A tall thin clean-cut military officer wearing his dress white navy uniform is walking down a long corridor with his cap tucked under his left arm, he stops in front of a door with a heading that reads Rear Admiral Lee Kennedy, the man looks at his uniform one time and then enters, after shutting the door behind himself he walks up to a young man sitting behind a desk reading some papers, the young man looks up and smiles. " Yes Captain may I help you? " The tall man smiles. " Yes Yeoman, I'm Captain Tucker Johnson here to see the Rear Admiral. "The young man stands up and shows Tucker into the other office, Tucker walks up to a middle-aged man sitting behind the desk wearing a dress white uniform and has short salt and pepper hair, The man looks up at Tucker. Lee gestures to one of the two chairs in front of his desk. " Have a seat Captain. "Tucker picks a chair and does what he's told, the Yeoman leaves the office and closes the door, Lee leans back in his chair and looks at Tucker. " Tucker all that time you've spent in the spaceship simulator is finally going to pay off, you wanted to be an astronaut and that's what you're going to be, your name came up at a meeting and so you have been chosen to command the USA Ohio, which is a starship that is capable of exploring and combating situations up in space, you'll be the very top dog up there, in fact, that'll be your ship." Tucker looks down at the floor and then back up at Lee. " Tucker your mission will be to find us a new planet to call home, I know it's easier said than done but you and your crew are the only hope we've got right now and there's no telling how long this planet will last, Do you understand me Captain? " " Yes sir I understand you." " Don't tell anyone in your circle what the true nature of your mission is, tell only the crew members who need to know and no one else, we don't need a massive panic on our hands." " No sir. " "This is the most top-secret mission you have probably been involved with so be very careful." Tucker shifts in his chair, Lee sits up in his chair. " Tucker, you and your crew mustn't return to Earth until you have completed your mission." Tucker feels his nerves start to tense up inside of himself, he tries not to let his fear show. " Sir what about our family and friends back here on Earth? " "Your dependents are allowed to accompanied you and your crew." " I have no dependents sir." " Well that should make it a little easier on you, anyway you'll be leaving for Moon Base Alpha in two days and then you'll meet your crew and their families. Do you have any questions or unclear about something?" " Yes sir, what does the crew and their families know about this mission?" " They think that it's just another USA duty station to explore space and to see how far we can go out there. " " Oh ok." Tucker shifts again in his chair. " When do I meet my first officer? " " In two days, anything else Captain?" "No sir." " Great." Lee stands up and extends his hand, and Tucker stands up and shakes Lee's hand. " Good luck Captain." " Thank you sir." " You're dismissed." Tucker leaves the office closing the door behind himself. Two days pass by and Tucker is in his cabin on the starship USA Ohio getting ready to address the crew and their families when the door buzzer sounds, he finishes touching up his white uniform and then walks toward the cabin's door. " Enter!" The door opens and in walks a Asian woman wearing her dress white navy uniform with the rank of Commander, Tucker stops dead in his tracks and stares at her, she stops and stares at him as well. Each can see the surprised look on each other's face. The cabin door closes. Tucker smiles. " Jennifer, you're my first officer?" Jennifer smiles back at him. " Tucker you're my new commanding officer?" Tucker walks up to Jennifer and they hug while they both still smile, after a few seconds they pull away. " Please come in and have a seat Jennifer." She walks to the couch and sits, and Tucker walks to his kitchen counter to fix a drink. " Would you like something to drink Jenn?" " Sure I'll have what you're having." Tucker fixes two glasses of sweet ice tea and then goes and sits beside Jennifer on the couch, he gives her a glass of tea. " Wow I never thought I would see you again Tucker." " I'd never thought that I would see you again either Jenn, how have you been?" " I've been good, and you?" " I had my ups and downs but I'm good." Jennifer sips on her tea while at the same time looking straight into Tucker's eyes while he's looking straight into her eyes as well. They both start to remember the past of how they had met and where. Jennifer thinks back years ago when she'd met Tucker at the USA academy when they were both second-year cadets, they would spend their liberty weekends together off academy grounds and have fun. Tucker starts to remember how Jennifer felt in his arms when he would hold her, how soft her lips were when they'd kissed, and her beauty when they were together. Tucker clears his throat. " How long has it been?" Jennifer thinks for a bit and then responds. " Twelve years last month." Tucker looks away for a second and then back to Jennifer. " Jenn, why didn't we ever hook up? I mean really hook up." Jennifer grins as she looks at him. " You mean get married?" " Yeah." " Well after we'd graduated from the academy we both came down with orders going other ways, and we just lost touch." Tucker looks at her and finds himself wondering what their lives might had been like if they had gotten married. Jennifer looks at him looking at her with a thoughtful look on his face. " Tucker? Tucker? Tucker?!" Tucker snaps out of his thoughts. " Yeah, um sorry, I was just thinking." " About what?" " Oh nothing really." Tucker just realizes that Jennifer has on a wedding ring, and scoots away from her a little. " Jenn you're married?" " Yeah, and I'm guessing that you just now noticed my ring." " Anyone I know?" " No. We'd met in Tokyo one weekend at the marketplace, he's a engineer, well a chief engineer." " Are you happy?" " Well I'm still married to him so that has to say something." "Wait I remember seeing a Chief engineer Watson on the Ohio's duty roster, is that...." "That's him." " Oh man." Jennifer looks at her watch. " Well I guess it's time to go." Tucker gets up and puts the glasses of tea in the kitchen, and then they both leave the cabin and head for the ship's auditorium.
A NEW WORLD
By Brjdeal
The year is 2018 and planet Earth has given man kind everything that it has to offer, to th... More