Flight Of The Anasazi - Chapter 3

  Flight Of The Anasazi

By David Billiot

Copyright 2026: All rights reserved

Chapter 3: Never Stand Still

Mark was at the deep space observatory for nearly four months. Engineers from Florida were on the radio with Mark and the team of engineers already at the observatory constantly even with the four hour lag time. It was decided that the ship needed a design upgrade. The FTL engine from the Noonan was to be taken and paired with the one in the Earhart.  One engine set for reaching the destination and the other there just to act to stop the ship.  The two engines together were too big and weighed too much so the frame of the ship had to be reworked. So much was changed on the ship that it was decided to rename it to the Anasazi II. 

The return flight was as much of a test as the first flight.  And the only one there at DSO to do it was Mark.  

The flight of the Anasazi II was easier. The ship still lost power when exiting FTL but the use of the braking FTL meant it lost power going a much safer speed.  There was also the fact that Mark knew the ship was likely to lose power so he already had it set up to get power going again. 

Mark was told he couldn’t come into the hangar at Memory station so instead the Anasazi II was placed in a holding pattern and Mark had to spacewalk to an airlock.  Inside the station was a group of people ready to greet him. Commander Freedman was now Captain Freedman.  Vice Admiral Degd was standing next to the vice president.  

Mark got a promotion from lieutenant second class to lieutenant commander. The vice president also awarded him a medal, and then told what the official story for the medal would be. Mark would not be allowed to talk about the real reason for it.  And then the bad news dropped. 

A decision had been made. The first FTL flight was a huge moment for humanity.  It was going to be something everyone remembered for generations like the first man on the moon.  So since this was so important, that honor would not go to Mark. His flight was a test flight so it didn’t count. They would use the data from his ships and his account of what had happened to upgrade the ships to make a perfect flawless experience that could be marketed to the public as the actual first FTL.  And the honor of the first flight would go to Lt Cmdr Amanda Roma. Mark didn’t recognize the name right away and hadn’t served with her. Then he was informed that Roma was the granddaughter of president Piker.  The assassination was something that still lingered in the memories of many people who could all tell you exactly where they were when they heard the news.  Roma was in the service and was a pilot. It was felt that a first FTL flight should go to a woman instead of a man and that woman would be her. 

Mark did feel the injustice of it but in the aftermath he watched from the sidelines as Roma became a celebrity and was constantly on TV and sat in parades. She basked in the attention but Mark knew that wasn’t something he wanted for himself. 

Eventually as FTL ships came into service it meant a great leap forward for humanity. Mark continued to be a test pilot for a while but eventually resigned from the military. He bought a house in the small town near the Wilson farm. To emulate the first man on the moon, Mark got a job teaching at the local college there.  

The FTL ships did not guarantee safe travel.  There were accidents and loss of life. Regulations started getting drafted to make it safer. And then the tenth anniversary of Mark’s flight came and went and FTL ships were now an essential part of human civilization. 

… 

“In space you are always going the correct speed.” Mark said. “You are always moving. You burn an engine and that doesn’t really move you from where you are. You can’t burn the engine forever. You have to go along with where gravity takes you. And gravity means you are always going the correct speed for that orbit. Cause if you’re not, then you’re either on your way out, or on your way down.”

Mark concluded his remarks to the class and hoped this would impress upon them why the equations were not just meaningless math.  Then he stood silent as the students packed up their books, started talking with each other, and filed out of the lecture hall. 

Mark got his own things and briefly visited his office.  He checked for messages he might need to respond to but there was nothing. He was all clear to enjoy his weekend. He strolled from the science building through the quad. The afternoon sun made the green grass vibrant.  The leaves on the trees swayed in the gentle breeze.  It was picturesque and even Mark himself looked the part in his brown suit jacket that didn’t match the different color of tan slacks he had on. 

Mark made it to the parking area and paused. A black sedan and a black SUV were parked on either side of Mark’s two seat, high powered sports car.  Mark was suspicious that something was up but there wasn’t enough to put him on alert. But then as he got closer people started to exit the vehicles and they were looking at him. Yep, they had come to talk to him. So who were they? 

Mark was done with his classes for the day and had planned to head home. Angie and her boys were coming over. She was having a fight with Jacob … again.  Jack Jr was a good kid and Mark had started to feel bad seeing his mother always lecturing him even when Mark really wasn’t sure the boy had done anything wrong.  Tom and Rick were the younger and more carefree but Angie just put all this responsibility on Jack Jr when there was no call for it. 

Mark reached the cars and the men in suits who looked like obvious government agents trying to look like they were not obviously government agents approached him. They didn’t have to say a word. They pointed to Mark and then opened the side door of the SUV so Mark could get in. 

Inside the SUV Mark saw a familiar face. 

“Senator Freedman. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Mark asked. 

“Cut that senator crap, Captain.” the retired admiral barked back as Mark got seated across from him. 

“How can this humble college professor help you, sir?”

“I don’t need a college man. I need you.  Are you familiar with the red dwarf about six light years away?”

“I teach astrophysics.” Mark replied. 

“They’re asking me for funding to send a ship all the way out there.  They say they’d had some breakthrough and can get FTL to …”

“Sir, I apologize for interrupting but the ships just aren’t safe enough. And they’re not fast enough. Six light years.” Mark said and then gasped. “The FTL is fast but it’s not that fast.”

“I knew you’d say that.” the senator said. “That’s why I won’t approve the funding. They keep asking. I keep saying no. Not a single one of them knows what it’s like to be outside the system, too far for rescue. No one on this planet knows what that’s like except you. So they want more prizes in physics and they want all this money and they want to send a human to another star for the first time, well, I’m not saying ok until you say ok.”

“Me?” Mark asked for clarification. 

“Yes, you. Your word on this is the only one I trust.”

“I can’t say one way or the other unless I know what they’re dealing with.”

… 

When Mark made it home he found Jacob there waiting for him. Mark greeted him and asked when Angie and the boys were coming over.  

“They’re not.” Jacob said. 

“Oh, that’s too bad. Anything happen?” Mark responded. 

“Me and Angie getting a divorce is what’s happened.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that.” Mark said as he got to his door. He did regret that it had come to this but it wasn’t a surprise either. “You want to come in and talk about it?”

“I want to ask why my wife keeps coming here. What’s going on?”

“Your boys like playing in my woods. Why don’t you tell me what you think is going on.”

“Look, if Angie been cheating you gots to tell me. It’s my name Mark. I’ve got to defend my name. If she wants to leave, that’s on her but I have to defend my name.”

“I’ll tell you straight up, man. If she’s cheating, it wasn’t with me nor do I know about it if that did happen.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“There’s no other thing for me to say and still have it be the truth.”

“You don’t know nothing? You ain’t seen nothing?”

“No.” Mark said forcefully. “Does she leave your boys with a babysitter? If she’s got them with her all the time, when does she have time to see anyone. Come on, Jack. Why y’all two always doing this to each other?”

Mark let Jacob into the house and then went to his office to put his work bag down.  He came out and found Jacob in the kitchen standing just inside of where the carpet ended and the floor of the kitchen began. He was looking around like he didn’t know what he was looking for. 

“I keep the alcohol locked.” Mark said, assuming that’s what Jacob was after. 

“No, I just … I just want some water if that’s ok.” 

“Sure.”

Mark got Jacob a glass and as he poured the water Mark studied the other man’s face. 

“You really thought Angie had something going on with me? Of all people, Jack.”

Jacob slowly shook his head and then took a gulp from the glass. “She says she wants to move to Ares city. And take the boys with her.”

“That’s a bad idea.” Mark said. 

“That’s what I said.” Jacob agreed. “She says she’s got a job offer but won’t tell me what it is. You don’t get up and move to another planet for a job unless it’s some really good job and if she was offered that, she’d be rubbing it in my face. She’s not going for no job, I can tell you that.”

Mark got out his phone and called Angie. Jacob saw him doing it and tried to gesture for Mark not to do it but Mark wasn’t in the mood for speculation.  

“Angie. Hi, yeah. Listen, I thought you were coming over today.” Mark said. He put the phone on speaker and held it in his hand as he gestured to Jacob to be quiet. 

“I was but something came up.” Angie said. 

“More arguing with Jack? Put him on and let me talk to him.” Mark said. 

“I would love for you to talk some sense into him but he’s not here right now. Why don’t you call him?” Angie said. 

Jacob looked like he was going to jump in but Mark gestured for him to cool it. 

“What was the argument about?” Mark asked. 

“I was offered a job and he doesn’t want to let me take it.”

“He’s your husband. Is the job dangerous? He has a duty to keep you safe.”

“The job is not dangerous.” Angie defended. 

“What kind of work is it?”

“Office work. So I can finally learn to use my head for something.”

“What does the commute look like? There aren’t too many offices out there by y’all.”

“Actually, it’s over in Ares city.”

Mark took a moment. No rush. If he answered too fast it would tip off too much that this was not the first time he heard this. “You have got to be out of your mind.” Mark eventually answered. 

“Of all people I would think you would support me.” Angie said back. 

“Your boys can’t go their teenage years without their mother.” Mark said. 

“They’re coming with me. Government’s going to pay me a bonus for bringing them.”

“No, they are not.” Mark said. “Ok, yeah, now I see why Jack is against it. It’s hard enough to tell a man his wife is leaving the planet but you’re not only taking his kids …”

“But Mark you don’t understand.”

“Not only are you taking his kids” Mark repeated to muscle his way back to what he intended to say “but you’re bringing them to a place where they’ll have health defects from the low gravity. That is a stupid plan Angie. You going is bad enough. You’re grown.”

“They’re setting up gravity fields all over the city. Ok. Jack Jr and them will be just fine. You’re overreacting.”

“Those gravity fields don’t work.” Mark said. “That planet is too small. It can’t hold onto its atmosphere no matter how much they dump onto it. All the ground on the entire planet is toxic perchlorate and even after two hundred years of trying to terraform it, it is still a lost cause. Angie, you can not bring your boys there. It is a bad idea. The worst.”

Angie was quiet on the phone. “I just … I just had so many dreams for my life and I can’t get any of them.”

With a softer tone Mark answered her “Sometimes desire leads us to push ourselves to better our lives. But desire can also cause suffering.  It can make you overlook the good things you already have. A husband who might not be perfect but you have to remember that nobody is perfect. Your boys are doing well in school. And they’re so cute. You and Jack made some really good looking kids. I’ve been to Ares city. There’s nothing there.”

“Well I guess … I suppose I’m a have to think about this then.” Angie said.