The Return of the Manhattan (8 page)

“It’s beautiful, but awful crude. It doesn’t have any instruments. How can you fly it?” Laura excitedly walked around the old aircraft looking at each feature with curiosity. Are you sure it’s safe?”

“Of course, but it’s only as safe as the pilots that fly it. It’s totally VFR, but I suppose you don’t know much about that. It’s almost a lost art, but there are many pilots who work hard keeping it as a viable alternative, if only for sport. There are areas of dedicated airspace for this type of sport flying and we will use one of those. As for the instruments, you’re going to learn to fly by making your own. The only instruments you need on the panel are the altimeter and airspeed indicator. Of course the tach and oil pressure were pretty essential for the good of the old engines. The attitude indicator is something you want to be able to rely on if you ever need it when flying VFR. More than one pilot has bought the farm when they lost their outside reference when the weather turned bad or the sky was too hazy to recognize the horizon. For now, I want you to get to feel the aircraft by the seat of your pants. The tach is for reference of the power setting and the oil pressure is not real. But, they are there because after flying this, you can fly the real thing and then it’s important to keep those in your crosscheck. Today, let’s go up and let you get a feel for it, and that way I can see if you have any aptitude for flying.”

“Get me in the simulator, or get me on the shuttle, and I’ll show you!”

“Oh, I know you can do that, and with that ability, you can be a good average pilot. But, we need to know if you have what it takes to be the best and that’s why we are going to fly today.”

“Why?”

“The president wants my recommendation by tomorrow. Your father doesn’t know it, but if you have what it takes, you will have a major role after his project becomes operational. The time machine is only the vehicle to take you back to the past where you can make a difference, but you have to make the difference by modifying and test flying aircraft from that century. That’s why you have to learn to fly this way. You’re going to be our agent in the twentieth century. That’s why we are taking the time out to fly today.”

Laura stopped dead in her tracks, and exclaimed, “How do you know all that? All that information was kept Top Secret and only a few of the crew from the Excalibur know anything about that.”

Brenda grabbed her arm, pulling her toward the open door, “Come on, we’re burning daylight. I’ve probably said too much already, but that’s why it’s so important. Let’s get this thing in the air so I can make my report to the president. By the way, keep this under your hat, your father will know soon enough.

I’m only going to show you once and then we’ll land and you can do it.” Brenda demonstrated how to start the engine, check it out, and properly preflight the aircraft. She taxied to the runway stressing the importance of proper flight control adjustments for the wind. She spoke briefly about the requirements for engine run ups and magneto checks required before the advent of the electromagnetic engines before taxiing to the end of the runway. Soon they were in the air where Brenda made good on her promise to help Laura make her own instruments. She trimmed the aircraft for straight and level flight and asked Laura to draw with a grease pencil, a vertical line in the center and a horizontal line across the windscreen corresponding with the horizon. “That’s your attitude indicator. Keep the vertical line straight up and down, and the horizontal line on the horizon and you’ll do fine. Use it until you get the picture, then you won’t need it any longer.” Brenda demonstrated a perfect landing and asked, “Are you ready to give it a try?”

Laura could hardly hold her enthusiasm in check, “I’m ready!”

A few minutes later, she had her chance, and bounced into the air. At first she couldn’t keep her altitude within five hundred feet nearly making herself sick, but she improved rapidly in the next twenty minutes. She bounced five times on landing but managed to get it on the runway. Brenda’s only comment, “They say any landing you can walk away from is a good one!”

Laura was subdued the rest of the afternoon. She wasn’t used to failing in anything she tried and she was learning one of her first lessons in humility. Brenda didn’t say much as she prepared to take Laura to see her grandmother. Laura was pleasantly surprised to find her belongings had been already delivered and stowed in her room, but she was at a loss to decide what to wear that evening. She carried two sets of clothing out asking, “What do you think? I don’t know what to wear.”

“Either of those will be fine for tonight, your grandmother won’t care, but we’ve got to get you something decent before tomorrow night. Go ahead and get dressed, we don’t want to keep her waiting!” Brenda wondered how hard it must have been for Laura without a mother’s touch after she had left the scene and thought, ‘If I had been there, she would have had lots of pretty clothes made especially for her.’

Laura’s grandmother’s house was only a few blocks and they walked. Brenda walked through the door without knocking greeting the older lady, “Hi Mom, are you ready for your granddaughter?”

Laura didn’t have time to think about it as her grandmother rushed to her and enfolded her in her arms. “Laura my baby!” She didn’t say much more as she could hardly control her emotions. She held Laura for a few minutes before leading her into the kitchen where she served freshly baked cookies and milk. “My how you’ve grown since I last saw you. Let’s see, you were about two years old I believe. So young to have lost your Mama and so far from home. Whatever did you do all those years?”

Laura felt right at home and chatted about everything aboard the Excalibur except for any reference to the time machine. Brenda sat watching, munching her cookies, but not saying much. Grandmother listened with fascination, occasionally interjecting a question. She led Laura into another room and opened a closet full of girl’s clothing. “These used to belong to your mother. You can take what you like. Maybe some of them will fit. You’re tall and lanky like your mother was.”

Laura exclaimed in glee, “They’re beautiful. Look at this!” She pulled out a red party gown with gold thread woven into the fabric.”

Brenda watched with amusement as Laura’s grandmother exclaimed, “My daughter had a taste for the exotic too. She was way too young to wear anything like that as you are. But, no matter, your father will probably let you wear anything you like. Too bad your mother isn’t here to teach you how to be a lady, but I suppose Brenda can do the job, if she can stay around long enough.”

Laura picked several articles and changed into one to wear for the rest of the evening and Brenda programmed the house computer to have the rest delivered to her apartment. Time passed quickly as Laura became acquainted with her grandmother, but Brenda finally suggested they start for home. “You know the way and can walk here as often as you like; it’s quite safe even after dark. Of course you can use public transportation anytime you like.”

As they were walking, Laura asked, “Why do you call her Mom? You’re not her daughter are you? You couldn’t possibly be my aunt, could you?”

“Heavens no! Your mother and I were close and I was at your grandmother’s almost every day. I’ve called her Mom as long as I can remember. You don’t mind do you?”

“No, of course not.” She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Can I call you Mom? I know you’re not old enough to be my Mom, but… .”

Brenda wrapped her arms around Laura, not wanting to ever let go, and replied with tears in her eyes, “I’d love that! But, maybe your Dad would object?”

“Too bad! Serves him right for going along with President Albee when I didn’t want to stay here. I get along with Dad and I love him, but I’ve wanted a mom a long time.”

“I’ve wanted a daughter a long time too. I’m so glad you’re going to be staying with me.” They hugged each other as if trying to make up for all the lost years. “Oh, and have you changed your mind about staying with me here in Washington? I love you, Laura.”

“I love you too Mom, and Yes, as my father says, I’m in hog heaven!” She was happy for most of the evening, but when she remembered her flying that afternoon, she lapsed back into a subdued mood.

The next morning, they spent hours shopping, getting all the necessities along with several outfits practical for school. That evening, Laura insisted on wearing the red dress that had been her mothers. It fit perfectly and Brenda was pleased.

They arrived at the White House on schedule and met David as they got off the transport. He had been there a few minutes, but waited for them. He almost didn’t recognize Laura and marveled at how beautiful Brenda looked in her evening gown. He took her arm to escort her into the White House dining room, while Laura took his other hand.

The room was filled with cabinet members and a few select Congressmen, former President Gardiner, along with Roger and Warren with their wives. The president paid high tribute to David and his crew. “My hat goes off to David Ashton, Roger Dorn, Kevin Haugen, Warren Baker and Laura Ashton who is the heart and soul of this team. I wish to acknowledge to all of you here tonight that this group along with the rest of the crew on the Excalibur, sacrificed nine years of their lives to make it possible for each of us to continue to live in this nation without worrying about a shortage of oil. They have also been part of a team that for the first time traveled faster than light. Their journey took them over two hundred light years distance and in all estimations their mission was a complete success.” The president’s tone changed to a somber note, “We remember the sacrifice of Gladys Ashton, Thomas White, and Annette White who died while attempting to accomplish that mission.”

After dinner, the president waited patiently for the room to clear and allow the secret service detail to secure the room. He asked all to be seated and began, “You members of my staff and congressmen have been wondering, I’m sure, what I’ve been talking about. What’s this, you wonder, about an oil shortage? And you, the crew from the Excalibur have an impressive technological advancement to share in regard to time travel.”

David protested, “But sir, you couldn’t know about that!”

“I know, but I do! I have appointed you, David, to be the project manager to build that time machine Roger has developed. You see the trouble with time machines is that once they’ve been used, you never know whether you are in the past or the present. Roger, your theories and time machine worked to perfection and we have eliminated the oil shortage problem. Please, stay with me on this for a moment. You congressmen are living in a different dimension of the future than you, the crew of the Excalibur, or maybe it’s all one and the same. I don’t know, but your future has been secured. I say that, but it will only be secured if we do the same thing we are doing in that other dimension of time, if there is another dimension. That’s why you distinguished members of congress are here.”

He had their attention and everyone was listening with awe and wonder, “Let me back up a moment. Nine years ago, President Gardiner sent David and his crew deep into the Milky Way to get as much oil as they could possibly bring back in their starship. President Gardiner did that because the world as he knew it was running out of oil, and he didn’t have any other choice. You may ask why we didn’t know about that. Because, in our dimension of time, that is no longer the case because David and his crew were successful. They went far beyond what we asked of them and invented a time machine which had, with further development, the ability to go back in time five hundred years and make it possible for our ancestors to conserve oil so we would have an abundance today. That time machine has not been built yet, but it did go back and was successful!”

Senator Young threw up his hands in exasperation, “Sir, you’re not making any sense, if something has not been built then it couldn’t do what you say it did!”

The president continued, “President Gardiner, in the present dimension, acted for a different reason than he did originally, but the result was the same and the crew of the Excalibur didn’t know the difference. I am acting the same as I did in the original dimension, but with a different motivation because now I have the benefit of hind sight. I know how the mission was accomplished and we will do it again just as we did before, if there is a before, even when we have no awareness of the other dimension of time. I have invited you members of congress who hold key positions on the finance committees, here tonight to present a formal request to fund a top secret mission, which we will call the Manhattan II Project. The projected cost to build the Manhattan, a time ship to go back to the twentieth century is two hundred twenty-three trillion dollars.”

Senator Young laughed, “You’re out of your gourd if you think we are going to authorize that kind of money on a project as dumb as that! You have no way of knowing what is happening in other dimensions of time, even if it’s possible.”

The president was deadly serious, “Oh, I know, and I have ironclad proof; I think you will agree once you’ve seen it. Over five hundred years ago President Daniel Dugan was the recipient of the Manhattan Project and with his help, the mission was accomplished. The original planners foresaw the meeting we are having tonight and set us up for the project to continue especially if it was successful as it apparently was. They planted an egg in the Oval Office which hatched during President Gardiner’s term in office. David Ashton and his crew placed a strongbox in Dugan’s Oval Office set to open five hundred years later. That box contained the plans for the Manhattan and the proof you require. I have sealed documents from every president in the intervening years authenticating their guardianship of that box.”

The president paused and pressed a button under the table. The door opened and an aide wheeled in a black strongbox and then left securing the door behind him. “This is the box which President Gardiner opened.” He looked over at President Gardiner for confirmation.

Former President Gardiner nodded, “What President Albee has said is true. The box opened on schedule and I sent the Excalibur on their original mission. I flat out lied through my teeth, telling them how we were running out of oil. They went on that mission with the belief that if they were unsuccessful, then our civilization would burn itself out. I found all the information which the president has given you, and had to put on a performance that should have won me an Oscar. I sent the earlier Pathfinder Probe out with the same degree of deception.”