Chapter 20: March into school!

The streets of Seattle were clear of snow. There were still piles around some twenty feet tall, but the busses could run. The children of Seattle returned to school. This was the second year where the school had been disrupted.

They lined up on the street. There were forty-three of them. Major Frank Taylor was in front of them as they counted cadence, “Left, left, left, left, left, left.” John and Jenny along with many others had followed their children to school. Tina and Scott were also there taking pictures. They had parked the Patricia and a 445 named Tacky out near the wreckage of the Little Gray ship.

Bill and Curtis got the honors to run ahead to open the doors.

The principle was standing in the middle of the hallway, “Are your mom and dad Jenny and John Taylor?”

“Yes Sir!” Frank said, “I’m Frank Taylor, Major in the US Space Cadets. These behind me are my cadets.”

John and Jenny stayed outside, “I get the sense that everything is okay.”

“Good Morning Mr. Reese.” Was said by almost forty cadets.

“Those of you that know where your homeroom is, please go there now.” Mr. Reese turned to those that were left, “Your parents came to see me last Tuesday. We will be giving you tests this morning to see where to place you. Follow me please.”

Ms. Dickerson was in the room. Before the snowstorm, Ms. Dickerson was going to be reassigned as the substitute teacher starting with the Christmas Break. Mr. Reese went back to the front door and opened it. He stepped outside, “Are those Spaceships?”

“Yes, the little one is a Model 445 and the big one is a Model 775,” John said.

“How fast will the little one fly?” Mr. Reese asked.

“The little one will top over 50,000 miles per hour. The 775 will hit 1.2 lightyears.”

“I don’t understand the 1.2 lightyears. Is that per hour?”

“No that is the speed of light plus .2 of the speed of light.” John smiled as Mr. Reese’s eyes got big.

“So, you’re saying we can go faster than the speed of light?” Mr. Reese asked.

“Oh, yes and with the God Box we can cross the Galaxy in very little time.” John smiled, “A handful or two of hours. Come you must see before we let the kids in them.”

At nine ten AM, there was an announcement of an assembly scheduled for 11:00 that morning.

Frank was standing in line to hand in his test to the teacher. When it became his turn the teacher asked, “What is your question?”

“I’m done, mam.” Frank laid the test on the teacher’s desk.

The teacher quickly looked through the dozen or so pages of the test, “Why did you circle all four of the answers on question number 78?”

“Because each of the possible answers depends on one’s perspective.” Frank smiled.

“That’s how I would answer it also.” The teacher said quietly. She looked at the class and every student was looking at her. Ah, Shit she thought, how am I going to explain this?

Frank read her mind, “We all have perfect hearing Ms. Dickerson.”

“I suppose you can also read minds?” Ms. Dickerson asked.

“Yes, Mam!” Frank said, “Mam, I need a pit stop. Can you tell me where the bathroom is?”

“Yes, Major Taylor. Out the door, turn right and follow the hallway around to the right, it will be on the left.” Ms. Dickerson was realizing this group was not going to be normal. The two students before Frank were asking about questions at the end of the test, “Go ahead, Major Taylor. Major, while you are gone, think about what I can teach you, please?”

“I’m not very good at judging how much distance I need to stop my ship. There must be a formula somewhere?” Frank said then went through the door.

Ms. Dickerson stood and wrote on the blackboard “E=MC squared”. When she turned to sit down, all the cadets were smiling. She thought, “Is this why I have a minor in physics?”

By 10:00 Major Taylor had not returned yet when the door opened. Six more cadets entered with the principle along with Major Taylor. The principle was pointing to the board with big eyes.

Ms. Dickerson had a stack of tests on her desk. She had another stack of papers that answered the question, “What I did in the battle against the Aliens?” She had inspected all of them and was forming an opinion when Mr. Reese came in. She followed his pointing to the energy equation.

“Mr. Reese, these ... young people need to be at the University. They know as much as you or I. Sometimes more.”

“GEDs?” Mr. Reese asked.

“Yes!” Ms. Dickerson said, “Major Taylor can you ask Mr. Reese the same question you did when you left?”

“Yes, mam. When we fly to Pluto in different ships, we must rely on the AIs to start slowing so we stop near Pluto. Every model of the ship we have requires a different amount of time and distance. Is there a formula we can have to figure that out?” Frank asked.

“Is that what lead to this.” Mr. Reese was pointing at “E=MC squared” on the Whiteboard.

“Yes Sir, I put that up there to remind me to bring my Physic Books tomorrow. The students are interested in Physics.”

“We have fifteen minutes to set up, let’s head to the Auditorium.” Mr. Reese said.

When they got there, “Major Taylor come with me, please.” The principle went over to the custodian, “Bob this is Major Frank Taylor, you may have seen him on TV. He and his Battalion of Spaceships saved Seattle. Tell him what needs to be done and he will have his Cadets help set up chairs. We need 50 chairs. Two rows on the line facing the stands.”

“Glad to meet you, Major Taylor. There are forty chairs on a cart, so we need two carts.” Bob said.

“Have you always been a school janitor?” Frank asked.

“No, this is Seattle, I was a mechanic for United, but they consolidated their operations a while back and gave me the option to retire with a pension if I wanted to stay in Seattle,” Bob said.

“Ever fly those big Jets?” Frank asked.

“No, I do fly a Cessna 185,” Bob said.

When Frank went to the bathroom:

Frank felt pretty good. That was one of the easiest tests he had ever taken. Three boys, probably the biggest in the school were coming towards him as he turned right. He could see the “BOYS” room on the left. He looked at the three boys and the middle one said, “Let’s stop him. I want the hat.”

“Leave the hat alone,” Frank said.

Both the left and the right boys hit his shoulders making Frank step back. As the hits happened the center boy took Frank’s hat. Frank then got hit by all three. Zeke hitting him in his stomach almost knocked the wind out of him. Frank had to take several steps back to keep from falling on his butt. He was now three feet into the other hallway. He sensed someone coming but centered himself and palm down he sent an energy wave towards the three boys.

The principle was going to make sure there weren’t any surprises in his auditorium for the assembly. He was still smiling because of his date on Saturday for his entire family to go around the moon. He slowed when he saw Frank back into his hallway. He then was able to see Hitch. Frank put his right hand out flat towards Hitch, Zeke, and Lars. His favorite troublemakers. They will be out of here in June. The three boys hit the deck faces down. Mr. Reese stopped. He could see what he needed to see. Frank turned his hand over palm up. Within two seconds the three boys were floating with their backs touching the ten-foot ceiling. “Zeke, Hitch, and Lars. What did you do now? Let me guess, you hit Major Taylor here several times and Zeke where’d the hat come from?”

“He gave it to me.” Zeke wined.

Mr. Reese looked at Frank as he was making “NO” motions with his head.

“Sir, at least two of them would do anything to be a space cadet.” Frank whispered with a little bit of a smile, “Possibly all three.”

“Zeke, on Saturday I have an appointment to fly around the moon in a model 775.” Mr. Reese turned to Frank, are you certified to fly that?”

“Yes, Sir. The 775 is known as the Command Series. Four 6” lasers good up to 25 miles, two monster energy weapons. Our new models also have a rail gun that will send off a 10-pound charge up to a hundred miles. With a speed of 1.2 light-years. It’s as comfortable as a first-class private jet and will eliminate up to a ten “Gs” change in direction.”

“I sat in The Patricia. WOW is all I can say.” Mr. Reese said.

“I’ll have either a Patricia Class 775 or a 995 Defender Class as a command vessel,” Frank said.

The three boys started to free fall, and Frank pushed them back up to the ceiling, “Opps, almost forgot you were up there. Well, sir, I can just let them fall. Ten-foot ceilings might see a broken wrist, cracked skull, or dislodged kneecap, or I can send them to the moon where their bodies will never be recovered or send them out to a mile out to sea where their bodies will wash up on the beaches in a few weeks.” Frank never got mad, even when they hit him. He was trying to figure out how to make them good people without hurting them. Now he was playing with them, “Mr. Reese?”

“These three have given me nightmares for over five years. Give me another minute. This is a hard decision.” Mr. Reese with his head down winked at Frank, “How many times did you three-hit Major Frank Taylor?”

“Once, twice. Just twice.”

“I’m going to give you three a month of detention each,” Mr. Reese said.

“You dumb shit. You just cost me a job. I’m never hanging with you again,” Lars said.

“Lars, I’ll hold him if you want to beat some sense into him,” Hitch said.

“And if we do that?” Lars looked at Mr. Reese.

“If I don’t see it then it won’t be my concern.” Mr. Reese said, “Zeke, do you have any idea who is in charge of the Cadet Program in West Seattle?”

“King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties Sir,” Frank said.

Frank had let the three down to the floor.

Zeke had gotten up and headed for the office.

“My HAT.” Frank Demanded.

“Go to HELL!” Zeke screamed as he was going to push Frank out of the way.

Frank moved forward bringing his right fist up at an angle hitting the bigger boy in the solar plexus lifting him about three inches off the floor. Zeke landed hard on the floor about ten feet away. Frank’s hat was a couple of feet further away. He calmly went over and picked up his hat putting it on his head, “Need to make a pit stop sir.”

“Return to your room Major Taylor when you’re done.”

“Zeke you are expelled for the next thirty days.” When Mr. Reese turned to the office both of Zeke’s buddies kicked him then turned to the office. They had been sent there for disrupting class. Leaving Zeke on the floor in pain.

Hitch said, “Did you see that right powerhouse?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t want to go one on one with him.” Lars said looking back seeing Zeke on his hands and knees, “Hitch you still willing to hold him?”

“Yeah. He’s nothing but trouble.” Hitch said.

Mr. Reese looked back at Lars and Hitch, “Have you two grown-up yet?”

“Yes sir, we’re sorry sir,” Hitch said.

“Me too, I’m very sorry sir,” Lars said.

“Do you two realize that young man led eleven hundred kids like you two against 20,000 aliens and saved this city and possibly this region from destruction. Gentlemen, you were picking on a national hero, possibly a global hero. You are alive today because of him and how do you repay that by helping your friend steal his hat.”

Lars and Hitch were both crying, “How do we fix it, sir?” Lars asked.

“Start by apologizing in public. The more people see that the better.”

“Okay.” Then the other, “Okay Sir.”

“Go back to your class.”

“Okay, okay.”

Mr. Reese watched them go down the hall. Two twelve-year-olds with their heads down.

His office manager came up to him, “You were pretty hard on them.”

“Cecille, we have a new sheriff in the building and he just kicked some ass.”

“Who?” Cecille asked.

“Major Frank Taylor.” Mr. Reese was looking at John, Jenny, and General Franks.

“What did our son do?” John asked.

“Your Son is our new sheriff and his cadets are his posy. The three bullies decided to steal his hat. He took five hits while he was trying to figure out how not to hurt them. I was at the right place to see your son move his right hand and the three boys went face down on the floor. He then turned it over and lifted until the three boys bumped up to the ceiling. I’ve put up with those three boys for almost six years. They average seeing my office about once or twice a week. I don’t expect to see them ever again waiting for discipline. That’s what your son accomplished today.” Mr. Reese had a big smile on his face.

“I’m going to promote him again!” General Franks laughed with the others.

“Sir, I’m very happy to meet you. I’m Danial Reese this school’s Principle.”

“Mr. Reese, I’m Major General Franks of the US Space Force. I guess I am the Commandant. I got a call from the White House this morning saying they would like to structure the Space Force like the Marine Corps, put it under the Air Force, but keep it as a unit that the president can call out to help protect the world in a minute.”

“Did he call out the Space Force for this battle?” Cecille asked.

“The President was in a 775 acting as my wingman and the President of Russia was on the other side of me in his 775. His ship is going to Lockheed to get repaired. It got hit with a 100-ton part of a destroyed ship.” John said.

“Was the President in the Patricia?” Danial Reese asked.

“No, my older son Lord Johnny Taylor was in that. He and his team took down hundreds of alien ships. He was all over the globe. Chicago, LA, Tokyo, Moscow, Beijing and got to Seattle as the last ship was tumbling down.

Frank came up and hugged John, “Speak of the hero. We understand you are the new sheriff in town.” Frank turned to Jenny and hugged her.

“Thank you, Mr. Reese,” Frank said.

“I just hope to keep you for a while. It already feels safer for the younger kids.”

“Mr. Reese, I’m having six of the kids sent to the office. The Teacher says their intelligence is so far above the others, they need to be promoted into the next class.” Cecille interrupted.

“Father John and Mrs. Taylor. We would like your permission to continue to test your sons and daughters. On Friday we would like to have all of them take the GED. If they pass that then contact the UW and see if we can get them into that. Are you in a position to support thirty or forty students at the UW?”

“Yes. My wife and I could support all 43 students that stepped into this building this morning for them to become doctors if they wanted.” John said.

“Are you sure Father John?” Mr. Reese, “That’s a boatload of money.”

Both General Franks and Jenny were laughing. John was trying to not laugh.