Soviets and their agents out of the country, secure their southern border and water trade route, and snatched the ex-VP back to stand trial. Wasn’t that enough to please the gods?
Suddenly, a strange sensation went through him. For a moment, he felt a pang of regret that he hadn’t taken Elizabeth up on her amorous offer a week before.
Part II
The First Book Of Testimony
Chapter 7
I F ANYTHING, THE DOME was even more crowded than the day before.
Dr. Leylah took the stand once again, a huge document under her arm. At the same time, duplicate documents were being passed out in the witness gallery.
Of the 50,000 people on hand, no one was more surprised than Hunter when he began reading the first page …
Gray Interactive Testimony Project
Transcript 1-AF4, Sub-Document A
“Recollections of the Hostilities”
First Witness: Major Hawker Hunter
Additional Testimony: Major JT Toomey, Major Ben-hoi Wa, Captain Geoffrey Spaulding, Major D. Larochelle, Lieutenant B. Fitch, Captain J. O’Malley, Captain Elvis “Q,” Colonel B.
Davis, Colonel L. Gorshkov
Additional Information: The memoirs of General Seth Jones
The day the war began
“Captain Hawker Hunter, reporting for pilot training …”
The uniformed airman behind the desk executed a crisp salute and briefly scanned Hunter’s orders. “Everything seems to be in order, sir,” the enlisted man said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
The airman picked up a phone, punched in a series of numbers and quickly reached someone on the other end. “Sir, you asked me to notify you when Captain Hunter arrived,” he said. “Yes sir, he’s here already.”
Hunter was standing in a place called Building B, just barely containing his enthusiasm. Despite its lackluster name, the place looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Functional, yet otherwordly, with just a smattering of Christmas decorations. In actuality, the building housed what could only be described as the ultimate in pilot flight-training facilities.
So this is how it feels when your dream finally comes true, Hunter thought.
He had just arrived at the Cape Canaveral Launch Center, via a bumpy, crowded, day-before-Christmas commercial flight from Las Vegas. Although he was allowed a few hours, if not a night’s sleep, before reporting for duty, he was ready— now. Ready to begin training for America’s space program. Ready to learn how to fly the Space Shuttle …
Canaveral was everything he had imagined it to be. Launch towers. Control buildings. Miles of open area. Thousands of people. A high-tech city on the edge of the Florida coastal swamps, its atmosphere heavy with history.
An Air Force officer soon appeared and introduced himself as Colonel Neil Schweiker.
The introduction wasn’t necessary—Hunter knew Schweiker was one of the NASA’s best and highest-profile astronauts.
“Good to meet you, Captain,” Schweiker told him, firmly shaking his hand. “We’ve all heard a lot about you.”
Hunter was always a little uncomfortable at the extra attention he received when people realized who he was. But it was well known—courtesy of cover stories in both Time and Newsweek— that at 17, Hunter was the youngest graduate ever of MIT’s aerospace engineering program. And that he had completed work on his aeronautics doctorate degree three months afterward. And that he was the youngest pilot ever to join the USAF’s Thunderbirds Demonstration Team. And that he was the youngest pilot ever to be selected for Space Shuttle pilot training.
“You’re early,” Schweiker told him, checking his watch. “You can rest up awhile if you want.”
“No thanks, sir,” Hunter answered. “I’m anxious to get going. Also, I don’t want someone to have to give me the run-through tomorrow and spoil their Christmas.”
Schweiker nodded. “OK,” he said. “I can give you the quick look-see. Just enough to get you somewhat situated. The real work will start the day after
Suddenly, a strange sensation went through him. For a moment, he felt a pang of regret that he hadn’t taken Elizabeth up on her amorous offer a week before.
Part II
The First Book Of Testimony
Chapter 7
I F ANYTHING, THE DOME was even more crowded than the day before.
Dr. Leylah took the stand once again, a huge document under her arm. At the same time, duplicate documents were being passed out in the witness gallery.
Of the 50,000 people on hand, no one was more surprised than Hunter when he began reading the first page …
Gray Interactive Testimony Project
Transcript 1-AF4, Sub-Document A
“Recollections of the Hostilities”
First Witness: Major Hawker Hunter
Additional Testimony: Major JT Toomey, Major Ben-hoi Wa, Captain Geoffrey Spaulding, Major D. Larochelle, Lieutenant B. Fitch, Captain J. O’Malley, Captain Elvis “Q,” Colonel B.
Davis, Colonel L. Gorshkov
Additional Information: The memoirs of General Seth Jones
The day the war began
“Captain Hawker Hunter, reporting for pilot training …”
The uniformed airman behind the desk executed a crisp salute and briefly scanned Hunter’s orders. “Everything seems to be in order, sir,” the enlisted man said. “We’ve been expecting you.”
The airman picked up a phone, punched in a series of numbers and quickly reached someone on the other end. “Sir, you asked me to notify you when Captain Hunter arrived,” he said. “Yes sir, he’s here already.”
Hunter was standing in a place called Building B, just barely containing his enthusiasm. Despite its lackluster name, the place looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Functional, yet otherwordly, with just a smattering of Christmas decorations. In actuality, the building housed what could only be described as the ultimate in pilot flight-training facilities.
So this is how it feels when your dream finally comes true, Hunter thought.
He had just arrived at the Cape Canaveral Launch Center, via a bumpy, crowded, day-before-Christmas commercial flight from Las Vegas. Although he was allowed a few hours, if not a night’s sleep, before reporting for duty, he was ready— now. Ready to begin training for America’s space program. Ready to learn how to fly the Space Shuttle …
Canaveral was everything he had imagined it to be. Launch towers. Control buildings. Miles of open area. Thousands of people. A high-tech city on the edge of the Florida coastal swamps, its atmosphere heavy with history.
An Air Force officer soon appeared and introduced himself as Colonel Neil Schweiker.
The introduction wasn’t necessary—Hunter knew Schweiker was one of the NASA’s best and highest-profile astronauts.
“Good to meet you, Captain,” Schweiker told him, firmly shaking his hand. “We’ve all heard a lot about you.”
Hunter was always a little uncomfortable at the extra attention he received when people realized who he was. But it was well known—courtesy of cover stories in both Time and Newsweek— that at 17, Hunter was the youngest graduate ever of MIT’s aerospace engineering program. And that he had completed work on his aeronautics doctorate degree three months afterward. And that he was the youngest pilot ever to join the USAF’s Thunderbirds Demonstration Team. And that he was the youngest pilot ever to be selected for Space Shuttle pilot training.
“You’re early,” Schweiker told him, checking his watch. “You can rest up awhile if you want.”
“No thanks, sir,” Hunter answered. “I’m anxious to get going. Also, I don’t want someone to have to give me the run-through tomorrow and spoil their Christmas.”
Schweiker nodded. “OK,” he said. “I can give you the quick look-see. Just enough to get you somewhat situated. The real work will start the day after
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