
Two years had hurried by since the Blazer Explorer had left the Washington spaceport; the last six months of that time had brought some good news with it for David Charlton had awoken from his coma. However, he awoke only to find that his father had disappeared along with his sleek starship, disappeared without leaving any trace since they had left the planetary system orbiting around the star Pollux. At this moment, he was sitting in a comfortable chair in the lounge of the apartment belonging to his godfather, John Blazer.
“I am quite well enough to go and search for my father, Uncle John.” A term David Charlton always used when he spoke to his godfather, John Blazer.
“Well I don`t agree David, you have only just recovered, my god you have only just got the strength back in your legs, and I have only now got you back from the deep coma that held you for so long.”
This voice of disagreement came not from John Blazer, but from the person sitting next to David Charlton, Sarah Jane Hardin. Sarah was from Texas, she was twenty four years in age, stood five feet eight inches tall, had blue eyes, and long blond hair, and she was very attractive. She was studying Physics at MIT and doing very well, today she had flown down to the capital to spend the weekend with David Charlton.
“Sarah is right David, and anyway it is too dangerous, think of all the trouble that occurred just before your father left, you yourself were injured, and very badly at that. And just where will you start your search, it is an awfully big galaxy out there?” John Blazer argued, a little of his anger at David for proposing such a trip coming across in his voice.
“I will start my search at my fathers last known stop Uncle John, the mining planet in the Pollux system, and then I will move forward along my fathers proposed route until I find him.” David said with a very determined and stubborn look set upon his face, but he knew that he would have to say more on the subject.
“Look, while you both might have valid points I cannot just get on with my life when my father might be dying on some god forsaken planet, if you will not help me Uncle John then I will just have to go it alone. I can use my father`s old freighter that is still sitting on Mars, it won`t take too much to get her operational, and I am sure that I can find enough people to be my crew.” As far as David was concerned the argument was over, however John Blazer saw things differently.
“You should know David, that I finally received the DNA results on the men who carried out the attacks on you, your parents, and of course my own person, but only after weeks of badgering for them, and then only after I threatened to pull the plug on financing the next generation of space weapons. It seems that while the DNA results were similar to those of all the people of Earth, that is to say they were similar to you, me, Sarah and the King of Tonga, there were some differences, which they could not explain. I believe that our attackers were aliens, aliens who didn`t want humanity travelling into the part of space where the Blazer Explorer went missing. Unfortunately the man captured by your father and I committed suicide just hours after we caught him, and so the authorities couldn`t question him, and as none of the attackers survived the attack on the ship the investigation hit a blank wall. The men who set the bomb in the basement car park beneath my penthouse apartment were never identified. If they were not amongst the dead assassins then I can only suspect that they went into hiding, there they will wait until they are recalled to action against another unsuspecting victim. So you see David it is imperative that you stop this mad quest, however admirable your reasons for proposing it.” John Blazer implored his godson, his arguments were sound, his reasoning impeccable, his godson must agree.
“I am sorry Uncle, I know what you say is true, but I couldn`t live with myself if I did as you ask, I must go and look for my father, no matter what dangers I might have to face.” David replied almost apologetically.
“Then if you won`t listen to the advice of your Uncle, David, and insist on your quest, then I am not staying behind like the good little woman, unable to sleep through worrying about you, fearing every phone call. If you insist on putting your life in danger then I am coming with you, it is either that or I will personally put you back in hospital so that at least I will know where you are, and what is happening to you.” Sarah declared fervently and David didn`t dare argue, for he knew that she really would do what she had threatened to do.