Chapter 13: Big Ship!

If everyone experienced WAR!
There would not be another one!

The general and his wife along with their four adopted kids came over. They would be watching the house and kids while John and Jenny were gone. The house was a madhouse with kids hugging and laughing. John and Jenny slipped out the front door. John sent a final text to the Admiral and got “All Clear!” When John and Jenny opened their eyes after the transport, it was cold and windy. The chill factor was way below freezing. Come with me, Mr. President and First Lady. Even as big as Abraham Lincoln was, one could tell they were on a boat that was in some rough waves. John was taken to the control tower and Jenny was taken to one of the smaller lower decks. Before she left, “John, we forgot Sam.” Jenny said.

“I get the feeling he’ll show up.” John shook his head. Off they went in different directions.

“Attention, President on deck!” The captain announced as John entered the control center for Abraham Lincoln.

“At ease. We have a job to do, we have some neighbors that are getting ready to steal our land from us. I need your help to go tell them NO!” John smiled, “Are you with me?”

Twenty men and women screamed their approval, “YES SIR!”

“Thank You. Let’s get it done! As you were!” John was trying not to laugh, both the Admiral and the Captain had joined in with their crew, “Captain, I have some special skills, where is the best place for me to use them?”

The captain looked at the Admiral that nodded to go ahead, “Mr. President...”

John realized what a crowd stopper “Mr. President” was going to create, “Gentlemen and Ladies (three of the communications crew were women) The residents of Omak call me White Eagle, let’s use that as a call sign until we are out of harm’s way.”

“Thank you, sir. White Eagle, this way.” The captain suggested.

After they went through a door, “Gentlemen, I have a family of six children back in Omak. When we adopted them, we gave them a ‘VETO’ right. They were not pleased to be left home this morning. The First Lady and I think they may use their ‘VETO’ and show up.” John had shared this with the Captain and Admiral quietly.

“Sir, what do you want us to do with them?” The captain asked.

“The girls can sit with Jenny and help with the shield. The two boys can stand with me. They both have black lanyards. All the children have black lanyards.”

“We will make it so sir!” The Admiral answered.

John still had on his Omak coat. It was designed to keep one warm at 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The Captain and the Admiral both grabbed their heavy coats and took John out to a metal platform on the starboard side of the control tower. This area was about 40 feet wide and 30 feet high, “White Eagle, we have a hole in our defenses. To cover this area the shield would have to be another 90 feet higher on both sides and we are concerned about its effectiveness when it is that high.”

“If I take on this area, what is your plan?” John asked. It was hard communicating with the wind blowing at around 50 miles per hour.

“The four men we had planned to be here, we will be able to split up and double our teams on the bow and stern.” The captain screamed.

John looked at both the Admiral and Captain and nodded, “We will take it on.” John went over and touched the .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the bow side of the platform. John said to the gun, ‘Hi old friend.’ As he lovingly felt the three-hundred-pound gun. He turned back to the Admiral and Captain speaking as loud as he could, “DO WE HAVE LOTS OF AMMO FOR THIS?”

The captain pointed to a stack of ammo cans, “TWENTY CANS SIR! MORE BELOW DECKS.”

The outside speakers came alive, “ATTENTION, SEVEN IMMIGRANTS JUST APPEARED ON THE FLIGHT DECK!”

“I’ll go welcome them!” John screamed, “Admiral, when do you think the shooting will start?”

“Tomorrow at NOON!” The Admiral pointed to himself and then to the captain. He then pointed to the Control Center, signifying to John they would be in there. The three men saluted, and John was transported to the Flight Deck. He noticed three planes were in the catapults ready to lift off once the order was given. Pilots were on standby for the other thirty planes that were ready to take off. This ship and the USS Nimitz were both Nimitz Class Aircraft Carriers. Today Abraham’s crew and family counted to over 4,000 and the Air Wing counted for another 1,500. The ship carried only 50 of the possible 90 fixed-wing aircraft that it was capable of. Out of the fifty pilots, 27 had gone to Top Gun School. There were 23 Top Guns on the Nimitz. The Nimitz was twenty miles behind with a full complement of 90 fixed-wing craft. The fleet was headed to Munchon, North Korea. The sleepy little Harbor that had taken on the refitting of used freighters and made them into landing and takeoff platforms for ISIS. There were, according to God, 144 F-35Bs and the same number of Black Shark Helicopters. The workhorse on the Abraham Lincoln and Nimitz were the older F 18s. Both the F-35Bs and the F-18s had a cursing speed of 1.2 Mach with a top end of 1.8 Mach. The F-35s at certain heights could reach 1.6 Mach. for up to 150 miles.

John and Admiral Bill Wiggins had been talking to a man named Josh Green at Northrup. Bill and Josh had roomed together in college. On a three-way call with John Taylor about a month before the three men came to an understanding, “Admiral, we have disconnected the manual controls on the afterburners. To have them overused will destroy the plane. The AI will have full authority over its use. The top speed of the plane will peel the paint and cause hot spots much like the astronauts must deal with for the space shuttle. My engineers think they have the solution and that is a type of Teflon coating. But even so, after 100 miles at 5,000 feet going 4.5 Mach, the plane needs re-painting.” Josh was telling the two men.

“So only use the afterburners to save a life?” John asked.

“I’m not a pilot Mr. President, but I would think something like that. Our test pilots figured it out quickly. They got their testing done without causing the planes any additional maintenance.” Josh informed, “Short bursts in the low atmosphere did not harm the planes during the testing.”

“What’s the plan?” John asked.

“We need four standard tons of gold; we need twelve of your best pilots and maintenance crews for two weeks. We will strap on an additional fuel tank on each of the planes, have them fly at 50,000 to 70,000 feet at Mach 6.0 or 7.0. The trip across the US to Hawaii will take about one hour and ten to thirty minutes.”

“4,600 miles in an hour. Why is Northrop doing this?” John asked, “This seems to be a different method of business for a defense company?”

“Our F-23 was in our opinion the best plane in the world for a generation four plane. We have put our knowledge and hope for the future taking the F-23 and making it not the next generation, but a generation 6 thus the F/N-223.” Josh answered, “Fully loaded, the F/N-223 could sink a battleship or an aircraft carrier. It is also designed to go head-to-head against all of the best plains in the world and win.” The F/N 223 did not carry a cannon. It did carry twelve special rockets that had a multitude of different ways of finding an enemy plane.

The F 18s carried the 20-mm M61 Vulcan cannon and is specced at 248 rounds. About .8 inches in diameter. The four rockets it carries are almost useless against the F-35’s.

The F-35 is armed with a GAU-22/A that fires a 25 mm round. It can carry 220 rounds on an F-35B. An inch is 25.4 mm. The F-35B can outfly the F/A-18, but with new pilots in the F-35B and Top Guns with a hundred times the experience, the advantage goes to the Americans. The four rockets it carries will certainly knock down four F-18’s but are almost useless against the F/N 223’s.

John saw his family. With them was Sam. Sam was looking and pointing to all that he could see. John walked over to them. The kids did not know if they were in trouble or not. John looked at the questioning faces of each of the children. Willy walked over. Marched or strutted both might better serve the way he moved towards his dad. He held up his hands to be picked up. Not his usual transport to John’s shoulders. John picked him up.

“Decided!” Willy hung on almost strangling John, “Okay, please?” He whispered his question.

“Your mom and I thought you might. We have made it okay for you to be here. Although tomorrow we are going to see war. You may never forget it. We may see people we know die. We will have to work hard to help keep everybody safe.” John was on one knee with Willy on his knee and Lucy under his arm. Ben and Sally were waiting for the TALK about WHY they should not be here. The twins were simply happy to be there. Sam looked lost. He had never been on a big ship, “Sam, are you alright?”

“I always wanted to see the world!” Sam laughed, “Two countries and a very big ocean in four days?” He still looked a bit shell-shocked.

“Sam there will be a time when we can come back to all of the places we have been to and act like tourists. I promise all of you.” John smiled.

“You’re not going to yell at us for this?” Ben asked.

“No!” John looked Ben in the eye.

“This was hard.” Ben choked.

“As adults, we sometimes have to make the hard decisions. Your mom and I wanted to make this easy. After tomorrow, you may wish you were never here. Today, we are going to make the best of it.” John noticed two officers in front of him, “Yes?”

“Mr. President...” The first officer started.

“My call sign is White Eagle!” John shared, “Please call me that until our threat has been neutralized.”

“We have a briefing in an hour Sir, the Admiral asks for you and your team to join us, Sir.” The second officer stated.

“We want to go see the First Lady, then there will be four of us that will attend the briefing.”

The two officers took John, the boys, and the girls with Sam down two decks to where the two rows of volunteers sat that was visualizing the shield.

Lucy led John over to a 4’ long model of the Lincoln. There were two ¼” plastic sheets making a tent over the model with a square hole cut out for the control tower. John and Sam stood back while Ben and Willy touched the model up close. John glanced up at a digital display. There was a 100 on it, “What is that?” He asked.

Jenny looked around, then at the digital display. She blushed a pretty pink.

Eddie, the wife of Admiral Bill Wiggins, hugged John, “John when Jenny sat down, she pushed that needle to over 127%, and Ensign Terry the Shield Officer reset it to 100%. Eddie took a breath and touched Jenny, “We are the lead ship, the Nimitz can only pull about 67% of the shield that we could then you guys walk in and put the frosting on the cake. NOW, we might be able to stop a plane hitting us head-on at a thousand miles per hour!”

“The control tower sure looks naked?” John asked.

Eddie looked in the direction John was looking, “We tried covering it with our shield. That made the shield almost 100% higher. The admiral felt it would make it too weak for it to be effective.”

“Willy, where do you want to be?” John kneeled next to his son. Ben was watching intently.

Willy pointed to the platform on the stern end of the control tower. John got another ‘Yes.’

“Ben, where do you see yourself?” John had turned and asked.

Ben pointed to the bow end of the same platform. John got another ‘Yes.’

“Sam?” John asked.

“Let me be in the middle, I’ll back up the boys and do all that I can to keep you all safe from harm.”

The Admiral had just transported in time to watch the two boys pointing to the different points on the platform, “What do you think John?” Admiral Bill Wiggins asked quietly. The noise or lack of so much was allowing the two men to talk at a normal level.

“Bill, I was trained as a warrior. It appears my sons are tuned in to what is going on.” John shook Bill’s hand for the second time today, “Is the shield strong enough to take an F-35 head-on at a thousand miles per hour?”

Before Bill answered, “With the first lady and your girls, we’ll do our part.” Eddie answered, “Bring them on!”

“Bring who on?” Jenny asked.

John and Bill both laughed.

Eddie took the First Lady aside bringing her up to speed.

John was looking around. There were twelve F/N-223s parked on this level, “Willy, how many planes?”

Willy asked John for a pickup. He touched each of his fingers as he looked at each plane. “Ten, eleven um twelve?”

“Good job!” John praised his son.

“Thanks!” Willy made known that he wanted down. He walked over to one of the planes. A woman in a Navy uniform was walking around the plane. She kicked the tires and checked the wing flaps.

“Who are you?” she asked.

“Willy Taylor!”

“Taylor, are you related to the President, Willy?” She asked.

“Yes, daddy!” Willy asked, “You fly?”

“Willy, this is my bird. My name is Mary Kennady. I go by the call sign of Bull Dog!”

“You good?” Willy asked.

“Some think I am the best.” Mary laughed, “I give it my all!”

“Me back!” Willy ran off to the gathering. He grabbed Lucy’s hand, “Come. Please!”

“Okay!” Lucy moaned. When the two got to the plane, Mary was looking at the other wing.

When they got close, “Lucy, this Mary. Mary, Lucy. She is sister.” Willy realized something was needed, “Lucy, Mary fly.” He pointed to the plane.

Lucy stood for a second with her mouth opened in wonder.

Willy hit her shoulder. When Lucy turned, he pointed to his mouth, then to Mary.

Lucy got the hint, “You fly this plane?”

“Yes. Are you the children of the President?” Mary asked.

Lucy found a real live hero in the flesh, “Yes!” She then turned to Willy and kissed him on the cheek and a hug, “Thank you, brother.”

Willy counted on his fingers. One, two three! “Yes!” He loved his family and to do something worthy of a kiss and a hug was good. He had only been keeping score for a short time. He was now up to three good deeds.

Ben and Sally came over to find out what their younger brother and sister had discovered.

“Willy, what did you find out?” Ben asked.

“Mary flies!” Willy pointed to the women talking to Lucy, “Plane! She called Bull Dog!”

Ben and Sally looked at each other. The two went over and stood behind Lucy. Mary was looking at her plane while answering Lucy’s questions. Ben asked, “How fast will it fly?”

Mary stopped and looked at the newcomers, “Are you the president’s children?”

Ben looked to his right. Terri and Fanny were standing there watching, “Yes, there are 8 of us, and mom is going to have Robert soon. Johnny is in Cuba and Tony is in Mexico. They will be coming home soon.”

“My plane is rated for 6 times the speed of sound, but I’ve had it up to 5,000 miles per hour for a short bit.” Mary smiled.

“Wow, our dad was in a hurry one day and he was going 50 miles per hour.” Lucy pointed in the direction of John.

Mary looked over and smiled at the thought of her baby was being compared to a van or car.

John came over to his sons and daughters, “Are you girls going to help with the shield?”

“Yes, daddy.” They said together.

“Sons, we need to go to a briefing,” John said.

“Mr. President, may I escort you? I am Mary Kennady, my call sign is Bull Dog. I fly with Tin Man. We will be watching the rear of the ship.”

“Please call me White Eagle.” John shared. John returned the smart salute that Mary gave to him.

“What should I go by?” Ben asked.

“How about Little Eagle?” John suggested.

Ben looked at his dad and smiled for the first time today. He is always the first to laugh and keep the mood happy with his brothers and sisters. The decision today to follow John and Jenny weighed heavy on the young man.

“Me General!” Willy stated.

Mary Kennady had been watching the interaction with the President and his family. Her Grandfather was a retired three-star Navy Admiral. He commanded the Enterprise for many years when it was the primer ship of the fleet. Mary told her grandpa that she was going to be a Navy Pilot. Her Grandpa hugged her and laughed for many minutes. When he was done, all he said was, “Then you be the best!” She responded with, “Aye, Aye, Admiral!”

When she got the chance to go to “Top Gun” School, she made it her mission to come out on top. She tied the Top Gun best of the best record and got promoted when she graduated. She cried when she heard that her grandfather had passed away during the time, she was in Top Gun School. She got to meet him again at God. He picked her up and swung her around like he did when she was ten. He told her, he had been watching over her and saw her being the top of her class. Mary stepped back and came to attention and gave her grandpa a salute. Her grandpa stood straight and returned it, then laughed some more.

Mary could hear him laugh. She was confident that they would win this battle. She would have to do something to make the boys less afraid. She looked at the little boy sitting on the President’s shoulders. He looked at her, “Me not afraid.” Willy said.

Mary put her hand up and Willy met it in a high five. She thought, ‘he must be reading my mind.’

The Admiral gave Eddie his wife a hug and a kiss, then followed John over to Mary’s Jet.

“John, I would like to introduce the best fighter pilot in the world, Mary Kennady goes by the call sign Bull Dog!” Admiral Wiggins smiled, “Mary please show the President what he paid for.”

“I’m very pleased to meet you. The call sign Bull Dog has to have a story behind it.” John shook hands with Mary.

“Thank you, sir. Lily can you please lift 3’ and retract the landing gear to show the President your abilities.” Mary talked to the plane. She then turned, “Mr. President, Lily is my AI “B” class.”

The F/N 223 lifted about 3’ and retracted its landing gear. Floating in the air above the deck.

“Where does this come from?” John asked both the Admiral and Mary.

Mary looked to the Admiral. She had been told not to talk about this and even signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement until they got the okay to make the 60-year-old information public.

“I have learned a lot, Mr. President since we have seen each other in Hawaii. I am up against a Non-Disclosure Agreement sir. May Mary and I have your full support in violating that act?” Admiral Bill Wiggins asked.

“You both have my complete support. Why do I believe we got our money’s worth?” John smiled looking at the plane. Jenny came up to John’s side and took his hand. John bent down and kissed her, “Mary this is my wife. Jenny meet Mary Kennady, who also goes by the call sign of Bull Dog and is thought to be the best pilot in the world.”

“Nice to meet you, Mary. I am honored for my girls to know that a woman can be the best in the world at something.” Jenny was smiling, “Amazing, something out of Hollywood, like Independence Day.”

“First Lady, you have touched me in what you have accomplished. I am your biggest fan!” Mary bowed.

“Mary, I don’t need someone bowing, but I would like to be friends with the best in the world.” Jenny pulled Mary back to standing, then hugged her whispering in her ear, “Show these men what a determined woman can do!”

“Yes mam, I’ll do my best!” Mary whispered back, “Look at what your husband bought me. It’s the best plane in the world.” Mary looked at the President and got a nod. She was circled by six children and Sam. John, Jenny, and the Admiral were following her around the plane as she talked. This plane has the capability of enough firepower to blow up a battleship. It also has the capability to fly at unbelievable speeds.” John looked at Jenny when he heard the next question.