A Warship Named Sky: A Hero's Story Read online

  A Warship Named Sky

  A Hero’s Story

  Saxon Andrew

  Copyright © 2022 Saxon Andrew

  All rights reserved.

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locals, organisations, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please go to any online ebook store and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Contents

  Chapter One • Chapter Two • Chapter Three • Chapter Four • Chapter Five • Chapter Six • Chapter Seven • Chapter Eight • Chapter Nine • Chapter Ten • Chapter Eleven • Chapter Twelve

  Books by Saxon Andrew

  About Saxon Andrew

  Chapter One

  It was raining…well…perhaps it was more sleet than rain. He stood under an umbrella and stared at his wife’s casket as it was carried under the tent and placed on the straps over the grave. It was cold and overcast, which in his opinion was perfect weather for a funeral. The weather matched his feelings; cold, dark, and dismal as he kept his overcoat pulled up around his face. There were more than a thousand humans and aliens gathered around the tent and thousands of others outside the ropes. They had all come to pay homage to one of the most wonderful people they knew.

  The priest began talking but he kept his eyes on the casket and remembered the time after they were married. It was right after they graduated, and he went to work on an advanced degree in computer science while Sunny worked part-time jobs making minimum wage. They were poor, but they were incredibly happy. He remembered showing her how to set up her laptop to post a blog each day about a year into his studies. She wrote about life in general and all the ups and downs that people endured. She even offered advice to some of those that responded to her blog and soon, her blog quickly became an advice column for those with personal issues.

  After six months, a local television channel contacted her and asked if she would be willing to appear on their channel. One of the news casters stumbled on her blog and showed it to the station’s director; he was impressed with Sunny’s level-headed advice as well as the sixty thousand that followed her on the internet. She appeared for an interview and callers were taken to seek her advice. The interview was a hit and calls for more immediately barraged the station. The station signed her up to host a thirty-minute advice program twice a week. Her thirty-minute show quickly became the most watched show on the station’s lineup.

  Three months before he graduated, the National Network contacted her and asked if she would be willing to expand her show and move to New York. She was surprised by their offer and when she told him how much they would pay her to do it, he quickly agreed for them to make the move.

  Her show exploded and became one of the most watched shows nationally. At that point, the Director offered her a huge contract to ensure she wasn’t stolen by another network. Over the next eight years, they went from being poor to very wealthy due to her pay and endorsements. He didn’t have to work, but he took a job working for the Zon as an order taker for online purchases. He also built computer chips for businesses after his normal work hours. Those chips sold for huge sums, and he added to their wealth. He missed her during the day when she was in the city and though he didn’t need the money, the two jobs kept his mind occupied.

  Life was beautiful and filled with so much joy…until a week ago. She went Christmas shopping after work and as she left the last store with her arms filled with gifts, one of the aerial cars flying high over the city, suddenly lost power. It crashed on the sidewalk and Sunny was directly beneath it when it hit and exploded. There was nothing left of Sunny and the funeral was done with a closed casket.

  More than fifty people died in the explosion…but he never looked at the names of those that died with her. He knew at some level he should care…but he just couldn’t do it. She was gone and nothing else really mattered. He looked around at those attending the funeral and knew that Sunny’s advice had endeared her to them. Even the advice she gave to the aliens present had made a difference in their lives. Their grief was easy to see, and he turned back to Sunny’s casket. Why wasn’t he weeping like them?

  “Mr. Barrett.” He turned to the Priest and saw him nod. He was holding a clump of wet soil in his hands as he watched Sunny’s casket lowered into the grave. He walked up to the grave… and tossed the soil in on top of her casket. It hit on the roses he had placed on it at the church and stuck without coming apart.

  He stood and stared into the grave. His parents came and hugged him and were joined by Sunny’s parents and brothers. They offered to take him to his condo, but he shook his head, “I’ll be ok.”

  The attendees came forward, began tossing pieces of soil into the grave, and then they quietly walked away. Soon, the only one remaining was him and the funeral director tapped him on the arm, “We need to be leaving.” He looked at the director, “We can’t finish while anyone remains here.”

  He looked up at the small excavator with three men standing around it shivering in the cold. He lowered his head and said softly, “I may leave here but I’ll never leave your memory behind.” He turned and the director asked, “Do you have a ride?” He shook his head. “I’ll take you to where you can catch a cab.” He nodded and got in the black limousine; he remained silent all the way back to the city.

  • • •

  The condo he and Sunny lived in was owned by the network; it was a perk of her job. The Network’s Board of Directors offered to sell him the condo, and he needed to do it quickly. Sunny’s replacement had been hired and the space was needed for her to take up occupancy or a new condo needed to be purchased to replace the one they lived in. He declined to buy it. He had contacted a real estate agent in Tampa Florida two days earlier to check on an old house and was notified it was being rented, but the owner was more than willing to sell the house and provide another location for the renters. He immediately accepted the offer.

  That old house was where he and Sunny had lived after they graduated, and his memories of that time were of love, happiness, and fulfillment. The condo in New York would only remind him of all the hours they were apart while she worked in the city and worst of all, it would remind him of her death. Besides, Sunny wasn’t in the grave. Going there only filled him with anger and loss.

  He arrived in Tampa, checked into a hotel, and met a building contractor at the old house. He gave the contractor an album of old pictures and directed him to put the house back into its original condition when they lived in it. The contractor protested in that finding the old furniture and décor from eight years earlier wasn’t going to be easily done. When he told the contractor price was not an object, the contractor’s demeanor immediately changed. Three months later, the house was ready, and he immediately moved in. He went back to work handling online orders and making computer circuits to keep his mind occupied and knew he had made a good decision to leave the big city. He was still devastated by her loss, but the memories of their time in the house would often bring him a smile. God, he missed her so much!

  • • •

  Two years passed and he had started back golfing again with some old friends he had left behind to move to New York. He would sit and work on his screened in lanai on the back of the house and think about her. One day, he tried to remember when they went to the state fair and just couldn’t recall it. He found that he was losing some of the cherished memories and it frightened him; he had promised her at her grave to never leave her memories behind and now it was happening. He stood up from his chair and went to his bedroom. He opened a drawer in his chest-of drawers, moved some clothes aside, and saw the red and green wrapped package. He tenderly lifted it and stared at his name on the gift tag. This was the only surviving thing Sunny was carrying when she died. It was blown away from the site of the explosion and it was given to him by the police investigating the incident. He had never opened it.

  He stared at the present and carefully unwrapped the gift making sure the wrapping paper wasn’t torn in the process. He finally lifted the paper away and saw a small note attached to a small box. He unfolded the note and read, “Hi, my Honey! I found this and immediately thought of you. One day we’ll go out and do all the things we’ve planned! I love you so much, Merry Christmas! Sunny.” He lifted the small box she had wrapped and saw a small sky-colored space ship inside it. Suddenly, all the memories of them one day going out in a small spaceship to explore the galaxy filled his mind along with numerous other memories he hadn’t remembered. He fell back on his bed and wept deep racking sobs.

  He called in sick and spent the next three days weeping and remembering her. Finally he sat on his back porch staring at the spaceship still in its box. He glanced out at the back yard and decided he needed something to help him remember her. He could have a statue of her…. No… he’d cry every time he looked at it. He struggled with what to use to help him remember her and glanced at the toy spaceship. He looked back at the backyard and sat back. He turned on his computer an
d did a search. He found a business that the front page of its ad said in huge letters, “Can’t find the right spaceship for your needs; look no further! Contact us and let us find it for you!”

  He saw a form to fill out and looked at the back yard again. He began filling out the form; Size; no more than a hundred feet long and forty feet wide. Color; light blue. Preferably the color of the sky on Earth. Cost: open for discussion.”

  He put his contact information on the form and paused before pressing the send button. He smiled slightly, now that should be a monument to help him remember her… if such a space ship existed. He contacted his boss and went back to work.

  Two months later, he had forgotten about the form he sent and had a message appear on his computer. “I have tried to find a spaceship meeting your requirements but have not been able to meet all of them. There are numerous space ships for sale that meet your size requirements but none of them are the color you’ve requested. I have found one ship that’s the right size and color, however, the ship is not operational. Please contact me and let me know if you’re willing to change your requirements.”

  He immediately sent a message and an alien appeared on his computer’s display, “How may I be of service?”

  “I’m replying to a message I just received about a spaceship I asked about a few months back.”

  “I need more than that. I get hundreds of messages every day.”

  “I’m looking for a sky-blue colored space ship about…”

  The alien interrupted him, “I remember it now. I’ve not been able to find a ship that meets all of your requirements; are you willing to modify them?”

  “First tell me about the ship that does meet my requirements?”

  “It’s the right color and size but it is not operational.”

  “How much would it cost to repair it?”

  “That particular ship was salvaged in the Orion Cluster more than two hundred years ago and every attempt to work on it has failed.”

  “Why?”

  “We haven’t been able to open the ship to make repairs.”

  “Do you know who originally built the ship?”

  The alien shook his head, “Unfortunately, that is also unknown. Have you thought about possibly painting a ship that meets your size requirements?”

  “Do you have an image of the ship?”

  An image of the light-blue colored space ship appeared on his display and his eyes widened. He looked at the toy spaceship in the box and they looked almost exactly alike. He removed the image and asked, “How much for it?”

  The alien’s eyes widened and then he smiled, “It’s at a very reasonable price. But why would you want it?”

  “I have personal reasons; what’s the price?”

  “A quarter of a million galactic credits, but keep in mind if it were operational the price would be in the millions.”

  “Does that include transporting it to Earth?”

  “No, it doesn't.”

  Over the years, he had learned to read people’s expressions and physical mannerisms while watching his wife deal with others and people looking to make an online purchase. He immediately said, “Ok, just forget it and thank you for your time and effort.”

  The alien immediately held up an arm, ‘WAIT A MOMENT! PLEASE!” He turned to the alien, and he said, “If we include the transportation fee, would you buy it?” He stared at the alien and the alien pressed, “Would you?”

  He thought about it and decided, “What the hell; I’ll buy it for the purchase price and not one cent more.”

  The alien shook his head, “There are taxes and entry fees to move the ship to Earth.”

  “Then forget it!”

  “Will you wait a minute!! I’ll have the ship transferred to one of our dealers on Earth and that will eliminate the additional costs. Once they receive the ship, they’ll move it to where you want it delivered and you’ll pay for it then. Incidentally, where do you want it delivered?”

  “I want it put in the back yard of my house.” The alien’s head again went back slightly, and he said to the alien, “I don’t intend to fly the ship.”

  “What do you intend to do with it?”

  “I have personal reasons for wanting it in my yard.”

  “Ok, I’ll transfer the ship and the dealer on Earth will contact you when it arrives and is ready to be moved.”

  He nodded, “I’ll be looking to hear from them.”

  • • •

  Three weeks later, he began to think the alien had decided not to make the delivery. He was on the twelfth hole lining up a putt at least sixty feet long. His phone began beeping and he saw someone from a spaceship sales company was trying to reach him. He tried to connect but they hung up before he could. He quickly putted the ball toward the flag and called the contact. He heard Kenny and Joe shout and he turned to them as he listened to his phone, “YOU LUCKY SON OF A GUN!!” The putt had gone in the hole; he smiled, dropped the putter, and raised both hands as he heard, “How may I be of service?”

  “I’m returning your call. I’ve been expecting a sky-blue spaceship to be delivered to my home.”

  “Well you need wait no more. It’s arrived and we’re transporting it to your residence in an hour.”

  “Could you possibly wait an additional hour or so?”

  “No, we’ve worked it in today’s schedule. We could deliver it in a week.”

  “No, that’s alright. I’ll go home now and be there in less than an hour.”

  “We’ll be looking for you.”

  He turned to his playing partners, “I’m sorry but I have to leave now. I’m getting a delivery in an hour, and I have to be present when it arrives.”

  Kenny smiled, “I’ll give you a ride to the clubhouse and catch up with the others once I drop you off.” He got in the cart and Kenny turned to him, “What’s being delivered?”

  “A small spaceship.”

  “No kidding? Why did you buy a spaceship?”

  “Actually, the ship isn’t operational, but I want to put it in my back yard to remember Sunny.”

  “I don’t ever recall the two of you ever owning a spaceship in the past.”

  “It’s something we always planned to do before she… died. We talked for hours about going out and exploring all the civilizations out there…but…it never happened. This is to remind me of those times, so I never forget her.”

  “Do you mind if I stop by and take a look on the way home?”

  “Not at all.”

  He put his golf clubs in his car and lifted out of the parking lot. He merged into the lanes flying at low speed and arrived in South Tampa twenty minutes later. He flew the car into the landing lane and merged with the surface traffic two miles from his house. He pulled up to his house and saw an aerial car parked in front. He drove into the garage and walked out where he saw an alien get out of the car in front of his house, “You said I had an hour to get here.”

  The large alien held up an arm, “It’s on the way as we speak. I’m here to discuss the payment.”

  “Hang on and I’ll go get it.”

  The alien shook his head, “You are not required to pay anything for the ship.”

  He stopped and turned around, “I was told I would have to pay when the ship is delivered.”

  “An issue has come up that wasn’t anticipated. Earth passed a law about a year ago which stipulates that no spaceship from off planet can be sold on Earth that isn’t operational. We are currently being audited by the government and they made it clear that if we take payment for your spaceship that’s not operational, we could lose our license. It’s not your mistake; we weren’t aware of the law and the expense to transport it back to the owner you purchased the ship from would make selling it a losing proposition. The owner decided to just give you the ship at no cost.”

  The alien suddenly pointed at the sky and said, “The transport has arrived. I’m going to your back yard to assist in getting it dropped.” The alien rushed to the side of the house and went to the back yard. He walked into the house through the garage and took a metal box out of a safe. He went to the screened in back porch and watched the small sky-blue spaceship being lowered from the transport. It took over an hour to get the ship on the ground; it barely fit inside the fence.