The Return of the Manhattan (10 page)

“We would expect that. We think the owners would be agreeable to a reasonable down payment with annual payments dependent on finding ore.”

Roger and David followed the agents through the mine finding an occasional trace of the precious metal, but nothing significant. They went back to the surface, inwardly intrigued, but outwardly noncommittal.

They waited to discuss the merits of the site until they were on a shuttle to Reno, Nevada. David was far more impressed with the possibilities than he showed for the agent’s sake, “What do you think, Roger? Is that location ideal or what?”

“I think so. Although, we would need to cut an exit path for the Manhattan. It wouldn’t help to build it without a way to get out of the mountain. Too much is at stake to rely on their reports of stability though. Even if our reports come back the same, I think we should reinforce the walls and ceiling with high grade steel and concrete.”

“Maybe we should take a tour of the military site under the mountain in Cheyenne. They have occupied that site for several hundred years without a problem.”

“If you’d like, I will go there and see how they do it.”

“Okay with me, but you sound like you’ve already decided without even seeing the other site.

“We will be spending years at whatever site we choose and I don’t relish the thought of spending that much time in the desert. The scenery here is spectacular and the air is so fresh and clean.”

“At the Nevada site, we’d have to do a lot of excavating before going underground, and what excuse would we give?”

Roger thought for a minute, going over the project in his mind, “We wouldn’t need much of a cover story in Colorado. We could operate it as a mine for all exterior purposes. That would even give us excuses to come and go as often as we like. Even so, we could get a shuttle in at night without anyone the wiser, although it would probably be best if we didn’t try to do anything outwardly secretive.”

In Reno, Army General William C. Marshall met and escorted them to the other site. General Marshall was the opposite of the land agents at the mine. He ushered them around the site with obvious disdain, “Not much of a base here anymore. The only thing going for it is its remote location. I don’t know what you’d want with this place unless you’re doing something highly secretive.” He looked closely at them for a minute, “Haven’t I seen your face in the news recently? You look familiar. I know; you’re from that spacecraft, the Excalibur, aren’t you?”

“There’s no keeping secrets from you is there?”

“There was a decent story on you circulating around the Pentagon. Traveling faster than light makes you as famous as General Yeager when he broke the sound barrier. Congratulations.”

“Thanks.”

“There’s nothing around here except snakes and lizards. It’s none of my business but I guess you must have plenty of pull. My orders to support you came from pretty high up in the Pentagon. What are you planning to do here anyway?”

David laughed, “Right the first time. None of your business. We were going to do some research on some materials not welcome around populated areas, but I’m not convinced the desert is the best place anyway. That hangar over there is about the only thing on the site of any value.” He pointed to the one building that wasn’t in need of immediate repair. He turned to Roger, “Maybe we should take our project out into space. The moon might be more hospitable than this place.”

CHAPTER 19

A month later David joined Kevin and the girls aboard the yacht moored in the Detroit River. In spite of her resolve to berate David for his long absence, Brenda was overjoyed to see him again, but restrained herself quietly welcoming them back aboard giving David a hug and a lingering kiss that ended way too soon for either of their tastes. Brenda and Laura were pretty much on their own as Warren and Aimee left a few days earlier. Laura was full of enthusiasm relating all their experiences from New York to Detroit. David asked, “Well, what was the most impressive sight in all your travels?”

“Niagara Falls! You should have been there. I know Mom would have enjoyed herself much more if you had been there.”

Brenda reddened, “I think not. He’s too involved in his work for me. I think Kevin would be better company. He’s been a gracious escort for us when you were gone, David.”

He ignored the jibe, knowing Kevin would be soon be absent. “We’ve got a few days off now so let’s enjoy ourselves. Tonight, I want to take you to a Detroit Tigers baseball game, and tomorrow morning we will be at one of the most unusual places in the whole universe. Mackinac Island is a unique place where there are no modern vehicles except for fire engines and ambulances. It’s a small island no more than five miles across, but the major mode of transportation is horse and buggy or bicycle.”

“Have you been there, David?” Brenda asked wistfully.

“Yes, my wife and I spent our honeymoon there.”

David was silent as if remembering pleasant memories mixed with unpleasant ones. Brenda broke the silence, “I’m sorry David. I keep putting my foot in my mouth. If you’d rather not talk about it…”

“David smiled, “No, that’s not it. I thought it would be hard, but I have nothing but pleasant memories of Marie. I have mourned long enough; It’s time to live again. I was thinking of how much it rained when we were there. Now, I think Kevin has an announcement to make.”

Kevin stood and became serious, “I don’t really want to, but I will be leaving the project and joining the Excalibur crew for another trip to O-2113 as the Executive Officer. I’m looking forward to the trip, but I will miss all of you.”

David shook his hand, “We’ll miss you Kevin, but this is a great opportunity for you. By the way, who’s the commander?”

Kevin shook his head, “Sorry David; I can’t say. The president was adamant. He asks that you not try to find out as it might adversely affect your own mission. He said, ‘Someday, you will know and that should be sufficient.”

“Okay, you can keep your secret. I admit I’m curious, but when President Albee says something like that, there is a good reason.”

He turned to Brenda, “I guess one of the crew will take me back to shore, will you accompany me?” He hugged David and wished him good luck.

Brenda left with Kevin promising to be back shortly for their conference meeting. Kevin put his arm around her shoulder, possessively leading her toward the launch. He sat beside her, drawing her closer and kissed her. She tenderly returned the kiss, sincerely wishing him well on his new assignment. Kevin began to demand more and Brenda pulled away. He held on to her hand and pleaded, “Brenda, please don’t reject me. I’m falling madly in love with you. Would you come with me aboard the Excalibur? We could stay for the entire trip or re-settle in the new world.”

Brenda drew back, “Sorry, Kevin. It can’t be. I’m committed to David.”

“But, he will be leaving you and you know he will have no time for you once the project begins.”

Brenda took off her dark framed glasses and took her hand from his, “I have no choice, but time is on my side. Say hello to your commander for me. I flew with him a long time ago. I know you will have a very enjoyable trip.”

Kevin’s mouth dropped, recognition coming slowly, “It’s you isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“David doesn’t know who you are, does he?”

“No, it’s hard but I think he’s falling in love with me anyway.”

“He’d be a fool if he doesn’t! And how about Laura?”

“For her sake, she must never know!”

They thoroughly enjoyed the baseball game although David and Brenda spent more time holding hands and watching each other than the game. Laura quickly became excited with the game and interrupted them frequently asking questions about how the game was played. Laura had read about baseball, but never experienced anything like it. A pop fly came close to their position once which caused a little excitement, but they weren’t able to get the ball. Hotdogs and soft drinks were their banquet for the evening.

When they returned to the ship, David gave the captain the go ahead to proceed and after they were underway gave Brenda and Laura his update. “We are now the owners of a silver mine in Colorado.”

“What for?” was Brenda’s quick response.

“Why do you care? Aren’t you going with Kevin?” He couldn’t help himself as he gently teased her. He had felt very close to her the entire evening, but every now and then, a twinge of jealousy overcame him.

“David,” She began all the while shaking her head, “It’s not like that. We shared some memories from when I knew him a long time ago. You know the astronaut corps has always been a close knit group.”

David was relieved, but kept his thoughts to himself as he answered her question, “Well it was a silver mine and we are going to make anybody aware of any activity in the area think it’s a profitable working mine once again, even if we have to haul ore in from somewhere else.”

Laura asked, “But Dad, how are we going to work on the project with all that activity going on?”

“We need to do a lot of excavation to enlarge one of the caverns so we do need to move a lot of rock. The mining operation will only be our cover, not of primary concern. And we can hire plenty of other people for that operation, so none of us need to be involved.”

The next morning they docked at Mackinac Island where David rented a carriage pulled by a team of horses. Laura was fascinated by the horses, since she had never seen an animal larger than a dog up close other than the wild animals on O-2113. She laughed with glee seeing the canvas bags hung behind the horses. The driver explained, “It’s unnatural, but the local laws are very strict and we are required to keep the island as clean as possible.”

They started off with the horses moving at a slow plodding walk which got even slower as they climbed the small hills. Laura urged the driver to go faster, but he just smiled replying politely, “Sorry, these horses work too many hours to wear them out running them. The authorities watch us pretty close and would slap us with an animal abuse charge quicker than you can say Mackinac Island. It’s not far across the island and we’ll trot going downhill. After this trip you can rent a bicycle and go as fast as you like.”

“But I don’t know how to ride!” Laura complained.

“Nothing like the present to learn.” David laughed, “Sit back and relax. You’ll get the hang of the bicycle in a few minutes of expert instruction from Brenda.”

Brenda snorted, “Ha! You can do the honors of that yourself buster. That is if you can ride yourself.”

“Well, I haven’t ridden since I was here before. Marie and I rode around the island several times. But it’s just like flying; once you learn, you never forget.”

They entered a wooded area darkened by the overhead foliage blocking out the sun. Brenda leaned back against David laying her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and it felt good. He had no illusions about his future with Brenda, but for the moment, he wanted her to enjoy the vacation. Laura stifled a giggle when she saw them.

The ride ended at the Grand Hotel where they ate lunch, then sat quietly on the long hotel porch sipping lemonade enjoying quiet moments together. Laura wanted more action and David agreed to go cycling with her. David showed her how to ride and she was soon pedaling like a pro while David and Brenda had a hard time keeping up with her along the trails. They didn’t care; they were taking their time enjoying each other’s company. They stopped for a walk up to the old fort and watched the drama of a reenactment of an early eighteenth century court martial. Laura watched with excitement, but David and Brenda were more interested in each other.

At the end of the day, David left boarding a small aircraft for the flight off the island to the Emmet County Airport at Pellston where he could board a shuttle on his way to Colorado. He didn’t want to leave, but he thought he was getting too close to Brenda and he didn’t know how he could fit that kind of relationship into his plans.

David and Brenda saw more and more of each other over the next few years, but there was always something between them that left them a step apart each time they got together. They held each other, kissed frequently, but when it became serious, they would back off for a time. They talked regularly over the videophone mostly on business. Brenda was disappointed, yet knew that a closer relationship should not develop between them.

She kept herself occupied while honing Laura’s flying skills in all types of aircraft and becoming a real mother to her. Laura earned her pilot’s license and Brenda found some older aircraft from the National Space and Flight Museum that were flyable. They were all equipped with Electro Magnetic Engines, but they utilized wings for lift and were controlled aerodynamically. It took all the power the president could wield, but the director of the museum finally relented and cooperating fully allowing Brenda to fly and instruct in the aircraft she requested. It only took a few flights in each for Laura to feel comfortable with them. One of the most interesting aircraft they found was the original DC9 that had been modified with the first Electro Magnetics engines in the twentieth century. It flew like a dream and Laura quickly became proficient in it. They flew several different aircraft, but the simulators were utilized extensively for most of the rest of her training. The remainder of Brenda’s time was occupied by President Albee with continual updates from the project, although she often shuttled to various places around the country in support of David and Roger.

CHAPTER 20

Roger had the benefit of data from the safe which confirmed the experiments he had conducted during the voyage of the Excalibur, but he didn’t know details of what would occur along the way. He had lingering questions that nagged at the back of his mind, but knew they could proceed with confidence. He thought if the cycle continued, there would be an infinite number of voyages even as there are an infinite number of pasts, presents, and futures? Or would they all become one and the same? In the final analysis, it didn’t matter. They had already changed history, but he instinctively knew they weren’t just going through the motions, and this trip and the earlier trips if there were such a time dimension as earlier, would probably be the same as if they merged into themselves and became one.

The testing of the Manhattan took several weeks after attaining orbit as each system was subjected to a battery of test objectives with the Manhattan away from the mountain stronghold under its own power. Brenda watched from inside the complex as the countdown included bringing the time machine to the brink of sending them back into time and David and Laura out of her life perhaps for all time. She wondered if she would ever see either of them again. She remained on pins and needles until the Manhattan returned back to their mountain stronghold where it would remain until the launch.

Although the Manhattan itself was a complete self-contained community, the complex deep within the mountain contained a small city with all the support needed for day to day operation. The personnel in the complex would not be able to provide any support once the voyage began, but they had enormous responsibilities prior to the launch. Those support members would not have any extended time off during the voyages, but would immediately prepare for the Manhattan’s return which might be only a matter of hours or even minutes after their departure even though those aboard the Manhattan would experience years of their life before returning. Most of the crew were technicians, professionals in aircraft and spacecraft maintenance who would monitor the Manhattan’s performance particularly in the power plant and propulsion areas. They could work on the airframe of the Manhattan, although not much work was expected in that area. They were capable of modifying many different types of twentieth century aircraft and couldn’t wait to get their hands on them. During the last couple of years before launch, they had procured a number of antique aircraft, which they had torn apart panel by panel, and put back together again and again. They would spend hours en route studying the blueprints and designs of several different models and be ready when called upon.

Although many of the crew remained aboard the Manhattan, David and Laura exited the ship to spend their last evening with Brenda. It was a difficult time for Brenda, who had to say good bye to Laura for all time. For Laura, it was just as hard, Brenda wasn’t her real mother in the biological sense, but for all other purposes, she was more than a mother; she was her companion and friend. She loved her far more than she thought she could possibly have loved her real mother, although how could she know. Laura also felt that Brenda would be a perfect stepmother if she could leave the two of them by themselves for a little while, and so she made her excuses and went back to the ship.

David agreed as though he read Laura’s mind and didn’t put up any fuss when Laura left for the evening. David didn’t waste any time calling the manager aside requesting the perfect romantic setting at the site restaurant where the entire crew that desired to leave the ship would eat their last meal off the Manhattan for several years. Everyone at the restaurant, and everyone who could be there from the site bent over backwards to insure this was a memorable evening for the crew. Most of the personnel on the site were aware the Manhattan would be going on a long voyage, but that was all, other than knowing their destination was Top Secret. In reality, only a few of the onboard crew knew the entire story. The site supervisor who would be left behind to manage the site during their absence wanted everyone to be a part of this historic event, but he also wanted to provide the perfect evening for David and Brenda. He found a private room and provided a candlelit dinner with all the trimmings.

David seated Brenda close to him where they could hold hands, embrace, and share an occasional lingering kiss as they ate their meal. There wasn’t much in conversation as they quietly enjoyed each other’s company. David waited all evening and finally got up the nerve to ask, “Brenda, I think you know… I love you… . Will you marry me?”

Brenda kissed him deeply and he thought he had his answer. She broke off and looked him directly in the eyes, “David, I do love you and I want more than anything to be your wife, but I can’t… . I think you’re in love with Marie and I don’t think you will ever forget her and your memories would always stand between us.”

David protested even knowing he would never forget Marie and he would always love her. He couldn’t even look at his daughter without seeing and thinking of Marie, but he also had a deep love for Brenda. He begged her to reconsider, but she adamantly refused, “If you stop and think for a minute, you know I can’t marry you. It’s too late, and even if we could get someone to marry us tonight, I don’t want to spend only one night with my husband. You are going to be gone a long time and there’s no way I can go. The president has told me in no uncertain terms that I can’t marry you and he wouldn’t allow it for reasons you couldn’t know now but someday may understand.”

“Are you seeing someone else?” He couldn’t look her in the eyes as he thought about her being with Kevin.

“No, David, I love you and have never even looked at anyone else since the first day we met. I have loved you longer than you know.”

He was relieved, “I don’t understand, but I have to accept your reasons. Will it be okay for me to ask you again when we return?”

“Yes, David, but I don’t think it would work then either.”

“Darling, I think you’re wrong and I will never stop trying to win your love.”

“Oh, I hope not, but you have already won all I have to give.”