The Su-11 prototype was the most revolutionary aircraft ever designed. It was using a derivative of the magnetic flux generator for propulsion. The skin was totally radar absorbing so that it was impossible to detect. The Su–11 was capable of leaving the earth’s orbit without booster rockets. They had made six test flights so far and each one had been accomplished magnificently with only minor glitches.
On this test, they had actually orbited the earth and gone undetected by every nation, including our own. All of that was about to come crashing down because of a hydraulic malfunction. He sat in the chopper, wishing he had taken the time to get a coat and go pee first.
“Sir. It’s down. First report is that it is scattered over a two to three mile area. Some of it may have come down in the city of Winterburg. It’s a little town west of Phoenix.”
“Damn it. How soon will we have assets on the ground?”
“ETA is twenty minutes.”
“Let’s not just sit here, let’s roll,” the general ordered.
When President Sampson looked out the window of Air Force One he was able to catch a glimpse of the Mississippi river. It wouldn’t be long now before he was back in Washington. He had just spent four days in various meetings around the country. One of the staff brought him a cup of coffee and the telexes from the news services. He glanced at each one briefly until he got to the one from the Phoenix New Times.
The lead article was about a military air craft that had disintegrated just to the west of Phoenix. According to the story, the craft was an experimental craft and crashed near a small town called Winterburg, Arizona. The military were on the scene now but local reporters and news teams were the first to arrive.
Several civilians were hurt on the ground and one of the pilots was dead and the other in critical condition and not expected to live. First reports were of a meteor breaking up but it was soon discovered to be a secret military aircraft. The report went on to say that the military were claiming that it was a prototype of a fighter craft; observers said it was far too big to be a fighter or bomber.
Now what, the President wondered? He was just at Area-51 and no one mentioned an experimental aircraft that was ready to fly. Why wouldn’t General Devin have mentioned that? In his talk with Devin, he had said that it would be at least a year or even longer before they would have a craft ready for controlled flight.
As he sat thinking he could remember Devin saying that they couldn’t get the fuel containment alignment exactly right yet. So what experimental aircraft did crash? Why didn’t he know about it? He placed a call to Craig Hollister, the secretary of Defense.
“Craig, I just read about one of our experimental aircraft crashing someplace in Arizona. What do you know about it?”
“Sir, not much more than you do at present. I know of no experimental craft flights scheduled. I called Luke Air Force Base and the commanding officer said he received a call from General Devin’s office telling them to get out there and seal off the area. The craft was classified as Ultra Top Secret and concerned National Security.”
“Have you called Devin?”
“I’ve been trying. He is out in the field at the crash site and isn’t answering my calls,” Craig told him.
“I don’t like this. I know he is to report directly to me but he sure the hell should at least return the calls of the Secretary of Defense. He can’t be that busy.”
“All I can tell you sir, is that he has refused to take my calls. I’ve had my staff calling almost nonstop, trying to persuade someone to get him on the phone.”
“All right Craig. I’ll call him myself,” he said.
It took a few minutes before they were able to make the connection.
“I want to speak to General Devin; this is the President of the United States.”
“Yeah, right, and I’m the Queen of England,” the man at the other end said.
“Son, I don’t know who you are and you damn sure don’t want me to find out. This is the President aboard Air Force One and you had better put me through to the general.”
“Oh God. Sorry Mr. President. I thought it one of the men pulling a prank on me. I’ll connect you immediately,” he stammered.
The President waited, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Almost a minute went by before a different person came on the line.
“I’m sorry sir. General Devin is directing the recovery operation and doesn’t have time to talk. He said he simply can’t come to the phone now. He asked me to relay his regrets and to tell you that he would return your call just as soon as he has a free minute.”
The President fumed, his anger starting to rise. He doesn’t have time to talk to the President of the United States? It was becoming apparent that maybe he had gone too far in his praise of the general.
“I want General Devin on the line right now, do you understand?”
“Yes sir,” the man said.
Another long lapse of time before the man came back on the line.
