Star Blazers: A Time of Serenity
Chapter 16: Shocks from the Universe
By: Jamie A. Tucker
Disclaimer Statement: Please note that Space Battleship Yamato and Star Blazers is copyright 2017 and are registered trademarks of Voyager Entertainment, Inc, Lejji Matsumoto and Yoshinobu Nishizaki. Star Blazers: A Time for Serenity is Copyright 2017 by Jamie A. Tucker and is a fan fiction work as a personal hobby that is NOT intended to infringe upon the copyright holders of Star Blazers/Space Battleship Yamato. The Character of Paul Rosstowski is copyright 2017 by Frederick P. Kopetz and is used with permission. The Characters of Carrie Braun, Jake Tucker, Gamilon General Kilt, Genera Radlock, Colonel Faust, Commandar Luthar, General Mikhail Sergey, General Moishe Chaikin, President William Paul and Gernal Oyama Hikaru and Dr. Nelson Gramme are original characters developed by Jamie A. Tucker and are copyright 2018.
Scene 1: Avatar’s Shocking Secret
Place: Space Battleship Argo (Avatar’s Quarters)
Date: March 27th, 2200
Wildstar arrived up at Captain Avatar’s quarters to present a briefing of the days’ activities which were noted in the Ship’s log and Deputy Captain’s Journal. This meeting was going to be a private meeting between Wildstar and the ailing Captain. Wildstar knew that it was only a matter of time that Captain Avatar would succumb to his injuries and radiation sickness that he acquired at the First Battle of Pluto in which the Earth Fleet endured a stinging defeat. The loss of Alex Wildstar and his son, Adam Avatar weighed heavily on the Captain’s mind daily. Wildstar knocked on the door of the Captain’s quarters.
“Come in!” said Captain Avatar from his bed as he sat up and enjoyed the view of the clear blue sky that reminded him of Earth before the planet bombs.
“Sir, Deputy Captain Wildstar reporting sir!” said Derek as he saluted the Captain.
“Wildstar, pull up that Chair by my desk. There is much to talk about son.” said the Captain in his booming baritone voice.
Wildstar pulled up the chair and sat close to the Captain. Avatar
appeared weak, frail and full of resolve. Nova had earlier changed out his IV lines
to receive his Energite treatment that has sustained him since they went
through the Star of Volton before the Battle at the Rainbow Star Cluster.
“How are the crew holding up?” asked the frail Captain as he sat up in his bed.
“Everybody is doing well. We had some casualties and several fatalities from the battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster. The casualties are recovering in sick bay. Three from damage control will be unable to perform their duties for at least a month due to their injuries. Nova and the Physical Therapy Staff will be working with these men to ensure recovery, sir,” replied Wildstar as he sat in front of the Captain.
“Very well. Sandor has sent me a written report that all repairs are 99.9 percent completed. We can depart from this planet from what I understand. I would rather wait until we investigate those two Iscandarian ships and find out why they are there. If we find any survivors, could provide us valuable intelligence on Gamilon and assist us further in navigating to Iscandar,” said Captain Avatar as he continued to review reports in front of him and Wildstar.
“Captain, as Deputy Captain and executive officer, our investigative team that includes myself, Nova, Sandor, IQ-9, Jake Tucker from Gunnery Section and Conroy will head out tomorrow morning to explore those ships. I would also like to put in a request to Earth Defense Command that we should establish a permanent base on Pegasus,” said Wildstar as he noted his request on a form that would be entered into both the ship’s log and Captain’s log.
“Wildstar, as you know all points of interests and ports of call
have been duly noted in our navigation log for future reference and use by the
Defense Forces. Your request to investigate the Iscandarian ships is granted
and I request that you do not exceed more than twelve hours on this
investigation. It is not for me to grant permission to establish a permanent
outpost on this planet. We do not know if there are other life forms that exist
nor if there is a government set up on this planet. It will take some time to
explore the planet to make that determination if we can establish a permanent
base here. This planet can support life we as once knew on Earth before the
Gamilon planet bombs. The beauty of Pegasus reminds me of Earth...once flowing
with silver streams and blue oceans, rising mountains and majestic scenery,”
said the Captain as he closed his eyes and thought back to the times where he
still had his wife and children.
Wildstar sat in the chair in silence as he listened intently to his mentor and commanding officer. He still faces the rising anger within his being over the loss of his parents and his brother, Alex Wildstar.
“Wildstar…. there is another Wildstar besides you and Alex. He was student of mine at Space Fighter’s Training School. He was three years older than Alex. A fine officer in the early days of the war against Gamilon,” said Avatar as he looked at Wildstar.
Wildstar became shocked and bewildered at the revelation.
“Captain...Alex never told me that I had another brother besides him. Neither did my parents. How did you know about this?” asked Wildstar as he shrugged his shoulders.
“Wildstar… I have known your parents and your family for years. Alex was a like a son to me and so was his brother and now yourself. Your Parents had your older brother and raised both of them prior to you being born. He was a bit of a rash rebel who liked to rebel against authority. Your parents had him committed to a Military school to complete his education. I instructed him for three years at Space Fighter’s Training School. Last I heard, he suddenly disappeared, and no one knows where he is or what he’s done,” said the Captain as he looked at Wildstar who was still in shock.
“Whoa…. this is all shocking to learn. This is too much to digest,” said Wildstar.
“Wildstar, what I’m about to tell you is classified. It could end my career if I let this information get out. During the battle of Mars in 2173, I was able to drive the Gamilons back towards Jupiter. We were fixing to get into a very loosing situation and I had already lost one-third of my missile ships and a good number of Mogami class space battleships. The Gamilons lit us up like fireworks and we were in for a death knell. All of a sudden, a large space battleship with huge engines and guns began to fire on the Gamilons destroying most of their fleet. I ordered all ships to attack the remaining Gamilon ships which resulted in a retreat on their part. As we were leaving the battle area, this large space battleship flew a black pirate’s flag and the bow sported some skull and crossbones,” said Captain Avatar as he crossed his arms.
“I have heard about this ship before from Sandor. Some call it
“Death Shadow” and others call it “Arcadia of My Youth”, said Wildstar as he
leaned forward in his chair.
“Yes, that’s part of the secret, Wildstar. Sandor and some others assisted in the development of this huge space battleship and it was build in total secrecy. Not even the Earth Defense Command knew about this ship. That’s why it’s still a very top secret and very little-known topic. That ship was going to be my “Space Ark” project to help move Earth’s population to another planet in case the Star Force and the Argo were to fail. Your brother stole that ship and he’s definitely a wanted man on Earth. To me, Christopher Wildstar will always be a son to me. Now...he’s a Space Pirate known as Captain Harlock,” explained Captain Avatar as Wildstar took all of this information in with great interest.
“Do you think Harlock will show up again?” Wildstar asked intently.
“We will never know, Wildstar. All I can say is that Harlock operates in the shadows. No one knows when he will make himself known again. If we ever see him, we will acknowledge him. Under no circumstances are we to pursue and engage him in attempts to arrest him. As for now, I believe he serves his purpose,” Captain Avatar responded as he looked away from Wildstar and out the window of his quarters.
“Captain...there’s just one more thing to report to you,” said Wildstar.
“That is…?” asked the frail Captain.
“Sandor invented a new weapon and we tested it. It’s called Wave Motion Cartridge. It’s basically an eighteen-inch projectile with its warhead energized with one-third of the power of the wave motion gun,” explained Wildstar as he showed him the diagram that Sandor had drawn.
“Very interesting Wildstar. I saw that test and I’m impressed with the results that I have just read. These are noted in the ship’s digital log and will be transmitted to Defense Headquarters asking for further testing without delay,” said Captain Avatar as he placed the diagram on his lap.
The Captain began to feel weak and tired. The first watch was coming to an end with Dash taking command of the bridge for the first half of the second watch. Wildstar stood up and saluted Captain Avatar.
“Sir, I’ll be letting you get some rest now. Is there anything you need? Nova will be up to check on you in a couple of hours,” Wildstar said as Captain Avatar returned the salute.
“Thank you, Wildstar! Keep up the great work, son!” Captain Avatar said as he closed his eyes.
Wildstar walked out of the Captain’s quarters and shut the door. He proceeded down the staircase to the bridge. He noticed Sandor standing there at the bridge door reading over some material.
“How’s the Captain?” asked Sandor as they both walked on to the first bridge.
“He’s tired and weak. There’s a lot more I want to say given how I’m feeling now. Somethings must never leave the Captain’s quarters,” Wildstar said as he closed his eyes and shook his head.
“You’ve looked like you just saw a ghost!” exclaimed Eager as he turned around in his chair at the radar console.
“I guess you could say that, Eager. You just never know if you will actually ever run into a ghost,” Wildstar said with a smile.
Venture rose up from his chair and walked over to where Wildstar and Sandor were standing by Eager.
“Wildstar, Nova wanted me to give you these calculations while she had to pull duty in sick bay. These are possible warp points we could take once we depart from Pegasus,” Venture said as he gave Wildstar the calculations.
Wildstar studied the math with Sandor. Wildstar was never good with Physics equations in comparison to Nova, Sandor and a few others. After a few minutes of silence Wildstar spoke up.
“Sandor, it seems to me that one of these points occur about 45 mega-meters from the first moon of Pegasus. That would be comparable to the distance between Earth and the moon.” Wildstar said as he pointed to one of the equations.
“I would think so, Wildstar. IQ-9, could run these through the analysis station? Nova will do some rechecking later as needed. The other warp points would occur on the far side of the planet at one hundred and fifty megameters between Pegasus and it’s second moon,” replied Sandor as he pointed to another equation.
“That would all depend on if any Gamilons show up. Remember at the last check, we are only two space warps away from the Great Magellanic Cloud. The closer we get to Iscandar, the more severe the Gamilon resistance will become,” said Venture.
Eager thought to himself for a minute and and scratched the left side of his head.
“Wildstar, do you think it’s possible that we could contact Queen Starsha?” asked Eager.
“I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, Eager. The Gamilons already know we are here. They just haven’t come back yet with a large fleet,” said Wildstar as he looked at Sandor.
“Contacting Queen Starsha at this point in time would certainly give away our exact location to the Gamilons. We have no means to contact Starsha through undetectable means,” said Venture.
“Hmmm...Those two Iscandarian ships. We could contact Queen Starsha from those vessels. If only we knew how those systems could work, we could ask Queen Starsha for any advice that could help us navigate a rather tough road ahead of us,” suggested Sandor as he crossed his arms.
“Wouldn’t we have to ask Captain Avatar for permission to do that from those Iscandarian ships?” asked Venture being concerned about possible ethics and other protocol.
“Venture...as deputy captain, I have the proper authority to permit and authorize such communication. Checking out the communication systems of those vessels is a part of the investigation. That could aid us in communicating with Earth through deep space networks once they are rebuilt,” said Wildstar.
“Dash, since you have the watch, please be alert to any suspicious activity. You will be sitting in my chair for watch and when we head out to those Iscandarian ships tomorrow,” Wildstar said as he looked at Dash with a nod of confidence.
“Sounds good to me, Wildstar. I’ll have Ensign Paul Rosstowski in my place at gunnery. The evening should be uneventful,” said Dash as he pushed his glasses back up his nose.
“In that case in about 4 hours I’ll assume command for the second half of the watch. Wildstar, I’ll see you in the morning at the briefing,” said Sandor as he gathered his material from the Cosmo Radar Station and walked over to his console.
“Dash, you have full command as Officer of the Deck. If anything, crazy happens, let me know and I’ll be right up,” said Wildstar as he relieved command and walked to the bridge door.
Dash saluted Wildstar as the deputy captain walked off the bridge. The rest of the crew for first watch went about their usual off duty business. Some went to the observation deck while others went to their sleeping quarters to sleep or make entries into their own diaries. Jake worked on getting some maintenance accomplished in the first gun turret. The turret was used to test fire three wave motion cartridges that destroyed an abandoned Gamilon base. One of the gun turret operators named Bandar Al-Sharifi hailed from the middle eastern country of Syria. The five foot, eight inch 3rd Class Petty officer served faithfully in the war against Gamilon serving under Captain Avatar during the battle of Saturn in 2191 aboard the EDS Mt. Fuji, a 225 class space battleship.
“Bandar, hand me that wrench, I need to replace this bent and worn out side panel on the gun breach,” said Jake as he reached his arm out.
“Yes sir, Chief. Here’s the wrench,” said Bandar as he handed him the wrench.
“You’ve been in the Earth Defense Forces for a long time. You should have already been a Master Chief Petty Officer by now,” said Jake as he lost a bolt on the side panel.
“I never really got into applying for promotions. I served two years in the brig and got demoted to Yeoman,” Bandar replied.
“Wow…what were you formally charged with?” asked Jake as he removed the side panel of an instrument console.
“I really don’t like talking about past mistakes. I was charged with negligent manslaughter under Article 220 of the United Nations Military Code of Justice. I had gotten mad at a logistics subordinate and I didn’t realize he was behind me while I was operating a forklift and I ran over him,” said Al-Sharifi as he looked down with remorse.
“Why didn’t they rule that accidental? Did you realize you had the forklift in reverse or you just failed to exercise safety and caution?” asked Jake as he reset a few electrical connections inside the console.
“I’ve always felt that it was accidental and didn’t mean to run over the guy. I had a lousy defense counsel and the Judge was General Stone standing in for Colonel Rabb. The prosecution was ruthless. It was either the death penalty or take a plea deal with a lesser charge and still get time in the brig,” said the Yeoman as he handed Jake the panel back to him.
“Sheeesh…. General Stone. Nobody has never liked the number two guy in command at Defense Headquarters. So I take it that really the prosecution wanted to nail you for 1st Degree murder for running over the guy,” said Jake as he inserted the screws back into the side panel.
“Yes, but also the prosecution really didn’t like people who hailed from a middle eastern nation due to the terroristic histories those nations once had. Islam lost a majority of it’s radicalism and went through major reforms since the Unification wars. General Stone should have called the prosecution out on its bias and called a mistrial. That’s why I took the plea deal.” said Al-Sharifi as he held the side panel in place for Jake.
“You still practicing, though aren’t you?” asked Jake as he stood up from his knees.
“Not in the sense of what it was back in the 20th and 21st Centuries. Besides that, while I was in the brig, I had a vision of a brutally beaten man wearing a crown of thorns while hanging from a Roman cross with nails in his hands and feet. He called out to me saying, “Surrender to me, for I have called you to follow me into life.” I woke up from that vision in tears, shaken and unable to speak but only saying, “Lord, if it’s really you…change me.” At that point, the only thing about Islam that I’ve carried over into my walk with the real Mahdi, is praying five times a day along with occasional fasting.” The Yeoman said with tears welling up in his eyes.
Jake felt the chills went up his spine and the warm ever present feeling he felt since he made his own decision years before joining the Star Force.
“Bandar, that’s a very interesting testimony. Very moving and powerful. Still I see people reject the Master daily and it’s something that’s not discussed among the crew here often. Religion often divides people but once people have encountered what we have, it’s the faith that unites us all,” said Jake.
“Man, you should apply to be an ordained chaplain on this ship,” Al- Sharifi said with a smile.
“Me?? A chaplain?? Ha ha ha!” never really thought about it. I’m happy to offer my counsel and advice. However, I am not that quite ready to obtain the title of “chaplain” or “pastor” yet,” said Jake with a laugh.
Two tones were heard over the ship’s PA system.
“Jake, please report to the bridge for Combat Station duty!” said Dash over the PA system.
“Bandar, you take it from here. I got to get up to the brig. Sitting in Wildstar’s chair for a few hours is going to prepare me for some future assignment I think!” Jake said as he shook Bandar’s hand.
“You got it! Will report to you if there’s any needed assistance,” said the Yeoman as Jake walked quickly to the elevator.
Scene II: Stone Gets Checked.
Place: Federal Hospital, Underground City, Great Island.
Date: March 27th, 2200
General Stone woke up on the right side of the bed at 0800 to discover that his wife, Klasha had already left to run some morning errands. Stone was disgusted with the fact that he was under orders by his superior, General Charles Singleton to have his hearing checked. He silently mumbled something under his breath as he rose up from the bed and headed for the shower. He grabbed a couple of towels and a wash cloth from the bathroom closet and proceeded to take his quick shower.
“I wish Singleton hadn’t ordered me to get this hearing check done. It’s nothing but a waste of my time!” Stone thought as he washed himself and completed his shower several minutes later.
As the General exited from the shower stall, he grabbed his towel and dried himself off. The phone began to ring loudly from across the hall in the other room. Stone quickly wrapped himself and ran to the phone picking it up by the fourth ring.
“Stone speaking,” said the General as he held the phone to his ear.
“General, you know that meeting you are scheduled with Representative from the Common Justice Union?” said the voice on the other end.
“Yes, Bill, I remember that that. What about it?” asked Stone with curiosity.
“I wanted to give you a quick briefing on that meeting via phone. The Common Justice Union wants to investigate General Singleton for abuse of power for authorizing a new fleet being built. As you know, we think that once the war with the Gamilons is over, there will be no further need for the Earth Defense Forces, right?” said Bill, the representative from the CJU.
“We have one problem with our little plan to have Singleton impeached as Supreme Commander of the Earth Defense Forces,” Stone replied with a disappointing tone.
“Let me guess…The Star Force and Admiral Abraham Avatar! I’ve never liked Avatar and I’ve heard rumors that he is suffering from radiation sickness that resulted from an injury at the Battle of Pluto,” said Bill on the other line.
“You are correct. I predict that Avatar won’t be alive when the Star Force returns. Once the Star Force returns, we can wait at least six months to proceed with our plan to gain support to file articles of impeachment against Singleton. We must have President Mendelsohn on board. He’s quite popular with the surviving populace at the moment,” said Stone.
“Alright…Let’s wait a year from now and we’ll put the plan in motion. If there looks like there is strong opposition to a new fleet being built, then we can have a motion placed at the Supreme Defense Council to have you installed as interim Supreme Commander,” said Bill with a chuckle.
“I’m onboard. I’ve always wanted to sit in seat of Singleton’s and call the shots. But something tells me I should be worried about a certain up and coming officer ten years down the road,” said Stone as he held the phone with his shoulder and retrieved a pair of underwear.
“Stone, if you’re worried about some mere boy taking on command responsibilities, you should take some anxiety meds. I’d be far more worried about a woman becoming Earth President. Believe me, women have no place in the halls of Earth Government,” said Bill.
“Bill, you’re one sick son of a bitch! Tell that to my wife and she may send a goon or two after you! With that said, I must run. I have to take care of an appointment that I’m under orders for,” said Stone as he prepared to hang up the phone.
“Very well, General. Good Day!” said Bill as the conversation ended.
General Stone placed the analog cordless phone back on its charging base. He dressed himself rather speedily as the time passed by. He put a pair of dark green uniform dress slacks along with his Class A uniform shirt which displayed an assortment of ribbons and a marksmanship badge above the ribbons on the left breast of the shirt. His name plate with the black background and in white all capital letters screamed the name, “STONE”. He tucked his shirt tail in and buttoned his shirt in a hurried fashion. He was still feeling a little aggravated that he had to be at this appointment by 0915. His chief desire at the moment was to be ready for duty at the EDF headquarters to keep tabs on General Singleton and members of the General Design Board planning the next generation of ships to defend Earth against space-borne attacks from alien forces.
As Stone was placing his uniform jacket on, he saw an EDF air car come up to his quarters in the underground city. His small flip cell phone rang as he locked the door behind him.
“General Stone speaking” said the General as he walked towards the air car and saluted the Chief Master Sergeant and one EDF Military Police officer.
“Thomas, you didn’t forget your appointment, did you?” said the feminine voice with a slight Russian accent on the other end of the line.
“Klasha, how can I forget something I am under orders for? Besides can you find out what Admiral Smith and his general design board are up too?” said Stone as he entered the air car.
The air car pulled out into the underground city traffic with Stone still on the phone with his wife.
“Haven’t you forgot that I retired from clandestine service? Don’t tell me you plan on getting dementia!” Klasha said sarcastically.
“Honey, no I haven’t forgotten. I am trying to figure out a way to keep the Earth Government from already outspending itself on an otherwise unneeded defense fleet. Once the Star Force returns, there’s no need. ABSOLUTELY no need for the rebuilding of the fleets. We will have no need for Iscandarian technology in the coming months ahead,” Stone replied with sweat building on his brow.
“Thomas, you know I support you in all that you do. You would someday make an excellent replacement for Singleton. However, I’m not sure if I can say the words, I hope you are right,” said Klasha with a tone of seriousness.
“Honey, with all the pride that is within me, I believe I am right. I’m just now arriving at the clinic. I’ll check back in after I meet with Dr. Gramme. Hopefully he will give me a full medical release, so I can return to duty as soon as possible,” said Stone as he thanked his driver and exited the aircar.
“We’ll see, Thomas…love you!” said Klasha as she ended the conversation.
“Love you too, dear,” said Stone as he entered the Clinic’s entrance and approached the reception desk.
“Hello General, how may I be of assistance to you?” asked the red headed receptionist wearing a dark green blouse with a name tag that said, “Yoshi Ina”.
“Ms. Ina, I am here to see Dr. Nelson Gramme, Otolaryngologist. Here’s my orders from Defense Headquarters, ma’am,” replied Stone as he produced the document containing medical orders from the Supreme Commander.
Yoshi Ina looked over the document and scanned it into the computer system. She noticed on the computer screen that the General was scheduled for two appointments. One for Dr. Gramme and a later appointment with Dr. Tobias Flax, the well known and respected Gastroenterologist from London who is the chief resident in the Bariatric Surgery Department of the Underground City Hospital.
“General…I see you are scheduled for two appointments today. One you are under orders for and the other was scheduled by your wife,” Ms. Ina said with a raised eyebrow.
“Ma’am….when was this second appointment scheduled. I’m a bit surprised by this development,” Stone replied with a raised eyebrow.
“Sir, the appointment was scheduled two days ago at your wife’s request. Did you have any issues since then?” asked Ms. Ina.
“Hmmmph….I’ll accept the appointment. She’s been constantly complaining about my farting and loud belching in the middle of the night,” Stone replied with an embarrassed red face.
“Very well. Your appointment with Dr. Flax will be at 1300 hours this afternoon. Please be seated and a nurse will call you back for your appointment,” said Ms. Ina with a pleasant voice.
“I’m going to get you,Klasha!! There’s nothing wrong with me!!” thought Stone angrily as he turned away from the reception desk without responding to the receptionist.
General Stone’s cell phone rang with a certain ringtone he had set for General Singleton’s office.
“Stone speaking,” he replied as he sounded a bit aggravated.
“Stone, this is Singleton..are you at the ordered appointment?” asked the Supreme Commander on the other end of the line.
“Yes, sir! Just found out my wife has me under HER orders for a second appointment,” Stone said in a peevish tone.
“Second appointment?? I just may have to place you on medical leave for a week. It sounds like you are falling apart, General,” Singleton said as he tried his earnest to keep from laughing.
“If that’s an offer I might take you up on it. Besides, I hear rumor that the Earth President is considering allowing the Defense Forces a much bigger space navy than we have originally approved. If so, I want in on any decision making!” Stone said.
“General…I understand your concerns. Those rumors you are hearing are just that, rumors. I’m very certain that the Star Force has made some very interesting discoveries. Perhaps there are more Earth-like planets than just our own,” said Singleton with a slight smile.
“So…are you advocating an evacuation of Earth or expanding humanity beyond the Milky Way?” asked Stone rather sarcastically as a brunette nurse opened the door and motioned for him to come back.
“Personally, Avatar’s original Project Argo was an evacuation of Earth before Starsha sent us those plans. As for expanding humanity beyond the Milky Way…where have you been the past twenty years?” replied Singleton knowing Stone’s attempt’s to get under the Supreme Commander’s hide.
“Commander, I’ve gotta go…Nurse just called me back. We will discuss this later,” said Stone as he walked towards the nurse and closed up the flip cellular phone.
“Welcome to the clinic, General Stone. I see you were referred to Dr. Gramme for a hearing evaluation,” said the Nurse with a smile as she directed Stone to stand on the scales.
“Yes, ma’am. According to the Supreme Commander of the Defense Forces, I’m under HIS orders to be evaluated for what seems to be a misunderstanding,” said Stone sarcastically.
“Hmmm…two hundred and sixty-five pounds, sir! Your BMI is 40.29. Have you discussed this with your primary physician?
“DAAAAAAMMMM!” thought Stone as his face formed the look of being shocked and surprised.
“Ma’am…Under the Health Information Protection and Access Act of 2176, that is privileged information and shouldn’t be discussed,” said Stone with a tone authoritativeness.
“General, may I remind you that under that same law, physicians are allowed to share such information between providers whether or not the patient signs a consent form. Physicians and Surgeons provide better care when the proper information is relayed between two attending physicians who referred the patient to that particular physician,” said the nurse as she reminded the medical professionals duty and requirement to fulfill certain portions of the law.
Stone bit his bottom lip in frustration. He knew he was getting his six kicked with all the legalities of his situation. It was only a matter of time before he could fully realize that his health could be the very thing that could keep him from serving any further in the Earth Defense Forces Defense Council.
“I’m sorry ma’am. Give me a consent form and today’s visit can be relayed back to my personal physician, Dr. Zinkman.
The nurse printed out a consent from the computer and gave it to Stone for his signature. The nurse placed a blood pressure cuff over the General’s right arm and measured his blood pressure.
“One sixty-three over…119,” said the nurse as she shook his head.
“Are you currently prescribed any blood pressure medication?” Nurse asked with concern.
Stone shook his head in the negative. The nurse noted his blood pressure, weight and temperature in the General’s chart.
“Well, I feel fine and wish to get on with this appointment,” said Stone as he rose up from the chair next to the weigh scale.
“We’ll have Dr. Gramme look over this, General. There is genuine concern for you,” said the Nurse as she shook her head and closed her eyes.
“Will that be reported back to the Supreme Commander?” Stone asked.
“That’s Dr. Gramme’s decision and you’ll need to discuss that with him as she escorted him into the exam room which was thirty feet down the hall and on the right.
The nurse had General stone sit in the exam chair. She typed in her notes into the medical record system for the physician to review once he came into the exam room.
“Ma’am, am I scheduled for a hearing screening?” asked Stone as he crossed his arms.
“Yes, sir. Hearing screenings are standard procedure in Otolaryngology and audiology examinations,” replied the nurse.
“I understand. I’ve heard great things about Dr. Gramme but I never have thought anything was wrong with me,” said Stone with his eyebrows raised with uncertainty.
“Dr. Gramme will be with you in a few minutes. Just relax and if there’s any concerns you have, feel free to ask him in confidence,” said the nurse with a smile.
Stone wondered what the examination would reveal. Only the renowned Doctor could give him a genuine opinion of diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
A short knock was heard at the door.
“Come in, please.” said Stone as the door opened.
“General Stone.. How do you do?” said Dr. Gramme as he had a tan folder in his left hand and shook hands with General Stone with his right hand.
“Well Doctor, it’s nice to meet you in person. I’ve heard very much about your pioneering research and practice,” said Stone with a smile as Dr. Gramme closed the door.
“Ha Ha…I assume that all you have heard and read about me was good news after all. Let’s see here…your vitals are a bit concerning to me and you’re not on proper medication for hypertension, isn’t that correct, General Stone?” asked Dr. Gramme as he looked at the chart.
“Yes, Doctor…that is correct.” sighed General Stone.
Dr. Gramme placed his stethoscope in his years and listened to General Stone’s heart beat. He had a look of concern at what he was hearing.
“General..Have you had any visits with Dr. Zinkman or a cardiologist?” asked Doctor Gramme he placed the stethoscope over his shoulders and sat on the rolling stool.
“I last saw Dr. Zinkman a couple of months ago for what was a cough and sore throat. I have never yet seen a cardiologist. General Singleton thinks I may have hearing loss and that is why I was referred to you,” said Stone with a worried look.
“General, I can tell you seem to be under some anxiety and stress. While I’m not qualified to do a Cardiologist’s job, I highly recommend that you see one as soon as possible. With the radiation seeping deeper underground, a whole host of health problems can arise including cancer. I can’t tell you the number of patients I have had to refer to a cardiologist or oncologist in the past several months. I can tell you that you do seem to have a pretty bad heart murmur at the moment. A good cardiologist can get you an EKG, Echo cardiogram, chemical or exercise stress test to rule out any further heart issues you could have or possibly develop,” said Dr. Gramme as he reached for the otoscope to check his ears.
“The heart issues sound scary Doctor. I would like a referral to a good cardiologist,” said General Stone as he turned his head left and felt the otoscope enter his right ear.
“Right ear is clear and normal. The eardrum looks normal with normal amount of earwax in the canal. I don’t see any sign of infection in the right ear,” said Dr. Gramme.
General Stone turned his head right as the renowned ear surgeon rolled around to Stone’s left side and examined his left ear.
“Left ear is clean and normal with a little slight inflammation of the eardrum. I also see a little fluid build up behind the ear drum. Typical case of otitis media,” said Dr. Gramme as he placed the otoscope back in it’s holder and threw away the earpiece attachment.
“So in other words I have an ear infection in the left ear, right?” asked Stone with a slight smile.
“Pretty much so, General. I’m calling you in a prescription for eight hundred milligrams of Amoxil to be taken three times a day over the course of the next thirty days. Then we can follow up next month with a full hearing examination to be performed by one of our audiologists. I will report back to General Singleton of my diagnosis and I’ll also recommend that you be placed on medical leave for the next two weeks pending an examination by a board certified cardiologist in regards to that heart murmur. That should give you plenty of time to rest and get a grip on these health issues. With your honored service, I hate to see you have a heart attack or worse,” said Dr. Gramme as he folded his arms across.
“Thank you, Dr. Gramme. As much as I want to remain on duty, I have to choice but to follow your orders and the orders of the Supreme Commander. I will voluntarily submit a request for leave once your report reaches Singleton’s desk,” said Stone with a look of disappointment.
“Take your time, General. Getting yourself taken care of first is worth more than taking care of political matters. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, sir,” said Dr. Gramme as he shook General Stone’s hand firmly.
“You’re most, welcome Doctor. For the first time in a long time, you’re the first Doctor I’ve seen without a bottle of Sake,” laughed Stone.
Both men laughed at Stone’s rather dry joke and parted ways. Stone wondered what was in store for him with Dr. Flax. He ate lunch alone at one of the underground city bistros. No one seemed to notice him in his uniform. Weird plant life growing over the sidewalk was the indication that the radiation levels were getting deeper underground. Stone heard people praise and criticize the Star Force and the Earth Defense Forces in general. He saw that some people were beginning to loose hope while others were holding on to hope that the Star Force will indeed return. Stone could only help but wonder if this was the only war against an alien race to be fought. He’s now fighting an inner battle for the soul of his health.
Two hours later, General Stone made his way back to the clinic at the Federal Hospital in the underground city. He once again checked in with the receptionist, Ms. Ina for his appointment with Dr. Flax.
“General Stone, welcome back. Your information is already processed. The waiting area for Dr. Flax’s office is on the third floor, suite 301,” said Ms. Ina with a smile.
“Thank you, ma’am. I’m dreading this appointment. I got some bad news at the first one and this appointment may about do me in,” said Stone as he complained.
General Stone’s cell phone rang with the sound of Klasha’s ringtone.
“Stone speaking,” the General said as he boarded the elevator to the third floor.
“Dear, how did your first appointment
go? I assumed you have arrived for the appointment I made for you to see Dr.
Flax,” said Klasha on the other end of the line.
”As mad as I want to be with you about making medical appointments in a
classified manner, I just can’t be mad…I just can’t be,” said Stone as he
closed his eyes and the elevator reached the third floor.
“Thomas, I was concerned about you. Genuinely concerned about you…you sound as if you have gotten some bad news from Dr. Gramme,” Klasha said with concern.
“Yes, dear….I have a ear infection in my left ear. You need to pick up the medication for me at the clinic pharmacy when you get the chance. Bad news is that my vitals were abnormal and I also have a heart murmur that needs to get checked,” said Dr. Gramme as he stood outside Dr. Flax’s office.
“Do you think Singleton will force you to go on medical leave? I could send him an e-mail and let him know you need to request a leave form to fill out,” said Klasha with compassion and concern.
“Let the Supreme Commander get the report from Doctor Gramme. Once the five star General gets the report and calls me, I’ll voluntarily go on leave. Anything more than two weeks will be unacceptable since there is much work for me to accomplish for my friends within the Earth Government,” said Stone.
“I understand, dear. Please let me know what happens with Dr. Flax. I love you!” Klasha said as she ended the conversation.
“Love you too, dear! I’ll talk to you soon!” said Stone has he closed the flip phone and entered Dr. Flax’s clinic.
General Stone walked up to the receptionist in Dr. Flax’s clinic. The redheaded receptionist smiled at Stone as she pushed the window sideways.
“Yes, may I help you sir?” said the receptionist.
“General Thomas Stone here to see Dr. Flax. My spouse made this appointment for me,” Stone replied dryly.
“I see and you are officially checked in. Your information was relayed to us from Dr. Gramme’s office. Please be seated and a nurse will call you back,” she said as she pointed to the front row chair next to a coffee table.
“Thank you, ma’am.” Stone replied as he walked away from the reception desk.
Stone pulled out his phone from his waist holster and dialed his secretary.
“Christine, could you please draft a request for medical leave letter to the Supreme Commander? I would like to see that delivered to me via e-mail for review by 1700 hours,” the General said with concern.
“Yes, General. Hope all is well,”
said the female voice on the other end of the line.
”Thank you, Christine. I appreciate it. Talk to you soon,” said Stone as he
quickly closed the phone.
The door to hallway opened with a short black haired nurse of Korean decent peering out the side of the door.
“General Thomas Stone!” she said as she scanned the room looking for him.
Stone quickly rose up from the chair and approached her. The two quietly entered the triage area where once again, his weight, temperature and blood pressure were recorded.
“General, your temperature is within normal range but your weight and blood pressure are very concerning,” the nurse said as she noted the vitals in the chart.
“Yes, ma’am. The previous physician I have seen today has noted that in my recent visit to his office. My wife made this appointment due to what she thinks are gastrointestinal issues I’ve been having,” Stone replied.
“Please come this way…” said the nurse as she led Stone down the hall to the exam room.
“I hope this appointment won’t do me in. I’m starting to get a bit concerned myself,” said Stone as he sat down on the exam table.
“I understand. Dr. Flax will be with you shortly,” the nurse said as she closed the door behind her.
General Stone sat quietly musing to himself about his future with the Earth Defense Forces. His health issues has become evidence that his age has caught up with him. The stressful games of political strategy to end the Star Force and find a way to become the next Supreme Commander has enabled some hairs to turn gray. The door opened as Dr. Flax made his entrance into the exam room.
“Oh, my what do we have here??” exclaimed Dr. Flax excitedly as both men shook hands.
“ Be my guest, Doctor. My wife made this appointment. I swear I had nothing to do with it,” joked Stone.
“ Well the evidence is saying otherwise, General. Late night flatulence, chronic belching with occasional vomiting…What the hell is wrong with you?” asked Dr. Flax as he flipped a page of the chart over.
“Simply put…I’m falling apart!!” exclaimed General Stone as he sighed heavily.
“Let’s see here…your weight, blood pressure and body mass index is very concerning here. This sounds much much more than just simple gastrointestinal issues. I want to get you tested for diabetes. You’re exhibiting all of the signs that type two diabetes is very possible,” said Dr. Flax with concern as he listened to Stone’s heart beat through the stethoscope.
Stone sighed as Dr. Flax instructed him to breath deeply as he listened to his breathing.
“General…that heart beat is irregular and I wouldn’t rule out a murmur,” said the renowned Doctor.
“That’s what Dr. Gramme discovered a few hours ago. I’ll admit this is getting a bit worrisome,” Stone said.
Dr. Flax had the General lie flat on his back on the exam table. He placed the stethoscope on Stone’s abdomen and listened to the intestinal sounds from his stomach. He then placed the stethoscope over his shoulders and looked back at General Stone’s chart and made several notes.
“Stone, As far as your gastrointestinal issues are concerned, I find no apparent issues to which there needs to be any surgical procedure that needs to be done. I could order an upper GI and lower GI imaging to see if there are any internal issues like ulcers, bowel obstruction or worse. At this point, I see no need for imaging from what I’m hearing. I will say you do seem to have some over production of stomach acid. There’s an official term for that diagnosis. Actually there’s two but one is WORSE than the other. I’m going to start off by saying, what you don’t have is Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome. That’s a rare disorder that causes tumors, both benign and malignant to form within the digestive tract. If that were the case, You’d be relieved from duty indefinitely and I’d be working with an oncologist to try to save your life. But thank God that is not the case. What you have at this point is non-ulcer dyspepsia and it’s quiet common among the population that doesn’t have any active cases of intestinal ulcers or worse, cancer. I understand that your diet includes a lot of spicy and greasy foods. That alone there can cause weight gain and the current health problems you are having now. I am ordering you to cut out the greasy stuff. Spicy foods should be limited to once every three months. So that means, no spicy cuisine whether it be Mexican, Japanese or Korean,” said Dr. Flax as Stone crossed his arms and listened intently.
“So that’s pretty much the good news, Doctor. The changes made to my diet are surely going to be a challenge for me. I’m happy to hear that there is going to be no surgical procedures done for these issues,” said Stone as he looked more relieved.
“That is correct, General. I am going to get your testing for diabetes underway. I’ll have a nurse come in and check your A1C level. Just a small prick of the finger tip. No veins will be punctured for a full panel work up,” said Dr. Flax as he held Stone’s Chart and exited the Exam room.
General Stone retrieved his phone and dialed his wife, Klasha.
“Hello?” said the voice on the other end.
“Klasha, you were right to set this appointment up. We have an official diagnosis,” said Stone to his wife.
“Sweetheart, I have known you have had issues for a few years now. I hope it’s not what I have been thinking,” said Klasha on the end of the line.
“No no…It’s not Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome and that’s the good news. Bad news is that I do have an over production of stomach acid and Dr. Flax has diagnosed me with non-ulcer dyspepsia. It’s very treatable and there’s no surgery or imaging involved at this point,” said Stone as the door opened and a nurse entered with a lancet and A1C monitor.
“That’s good to hear. Are they testing you for diabetes?” asked Klasha as Stone held out his finger for the nurse to prick.
“That’s happening right now dear. I’ll find out in few minutes. In the meantime, I have to go. We’ll go talk to General Singleton about that leave tonight,” said Stone.
“Talk to you later,” said Klasha.
“You too, dear!” said Stone as he closed the flip phone.
The nurse had a very serious look of concern on her face after the test strip was inserted into the testing device.
“Ma’am….what was the A1C?” Stone asked as the nurse quickly opened the door.
A few seconds later, Dr. Flax entered the exam room with an order of hospital admission.
“General Stone…I’m afraid I’ll have to order you to be immediately admitted to the Federal Hospital. Your A1C is 24%…with an A1C that high, you should be in a diabetic coma. I’ve got to be frank and up front with you. That’s a daily sugar average of six-fourty-two!” said Dr. Flax as he handed the signed order of admission.
“MY GOD!!!” exclaimed Stone as his face appeared to be in shock.
“You’re not pre-diabetic! You’re officially a diabetic! Whether that is going to be type one or type two diabetes remains to be seen. We’ve got to get that sugar level down. It’s no wonder why you’re having issues. I could hear your boss say, “Stone, you’re falling apart”!” said Doctor Flax as Stone stepped down from the exam table and retrieved his jacket.
“Doctor, I’m on my way. If my wife had not have had scheduled that appointment with you, I could have wound up dead!” Stone said as he thanked him.
“General, you have a battle on your hands! There’s nothing the Earth government can do to help you in this battle but provide insurance coverage. Included in the admission order are several orders for blood work. Lipid Panel, another A1C panel to confirm today’s diagnosis, Cardiac panel, Blood Chemistry panel, and a few other tests that need to be obtained,” said Doctor Flax as he shook the General’s hand.
“Thank you Doctor for saving my life. Please provide a report to General Singleton so I can at least get a few weeks of leave time,” said Stone as he began to make his way down the hall.
“General…a few weeks is not enough leave time!! You’re going to need six months!!!” exclaimed Dr. Flax as Stone left the clinic for the Hospital.
General Stone’s life has been spared. While the Star Force remains on Pegasus, can Earth be spared of her horrid fate until the Star Force’s return? Earth is now regaining her planetary defenses Unknown to Earth and the Gamilons, a new enemy has undertaken a campaign of deadly conquest in the Andromeda Galaxy. It now not only not a question of “IF” but “when” will Earth be threatened again after the Gamilons are defeated. Hurry Star Force…time is running out as radiation continues to seep underground threatening the very underground cities that have protected Earth’s surviving population centers!!