It Seemed To Be A Good Idea At The Time (Redux)

[Maharg67]

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One 13.1[19]{19}

 

The sparkling shimmer went right through the aged 747 jet-airliner and it vanished, along with all of its crew and passengers. It was the 23rst such jet to vanish, 15 being airliners and the others being airfreighters. It was 1991AD and the world was suffering from familiar challenges but also from newer, more exotic, ones.

 

The astonished pilots, in the long range escort fighterjets, communicated at once with the nearest United Nations Global Defence Network Base. Since the incidents had become common, and jets had vanished over heavily inhabited areas, there was no doubt to the authenticity of the report. The tone of the voices, of both pilots, was added proof that the vanishing was real. The veteran pilots felt quite frustrated and angry; they had been no use at all in protecting the aircraft and folks in the big upgraded airliner. They had to report that new tech added to the aircraft, along with a specialist to run it, had done nothing to save the flight.

 

Since the grey saucers had become regular raiders, as witnessed reliably by thousands of people, the 'vanishings' had begun and other strange incidents began to take place with increasing frequency, the UNGDN had been created. It was the launching pad for further initiatives such as the autorobotic Trinet and the United Nations Global Defence Force, the UNGDF. The Trinet was to be Skynet, Earthnet and Aquanet. Other initiatives were such as fighterjet escorts for commercial, military and other designated jets.

 

High altitude aircraft seemed to be suffering but there were many thousands of them in the skies at any moment even if the number of flights had dropped over the last decade with the ending of mass international tourism. Stopping air travel would be far more costly, to humanity, than the vanishings but that could change.

 

The two fighterjets turned away from the old flight course and then shot away towards the UNGDN Base that they had reported to. Neither the pilots or their technologies had detected MaryPoppins quietly observing what had happened to the airliner. She was held aloft high in the sky, it appeared, by her open umbrella and was apparently untouched by factors such as high altitude, coldness and winds.

 

MaryPoppins, or at least that was the form she took, had done what she could for the airliner and its people. They would arrive safely at their strange surprise destination but she had been unable to stop the vanishing from taking place; what she could, would do, with mortal affairs was limited.

 

She vanished, almost as if she had never been there.

 

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One 13a

 

The coverall wearing man hurried through the hangers, and workshops, area of the big international airport carrying a typical worker's duffel bag. It was, in most ways, almost identical to other such airports around the world. Small robot like remotes hummed past, controlled by sophisticated computer networks, but there were plenty of workers there. Some were in new type expopower suits to assist them to carry heavier weights with greater safety.

 

The man had done what was wanted of him. He had made sure that a certain object was inside of a particular jet airliner. It had been simple enough to do thanks to some exotic hitech devices that he had been given to use.

 

What it was all about, he did not care. All he knew, all he cared about, was that he needed the cash to feed his hungry drug habit. He had gotten past airport security because he had worked there, before his addiction had almost caused a death and he had been fired. A friend had let him come in a 'back way' for a drink but that had all been a ruse. The betrayal, the use, of that friend was just one more crime in a long list of them; only his supply of drugs mattered, his 'stash'.

 

The drug was called moodsugar and it was smuggled all the way from the Lunar Labyrinth; it was very strong, concentrated, but even small amounts cost a lot of money.

 

The man strode past a security guard but his airport coveralls, cap and boots disguised him so well that the other man did not even bother to look at him properly.

 

The man entered a nearly office room, dropped the duffel bag on a desk, and opening a drawer he placed two exotic devices into it. Each was grey brown, solid and of a slightly greasy plastic like substance; he did not like touching them or the smell of them.

 

He died very quickly, the hitech dart smacking into the back of his neck. The woman caught him even as he fell forward; she showed amazing strength for such a short, slender, person. Then she was taking the exotic devices, grimacing despite her plastic gloves that she used to handle them. Soon the devices were in a briefcase and the elegantly beautiful young oriental woman was leaving in her pant-suit and mid-heel shoes.

Edited April 13, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 14.1[20]{20}

 

There was a fair sized human colony inside the Lunar Labyrinth before the Exodus began, being driven by a variety of powerful factors; the colony growing steadily as the space effort improved through the decades following the discovery of the LL.

 

Tarrytown's glowcavern had been a special government outpost base, being quite isolated and secretive. Truth was it was still there now concealed beneath the working, living, facade of Tarrytown. For Tarrytown was a settlement secretly organised by an element of the UNMSIA.

 

As the investigations continued into the strange deaths, of two sets of people, there was a split in the UNMSIA as the more specialised group broke away from the UNMSIA. The new group became the United Nations Paramilitary Security Intelligence Agency, the UNPSIA. It was smaller, more exotic, more specialised than the bigger, more orthodox, UNMSIA. Elite factions in the UNMSIA were pleased to see the splintering take place, especially those who refused to believe in the 'paranormal' despite growing evidence that it existed. The new agency was glad to be free of the factional infighting, corruption and bureaucracy of the old agency had had caused them so many hassles.

 

Marshal Collins was the one who got the rather arrogant 3Dphone call from an LL Office of the UNMSIA. The UNMSIA demanded that almost half of UNPSIA resources to passed over to them despite the official agreement signed at the splitting of the two agencies. That foolishness was quickly dealt with but the UNMSIA was to prove troublesome in future to the UNPSIA. The sheer speed, and effectiveness, of how the UNMSIA was dealt with indicated that the new UNPSIA had some powerful allies, even patrons. Some were to prove to be of surprising nature.

 

More UNPSIA people arrived at Tarrytown even as a quiet purge began of some of those in the population. A growing corrupt element, not government people, was sent away to dwell in another place with some odd exceptions except those who were dealt with by the justice system.

 

Tarrytown remained fairly isolated from the rest of the speedily growing Lunar Labyrinth Colony. Because of this it avoided the start of the Lunar Labyrinth Troubles.

 

 

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One 14a

 

The Known Lunar Labyrinth Troubles began quietly and in different ways in different places. Peaceful protests were carried out by opposing groups, kept apart by Civil Policers in standard fatigues and body-armour. One such protest was busy taking place in Lunar Square, in the city of Lunatown that was second in size to LabyrinthCity but in truth much smaller. Lunar Square had various pieces of early astronaut, and moonnaut, equipment under protective domes. While LabyrinthCity was much more linked to the home world, Lunatown was considered to be much more a centre of local focus; Lunatown was much older than LabyrinthCity but had never grown much beyond its first growth spurt that had taken place shortly after it was founded.

 

Modestia Blaise acted out the role of an investigative journalism with professional smoothness, as she did many other disguising roles. She clicked away with her very expensive 3Dcamera, quietly interviewed individuals and acted the unconsciously sexy young reporter supposedly unaware of the large amount of cleavage she was showing. To her it was just one more way of obtaining information, from men, though she was quick to do up a few buttons if she needed to do so.

 

She was doing a well paid job for Graham Maharg, for the Maharg Foundation, who were concerned that some powerful, influential, wealthy faction was stirring up trouble in the Known Lunar Labyrinth. The big suspicion was that the culprit was the ultimately the Big13 but that the actual work was being done by one of its 'trouble maker organisations'.

 

Those opposed to the Exodus, to the many millions coming from Terra, were on one side of the police lines while those who supported the Exodus were on the other. Banners, balloons, Tshirts, and other means were used to express messages. Modestia considered both sides to be simplistically fanatical in their opinions and wondered where they got the funding to carry out such large protests. She suspected that both crowds were filled out by a few protesters for hire, individuals paid $100 in International Dollars to risk arrest while putting forth much enthusiasm for a cause that they had no real interest in.

 

In her expensive minidress, she moved to get closer to the square proper but the Civil Policers were not inclined to allow the press any closer to the peaceful protesters than they were other civilians.

 

Then she glimpsed somebody darting through the crowds around her, the press and the rubber neckers, and she became concerned; the man was most dangerous but that did not stop her from starting to follow him though in a very careful manner. Then he was gone, being lost to her, but just the sighting of Eric Clause was enough to show something 'big' was up in that metropolis.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 15.1[21]{21}

 

The UNPSIA Taskteam was the first to reach the site of the shock appearance of the big jet airliner. Not only did the big rejuvenated machine sit at one end of a great glowcavern, easy twice bigger than the Tarrytown Glowcavern, but it sat in a genuine looking airport parking bay and there was a fair sized airport. The people, from the aircraft, were in shock and they were all rejuvenated; handicaps, illnesses, the physical effects of old age and more were gone. This was also true for some animals that had travelled in a special compartment of the freight hold; they were mostly pets being five cats, four dogs, two hamsters and two pet snakes but there were also three monkeys being sent to some laboratories; it turned out that those three primates ended up being saved from terrible fates.

 

The UNPSIA lay immediate official claim on the airport, all things in the airport, the aircraft, the monkeys and the glowcavern itself. This claim was accepted. The monkeys had been headed towards illegal experimentation, with forged documentation, so they were easily gained; anyway there was no good reason that the three would be reclaimed or so it seemed at the time.

 

The Airport Glowcavern, as it quickly became known, was very close to the Tarrytown Glowcavern. The shifting of resources was fairly easy and soon a new UNPSIA Base, based on the airport infrastructure, was existing.

 

The airliner people were being housed in a colourful prefabricated structure two levels high and quite wide. It was made up of small apartment modules and service-support facilities along with a garden area and playground. Obviously some attempt had been made to make the airliner people feel more comfortable but the effort was rather spoiled by the electrified security fences, armed guards, guard dogs and security turrets. The security was more to keep others out than to keep the airliner people in but that did not really help the subjects' feelings.

 

The loved ones, of the airliner people, had been informed that they were safe but that they had to be patient before more information was given. Censured messages were passed from the airliner people to their loved ones and replies were soon gained. No audio-visuals were allowed for the moment.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 15.2[22]{22}

 

This solved some problems, helped people to some extent, but caused other problems as people were understandably demanding more answers to what had happened; the greater public did not know of the 'trip to the moon', the appearance inside the moon, rejuvenation and other factors being discovered.

Truth was the UNPSIA did not know how to handle the situation and, like other government agencies, was struggling to find a way to expose the truth to the masses of the home world while causing as little hysteria as possible. How would the world respond to what had taken place, the vanishing, the going to the Lunar Labyrinth, the rejuvenation, the mysterious appearance of the 'small international airport'.

 

The airport turned out to be a control tower, an emergency control tower, a big passenger air terminal, a big freight air terminal including warehouses, technical shops, hangers with three more jets, hangers with some smaller aircraft, other facilities to be expected in such a place and a small number of oddities.

 

The tarmac was very big in relation to the airport size and there were two big, relatively oversized, airstrips. There were to be some interesting surprises, not the 'oddities', to be found in future.

 

 

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One 15a

 

Inside the terminal building complex, of the mysteriously materialised airport, searchers found a curious set of chambers to one side of a large area of visitor's stay over bedsitters (quite small apartments). There was a museum like feel to that place with what looked like exhibits at first. Each small machine, or small group of figures, or other item was inside a metallic stone alcove. It was an odd mix of items with a general focus on airports, on the history of airports and other aspects of airports.

 

Paintings, sculptures, 2Dphotos, 3Dphotos, and other artworks were there of historical airports, of aircraft, of fantasy landscapes that included airports, of famous aviators, of scientific predictions of future airports that did not come true and much else including aircraft.

 

There were realistic figures of famous aviators, of airport workers, of air travellers of different periods including the Wright Brothers that included a sister, and NASA test pilots from the early years.

 

When a World War Two Pangerman Paratrooper stepped out from an alcove, proving himself to be a replicant android, he was quick to surrender when the UNPSIA Troopers aimed their far more advanced guns at him. As a replicant the paratrooper was just a copy of a historical figure and had no allegiance to any such government. Also he was a copy of a soldier from forces that had turned against the PanAxis.

 

Captain Anderson went, himself, to investigate the odd complex of chambers and the different replicant androids that were leaving alcoves and being slowly replaced by those ancient mechanisms.

 

Anderson seemed to know what to expect and how the complex was set out, leading his people down a rampway tunnel, along a another and into much bigger chambers with much bigger alcoves. There were larger machines, larger groups of figures, and amongst mostly more conventional devices were some more fantastic ones.

 

Anderson studied a massive 747 Jumbojet, a huge PanAxis liftergas airship with its twin bodies and very large cabins, a World War Two British Lancaster Bomber, a copy of the giant flying-boat of the Spruce Goose, a Concorde supersonic airliner all delta winged with sleekness, an experimental PanAxis flying-saucer, a massive Soviet subsonic jet bomber from after World War Two, and much else.

 

What drew his attention, with a smile of appreciation, were fictional machines that he knew were copies that could fly. There was a gravity space-saucer from the movie Forbidden Planet, there was a gravity globe of strange quasihistorical look being from HG Well's First Men in the Moon, a big eyed cartoon like aeroplane, a huge dragon complete with aerodynamic cabin high on its back.

 

There was much to come and Anderson at once gave orders to have the complex sealed off until further orders were given contrary wise.

Edited April 16, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 16.1[23]{23}

 

Fox Mulder retreated as the two biovamps came rushing out of the area of rocky outcrops, running through odd looking bladegrass, before he realised that the creatures were running from something. He did not get to fire his heavy handgun, recoil regulated and using special caseless cartridges, before he and Scully learned the answer to a pressing question.

 

Runner-bugs swarmed the biovamps from all directions, striking them with amazing speed and power, slamming into their bodies and then into their bodies. The runner-bugs seemed to be devouring something inside the biovamp bodies, consuming it with violent hunger easily matching the berserker hunger of biovamps. In just seconds the biovamps were dead, half devoured, bodies that fell to the ground. Out of them plunged runner-bugs that rushed to happily greet Scully and Mulder but mostly Scully.

 

Scully soon had an armful of runner-bugs and Fox had a smaller number of them in his arms. Dana Scully shook her head as she noted that they were close to where the foolish young people had been killed by biovamps, or something akin to them, according to Jack the biovire.

 

The pair had come for a look see at the area with Mulder being nagged at by an idea, but they had not come alone. Two paramilitary soldiers had come with them wearing expopower body-armour while Mulder and Scully had worn more basic body-armour. The soldiers did not act warily of the runner-bugs, though they had seen them kill the two biovires, instead giving bits of foodbar to some of them. What the runner-bugs were really drawn to was small amounts of fresh, cool, water. Soon all four humans were providing them with such from canteens.

 

Scully spoke with a solemn tone to her voice. "Runner-bugs kill the biovamps, ambushing them when they can in large numbers, or at least that is what I calculate. What are runner-bugs and flitter-bugs?"

 

At that moment a runner-bug, having quenched its thirst, shimmered and became a flitter-bug as it leapt up into the air and began to orbit Scully's head. Then others did the same, weaving patterns around all four humans. So it turned out that runner-bugs and flitter-bugs were the same thing; could they be other things as well?

Edited April 21, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

One 16.2[24]{24}

 

Mulder, Scully and the two soldiers radioed in a request for assistance; they would not report, what they had discovered, over the radio when even so called secured channels could be too easily compromised. Evidence that infiltrators had got into the Tarrytown base, and probably into the new airport based base, had come to the UNPSIA's own internal security people. The local command had ordered a tightening of all security procedures.

 

Jack showed up, coming out of the bushes with amazing quickness and quietness to be swarmed at once by newly renamed superbugs happy to see him. Soon superbugs were soon clumped on his hat and shoulders along with in some pouches on his chest that seemed to be there for their use. The superbugs made odd chittering noises to Jack who listened quietly.

 

Then Jack spoke. "I like the name, 'superbugs', and more importantly so do they. Yes, superbugs kill biovamps. I knew it but I was reluctant to speak of it because I do not want scientists trying to dissect my little friends. That is not just out of concern for the superbugs but concern for foolish humanity. Superbugs can do more than just kill biovamps. There is much more to them that and I have much to learn myself though I have learned a fair deal about them."

 

The superbugs had become quiet, still, when Jack spoke his last words but then they went back to their old antics. If they could reveal more truths, about themselves, they were not going to do so then and there.

 

 

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One 16a

 

Jane Scully met Modestia Blaise in a typical disco dance club with attached lounge antechambers for those wanting a quiet break. They were all fancied up in miniskirts, and minitops, all done up and sexy so as not to stand out from the other women there; this included female staff such as barmaids, professional dancers and waitresses.

 

Modestia Blaise had been there when Jane Scully had arrived, had discretely swept the immediate area for electronic bugs and had disabled the one she had found. It was cheap, easy to buy, electronics but she knew it could be a decoy away from more advanced spy tech.

 

The two held hands and gazed into each other's eyes while speaking romantic nonsense. Otherwise they communicated through direct linkage made possible through holding hands.

 

Modestia Blaise: "A number of factions appear to be both interested in causing disturbances here in LabyrinthCity and in investigating paranormal events; perhaps some are more than investigating but are linked to their causes. They also appear to be heavily linked to the nature of the Great Exodus, to the nature of those moving from the home world. We have have a common interest here; I suggest that we combine our resources, our efforts, as we have done in the past."

 

Jane Scully: "Excellent! A waitress is coming this way; she is wearing such transparent stuff, top wise, she may as well be topless. Is lesbian, by the 'feel' of her but is willing to please men for a price. Aaahhh, no, a supersoldier type, perhaps of the assassin kind. I 'sense' no hostility."

 

The waitress halted at their table, all smiles and holding a tray of two drinks along with an envelope, and spoke. "I was told to give this to you by a stranger who admires you. The drinks are safe, and deluxe expensive, but the envelope must be opened with care using both of your right thumb prints. The drinks have special ingredients to assist you in resisting the stun gas that will soon be filling this club thanks to an assassination squad seeking to kill you. My people, and I, will deal with them. By the way you look at me I assume you know what I am, that is a superclone. Please leave soon but not too soon; there is a good chance other enemy assassin squads will be outside of the club."

 

The fake waitress turned gracefully away, after taking a tip and putting the coins into her coin-pouch on her pouchbelt, then vanished into the crowd with amazing quickness.

 

'Sensing' nothing adverse with the drinks, but checking them discretely anyway, the two of them drank up with moderate speed. Pretending to head for the 'ladies toilets' they got almost to an exit when the stun gas began to enter the chamber through the air regulation vents. Soon there was some chaos but it did not take long before all were down, including those pretending to be stunned such as Modestia and Jane.

Edited April 21, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 17.1[25]{25}

 

One of the airliner people, a formerly older man, went berserker crazy and attacked others with screaming hatred. Luckily he had been quarantined from the others thanks to earlier symptoms showing such as agitation, high temperature, high blood pressure, great thirst, unusual hunger for raw meat, heavy sweating and red flushing of skin. Electric stunguns, firing electric wire-darts, slowed the man down but a security guard, in special body-armour, was hurled through the air.

 

The quarantine bay was heavily secured and a gate dropped down between the crazed man, who was starting to transform, to distort, and all but the fallen security guard. The creature turned and raced towards the downed man, mouth open to show newly growing fangs, and howled inhumanly. The guard cried out in horror, grabbing for his powerful handgun.

 

Jessie struck the creature with incredible speed and power, smashing it across the room just as it had smashed the security guard across the room. A big combat longknife was slashed through the air with amazing speed and the former human was dead as a distorted part human. Jessie had known just how to kill it. She stood motionless, apart from making her longknife vanish into hiding, as more security guards raced into the quarantine bay. Before anybody could question her, or thank her for saving the security guards, she vanished with a flicker of speed.

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One 17a

 

(17a is linked directly to 16a, in the post above, so I suggest rereading it.)

 

The cyborg assassins entered the club proper with a careful pace, disguised as large men of muscular build, the 'bodies' being synthetic. This included the head. As four squads, each of four cyborgs, came into the chamber from four different entrances, they were clearly scanning for at least one person. They wore disco club style gear but it was not truly fashionable being designed to allow the cyborgs to fight. Also the gear was added layers of armouring. They carried compact, powerful, autocarbines.

 

The leader of one squad, a fake black man, stopped at pointed to business woman in expensive gear who was probably rejuvenated. A cyborg quickly picked her limp body up. Which was when two cyborg body-guards leapt up and fired powerful handguns at the intruder cyborgs. With amazing quickness they, who were slimmer and smaller than their enemies, were blasted down by the autocarbines of the intruders.

 

Modestia cursed softly. She was using a concealed skull phone to communicate with her people but they were not going to have an easy time sending in help. There were four more squads, outside of the club, of the hulking cyborgs in fake bodies.

 

She did learn that they were corporate Stormstrong Mercenaries carrying out a contract for one of the Big13 Factions. The event was part of a conflict between one Big13 Faction trying to take over the whole of the Big13 while destroying other factions that had allied against it.

 

The captured woman was a powerful enemy of the conquering faction and a prime target who had come to the Known Lunar Labyrinth to conceal herself from increasing threats. She was far from being a good person but was saintly compared to those trying to take over the Big13.

 

Jane Scully stood up and hurled something forward, and upwards, into a space roughly at the center of all of the cyborg intruder squads. There was a short, sharp, explosion and a flash of blue energies across the big chamber. All of the cyborgs abruptly collapsed harmless to the floor.

 

Jane spoke with a tone of urgency. "Those cyborgs are EMP shielded but the weapon knocked them down. It is highly classified. The trouble is that the effects will soon wear off so we must get to the cyborg intruders before they can get active again, which is roughly in three minutes."

 

The two of them went into action and soon help was arriving. They went to the assistance of the shot cyborg bodyguards, both of which would survive despite much damage having been done to them.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 18.1[26]{26}

 

Marshal Collins found himself besieged with questions, demands for answers and pushes for him to investigate just what had taken place. This include demands that the J-Triplets be put into confinement and questioned. Collins refused point blank to do the latter, pointing out that the clone-triplets were actually employees of the UNPSIA though strictly speaking this was not true. He did speak the truth when he stated that the clone-triplets were strictly bound, in more than one way, to keep a range of official secrets to themselves.

 

Captain Armstrong put extra security with the house of the J-Triplets.

 

Ginger, the cat, became pregnant but her pregnancy had an odd nature about it though it was soon confirmed to be quite healthy. The superbugs seemed to fuss over her even more now that the feline was pregnant. It did not take long before the clone-triplets discovered the strange truth that she had somehow had been impregnated by the superbugs. The super geniuses attempted to find out how it had been done but soon ran into obstacles.

 

Word came that the last three one way super shuttles, as they had come to be known, were soon to be launched from Terra to Luna. Two way shuttles would continue to travel from Terra to Luna and back again. New moonbases were being placed on the Lunar Surface, as it had come to be known, as were Lunar Orbital facilities in space; these were such as low gravity, and zero gravity, manufactories, laboratories, observatories, defence facilities, special tourist sites and other kinds. A low gravity monorail network was stretching across a large area of the Lunar Surface.

 

Before the Exodus resources had been sent to the home world and this flow was increased from both the Lunar Overworld (surface and orbit) and the Lunar Labyrinth.

 

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One 18a

 

Official designations were always changing, when it came to worlds of the Home Solar System. What was once called simply the 'surface the moon' became known as the Lunar Surface because new 'moonbases' were established on-in the Martian Moons of Phobos and Deimos. Other official designations were Lunar Orbit, the Lunar Labyrinth and the Known Lunar Labyrinth along with the Unknown Lunar Labyrinth. Only autorobotic bases had been established on the Mars Surface but that became also a designated zone along with Mars Orbit.

Edited April 23, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 19.1[27]{27}

 

The vanishing of USA's Airforce One, along with the unpopular President Richard Rixon and his entourage, could have meant the ending of the USA. It was suffering from both understandable, and more mysterious, reasons as were nations and other factions around the world. China had become two mutual enemy nations and had lost control of both Hong Kong and Tibet along with other territories. The Russian Federation, and European Union, were also threatening to crash.

 

Instead a new president, the first woman president of the USA, arose and against many odds began to put the USA back together though it was changed. The rebellious 'south' gained more independence, large scale public programs were begun, a wide range of new conferences were carried out and emergency funds were somehow found and utilised. President Fiona McClellan had come to power in the White House and though some scornfully called it the 'Pink House' she grew in power, popularity and influence.

 

Around the world leaders would be less likely to travel by air and this trend was growing common for passengers so that many airlines were in trouble until, under government support, they switched to carrying large amounts emergency cargo. Airfreighter crews were paid very well as were others who continued to fly high in the sky. Doing so remained relatively safe; there was much more chance of dying in a car crash than vanishing with an aircraft.

 

When the news broke with what had happened to the jet airliner that had appeared in the Lunar Labyrinth, including the rejuvenation and the appearance of the airport, the world reacted with a mass media frenzy and chaos with relatively few informed, disciplined, voice being heard. The news also spoke of the slower, more general, rejuvenation influence on those who had travelled to the Lunar Labyrinth in more conventional ways. There had been some stories, of this happening, in the past but mostly they had been disbelieved. Now the stories were believed and many people wanted to go to the LL or wanted others to be sent there or both.

 

The United Nations gained new funding and began to go through a big reformation that at first had much support.

 

Much of the world remained in turmoil with many areas becoming devoid of any real government regulation or support. UN Peacekeepers, now a true military force, fought many battles across the Earth (Terra) but there were plenty of other battles taking place with out them. The name arose of the 'Scattered War of Wars' or just the 'Scattered War' for it was commonly known that certain factions were linked to all of them, were waging war against each other through them.

 

 

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One 19a

 

Graham Maharg looked to his secretary and spoke to what in truth was an 'alien' shapeshifter belonging to a very ancient immortal people. "The turmoil, on Terra, is the difficult rising of Unity and a painful reaction partly caused by the infestation."

 

The secretary smiled as she placed a cup of good quality coffee before him. She did not drink coffee or anything like it because she was not a carbon based lifeform. "Yes but mostly in an indirect fashion. There are going to be many such surface symptoms of the infestation combined with other influences. The dysfunctional, broken, nature of human Unity is another. My people do not function through the Omniverse as your people do, we are not part of either the Unity of Unities or the Empire of Empires. We find it fundamentally difficult to understand such matters."

 

Graham Maharg smiled. "You do a better job of it than do many who are carbon based lifeforms of the Unities or the Empires or other Omniversal Factions. Somehow the Exodus itself is filtering out those closer to true Unity and sending them to the Lunar Labyrinth; some subtle powers are behind this but at this moment such is beyond me."

 

She smiled some more, which was something she did as part of her false shapeform, her false appearance. "Such will no longer be beyond at the right time and the same is true for so much else. We have much work to do but I would pleased to give you a full body massage to relax you."

 

He smiled at that. "That would be most appreciated."

Edited April 23, 2015 by Maharg67

[Maharg67]

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One 20.1[28]{28}

 

A large news conference was held at the the airport, in the administration section of the international terminal now serving the UNPSIA, where rejuvenated survivors from the airliner were interviewed by journalists based in the LL. They also interviewed others including representatives of the UNPSIA, one of them being Marshal Paul Collins.

 

In the background were 3Dphotos, adapted from older 2Dphotos, of the Apollo Space Program that discovered the Lunar Labyrinth seemingly by mistake and later space programs that helped to found the early Lunar Labyrinth Colony during the 1970s and 1980s. Orbit space-shuttles, frame-shuttles and one way vessels much smaller than the big ones of the Exodus, were all shown. The early colony was mostly based in the upper most, lower gravity, levels of the LL while the later phases of the colony were placed deeper. The older colony still thrived, there being many good uses for low gravity atmosphere conditions.

 

Jennie was back in the diner, Cassy's Finery, where the family of mother and two children were with her. She had bought meals for them, along with drinks and desserts. The mother was on a government single parental allowance and home parent supplements but the free meal was more than welcome. A big 3Dwallscreen was showing the news conference that was being delay broadcast to the home world through fibre-optic cable networks and long range transmissions.

 

The conference failed to provide most of the answers that the news media channels wanted to hear because some was still classified but mostly because the answers were unknown by those being questioned. Over a hundred jet aircraft had vanished, while high in the atmosphere, but also two Terran Low Orbit satellites; there were over a dozen low orbit space-stations going around the home world; ironically they were supplied air, water, and many other vital resources from the Lunar Labyrinth because it was more energy efficient to do it that way. There were growing concerns about them and others active in low orbit, especially people in the space-stations including the three space-wheels.

 

Carmel sounded annoyed. "You would think that the experts would know something about now considering all the resources they are given and all the fancy tech they have."

Edited February 22, 2015 by Maharg67