There Must Be A Mistake Ch. 24

The amazing thing is not only is he alive, but I've never seen a man his age in such perfect physical and mental shape. I would love to clone his DNA. However, it's against the law, not that I wouldn't mind breaking it in his case."

"Listen to me Doctor, if you clone him, I will kill you. I can barely put up with one of him. If you bring any more of him into this world, I will find you, and put you in a meat grinder until you come out looking like pink slime."

"I thought you and Lucius were friends?"

"We are, sort of, but it took Margaret to keep us in balance."

"What would Margaret do; put you both in timeout?"

"No, she would yell at us, and tell us to stop it this instant. She would read us the riot act. She was our friend, and we would do anything for her. In his own way, Lucius loved her as much as I did."

"General, in that case, you have to learn how to grow up."

"You don't know how many times I've heard that from Margaret and Lucius. If we had the chance, Margaret would have shown me how. Go take care of my friend; I'll be waiting here."

"Way to go Admiral."

"Don't start with me Doctor; I have a very short fuse."

************

If there is one thing our new electronic devices don't like, its powerful magnets. When Sylvia arrived in Dan's office, she brought two high-powered, variable frequency electronic magnet wands with her.

Michael and Sylvia went through the two offices expertly. If there was a recording device, of any nature, it was wiped clean when one of these wands came within 12 inches of it. They did both offices in less than 10 minutes, including the air conditioning ducts. Dan had three video cameras hidden in his office, and all were pointing at his desk.

Paul locked the door, when the trio was finished.

Michael said he had to get downstairs and make sure they had 20 minutes of constant coverage of Dan's office that looked absolutely perfect. If those minutes weren't perfect, Dan would blow the roof off the building. Then he would start shooting people, starting with the Colonel."

***************

Doctor Finch walked into the waiting room holding three x-rays.

"That man is absolutely amazing. Look at these general; look at these x-rays. There is nothing torn or damaged; he has a sprained knee. From what you told me, he should be being operated on in the morning, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with him. I don't care what you say; the military needs more people like him. I am going to clone him. He is better than that old series, "The Six Million Dollar Man."

He's in his room hobbling after our nurse. I have $10 on him. I'm keeping him here overnight to let the swelling go down. I'll put him in a knee brace in the morning, if he needs it, and then I'll send him home. If you want to see him, go ahead. Just knock on the door first, if it's closed. He may be screwing the nurse."

"What kind of hospital are you running here Doctor?"

"A happier one, since your boss, Mister Zabo, bought it. Everyone is much friendlier at work."

"It certainly sounds that way Doctor. We will check on Lucius before we leave."

**************

The nurse was adjusting the pillows behind Lucius's head, and one of her breasts was inches from his wide-open mouth. He moved it into perfect position to bite it, when Dan yelled, "Don't you dare touch her."

The nurse swiftly moved away from Lucius.

"Are you at it again with Mister Canyon? I'm going to have welts all over my behind, and elsewhere, because of you."

"Can I help it if you're so beautiful?"

"Colonel, keep your hands to yourself."

"That wasn't my hand General. You know what it's like being cooped up in hospital."

"They just got you into bed Lucius, that doesn't qualify as being cooped up."

"It does for me sir."

"Do I have to leave two guards here overnight to protect the nurse?"

Jason and Harry said, "Yes sir, you do."

"I take it you two are not married."

"One of us could be by morning sir."

"Get out of here; you are as bad as he is."

"Can we get anything for you, before we leave Lucius?"

"No, but would you take my wallet my keys with you. I don't like leaving those things lying around."

"Where are you hiding them, Lucius?"

"They are in my shoes, with my socks."

"That's the first place crooks look, you idiot."

"How am I supposed to know? I try to stay out of hospitals, as much as possible."

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning."

"Thanks Danny, good night."

****************

118. Thin Air

Richard asked, "Dad have you put any thought into what we are going to do if we find a planet that is livable, but has an oxygen ratio that is too low."

It was one of those moments, where I wanted to kick myself. "Richard did I tell you I love you today?"

"It doesn't matter if you tell me out loud dad, I know you do. You show me how much you love me by the way you treat me, and the way you look at me."

"I still should say it more often my son. When I was very sick, that is one of the things I thought about, but did not have the strength to write down. I did not remember it, as I was getting better. Thank you for reminding me. Did you have anything in mind for that problem?"

"There are two obvious answers dad; we could either wear light spacesuits, depending on other atmospheric conditions, or we can wear oxygen bottles on our backs, as scuba divers do. We will have to wear facemasks, again depending on the atmospheric conditions outside. We could use a 3-D printer to make masks of various designs, made to our specific needs at the time."

"Come over here mister nine-year-old genius, I'm going to spank you."

"Why, what did I do wrong now?"

"Do you want to guess what we forgot to order for the spacecraft?"

"Let me guess, would it be a 3-D printer?"

"No it would be three 3-D printers, with a bunch of spare parts, and supplies."

"Why three dad; why not two or four?"

"You always want one printer near the main bridge, just in case something needs to be repaired quickly. You need a second printer near Engineering, for the same reason. You want the third printer by the maintenance area, as a ready replacement, if one of the others breaks down. You bring that machine to replace the broken one. You bring the broken one to maintenance, to be repaired immediately. The broken machine becomes a priority item. It must be repaired with all due haste. Almost everything else will move back one spot because of it."

"I love talking to you dad, and that's one of the reasons why. I never get a yes or no answer and have it end there. I always get an explanation to go along with it. I understand the reason why something has to be the way it is. Gordon gives me answers the same way, and he tells me it's because of you."

"Thank you Richard, that means a lot to me. Teaching Gordon was easy, because he was an excellent student. Knowing he is teaching you the same way means I got through to him. Now he is getting through to you the same way. You must be an excellent student."

"I hope so dad. I'm going to go work on that oxygen problem to see what else I can come up with."

"Don't get too bogged down with it Richard, because there are too many variables to can go with it. All that would have to happen is there is too much radiation, or ultraviolet light, and you would have to adjust everything."

"Okay dad, I'll give it two hours. If something doesn't happen by then, I'll give up on it."

"That's a good boy Richard, and it's an excellent compromise."

"Just one more question dad; when I'm making my computations do I make it for 70 people."

"You always plan for more than what you have. 10 percent more is always the minimum."

"Thank you dad, I'm going back to work. I'm going to stop bothering you now, so you can get back to work."

"You can bother me anytime you want with questions like that Richard. If we left without those supplies I would have kicked myself."

****************

Delicious answered the telephone, while watching Newton and Teddy fooling around on the floor.

"One moment please."

"Newt, ask your sister who's on the phone."

"Okay mom."

"Teddy, mommy wants to know who's on the phone."

"Mom, Teddy said it's a man that's going to make you very happy."

"Hello."

"Hello Mrs. Thyme, this is Wes Purcell from Babcock and Wilcox, how are you today?"

"Hello Mister Purcell, my daughter just told me you are going to make me very happy. That can only mean that the engine and casing is finished. Am I correct?"

"How old is your daughter again?"

"She's 10 months old."

"She's 10 months old and she's talking in sentences already?"

"Do you remember my son, Newton, Mister Purcell?"

"How could I ever forget him Mrs. Thyme?"

"Well Teddy is extremely talented, but in a different way."

"Oh, okay."

"Tell me about the engine?"

"It is a thing of beauty. We are ready to ship it to you, anytime you want it. It's all sealed up, and really to float to Houston. We will arrange for the special railroad car to be there to take it to the intersection of the highway just north of you. The highway will be closed, between the railroad crossing and your facility because of the oversized flatbed truck that will be carrying the engine. We will arrange for the police escort, and the escort trucks to be there to bracket the flatbed carrying the engine."

"Did you make the changes to the chamber, from fission to fusion?"

"Yes I did. I wish I was going with you so I could see it work."

"Unfortunately Mister Purcell, you don't qualify. You are over 40 years old, and you are married."

"You are married, and you are going."

"My husband is a scientist, and I designed two of the three engines. We are an exception to the rule."

"I built your engine. I wouldn't mind leaving my wife, my four kids, my mortgage, my car payments, and my bills behind."

"I only have two children Mister Purcell, and I'm seeing a psychiatrist because of them. Send me my engine, and I hope it will take my mind off them. Hold on one second Mister Purcell my son needs me."

"Yes Newton, what do you need?"

"It's not me mommy, it's Teddy. She said if you're not nice to us, you will not know what wire to put into what socket when your engine comes."

"Mister Purcell, please send me my engine before there's a hurricane. I have a little tornado in my home, and we are going to have a discussion."

"It will be on its way in two days Mrs. Thyme. All the measurements checked out within millimeters of your specifications. Please don't put it in backwards."

"Thank you Mister Purcell, between you and my children, I'm going to start playing with Tinker Toys. Goodbye."

"Come with me Newton; we're going have a talk with Teddy; and if my mother is listening, she is going to get an ear full also."

*****************

I was in William's office telling him now was the time to send out the emails to the scientists I felt best fit the profile for our expedition, and would mix well with our other passengers. None of them was over 40 years old, or married, but there were only 30 slots available for them. If it was at all possible, I wanted to pick slightly more females than males, depending on their qualifications. We didn't have to worry about government protocols, because we were a private endeavor.

It was also time for us to pick out the specialists for our crew. Each person was of vital importance to the success of our mission. We would publish a list to the people who worked for us over the past seven years. If they met our qualifications, and wanted to take the trip of a lifetime, they were to respond using only their employee identification number. Using this method, we hoped to keep unwanted solicitations down to a minimum.

Big Blue began categorizing our former employees by sex, age, marital status, work record, and supervisory comments. I never realized how many female employees we had working on the spacecraft, and not just as logistical support, or clerical workers. I went to my office and used the computer to find out exactly how many females we had working on the spacecraft. Much to my surprise, it was 38 percent.

When you think of construction work, you always think of big burly man, with huge arms, using large hammers to pound four-inch nails to connect 2 x 4's into shape. It took me a while to realize I designed this craft, without the use of metal. Otherwise, it would have defeated the purpose of Delicious Magnetic Direct Drive Engines.

I shook my head; I have been away from work too long. I had to get my brain back into gear. I had to get back to my science, my first love. I went to my workstation, read the last chapter of my notes, and started working. I did not move for the rest of the day, until I saw a needle in front of my eyes.

Hannah said, "It's your choice Doctor Luck; the easy way for you, or the easy way for me. Which way shall it be?"

"Can I complete writing down my notes and we can leave?"

"How long are we talking about Doctor?"

"It will take one or two minutes, not any longer than that."

"Go ahead Doctor, but at the two minute mark the needle goes into your neck."

"I agree Hannah."

I wrote down everything I needed to remember as I closed in on the ending of my workday, and where my mind was heading when I stopped. I closed the book put it in my drawer and locked it. I pushed my chair back turned and began to stand up. I fell down into my seat, because my legs had fallen to sleep.

"What's the matter Doctor?"

"My legs are numb."

"How long have you been sitting there?"

"I started working at about 10 o'clock this morning, and I didn't stop."

"That's the best way to get a blood clot in your legs Doctor. You will die quickly, as the blood starts to flow and apiece of that clot breaks off and heads towards your lungs and heart. It will find a place in your veins where it's too narrow to pass through, and a blockage will occur. You will feel a pain in your back, fall to the ground, and 30 seconds later, you are dead. It happens to people who fly long distances, and don't get up to move around the cabin. You must get up at least once every hour, and walk around to get the blood circulating past your knees."

"I knew that Hannah, I just didn't think about it, while I was working. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you; I never say that enough to any of you."

"Come on Doctor, grab my shoulders, we have to get you walking."

In less than a minute, with Hannah's help, my legs were working again. She was a wealth of knowledge, but I still didn't like that eight-inch pin she carried around in her hair.

I worked very hard for the rest of the week, but I remembered to get up and walk around every so often. I could see one of my three wardens, sitting in a corner nearby, reading, cross-stitching, doing needlepoint, or knitting. Every time I would stand up, to walk around, they would raise their heads, and watch me. They would nod their heads and keep me in their sites, until I returned to my seat. Once I was secure again, they would return to their previous occupation, until I got up again.

Truly, this was unnerving. It was as if we were connected at some level, and I could not escape their conscience thoughts. As I thought about it, I decided I really didn't want this to change, because their behavior was for the benefit of my health.

************

Delicious approached me Friday and told me the nuclear engine was due to arrive Tuesday afternoon. She asked me if we could take 'The Best Luck' out of its' home in the hangar, and put it in the center of our open field, so she and Gordon, and their team could move the engine, using our heavy equipment, and put it on its skid's. They could adjust its position, slide it into the rails, and lock it down. This would allow them to make all the proper electrical connections, while the Fusion Engine was outside the nuclear chamber. It would make it easier for them to do, because they would have more room to do it. It also meant the only thing left to do, when the engine was placed inside the spacecraft, where the flexible cooling connections and that would make the installers very happy.

Gordon could do all his electrical testing from the control room. If everything checked out, he could simply move a switch and bring the engine into the spacecraft. If it didn't, it would be easier to find, because the engine was still outside the spacecraft, and all the scientists and technicians would be there to look for the fault.

Once all the lights were green on Gordon's board, the engine would be moved inside the spacecraft, secured by the internal locking collars, and blocked into place. The interior of the nuclear compartment would be sealed, from the outside of the spacecraft, using the same Silicon Carbide/Beryllium Oxide composite ceramic of the sarcophagus, and the seams sealed using one of Dycke Schneider's magical heat-treated chemicals that would bond it permanently to the other radiation resistant compounds used to seal off the nuclear compartment.

Once the cooling system attachments were completed, and the doors on the interior portion of the nuclear engine were sealed, Gordon wood flood the compartment to 350 psi of helium to verify there were no radiation leaks into the spacecraft.

After 10 minutes at that pressure, if no alarms went off, no tags showed signs of radiation contamination, and the gauges showed no helium leakage, the helium would be returned to its tanks, and he would start the engine, using the appropriate protocols. All exterior electrical connections would be removed as the new nuclear fusion engine began to take over the electrical load.

When the engine was needed for use in space, it would be lowered, using an escalator system, and deployed through a hatch designed for this purpose, with its blocking and locking system attached, to keep it stable, while it is running at full power. The cooling system would be shut off during this period, and the engine would be returned to the spacecraft, after it was cooled by the minus 256 degree or lower temperatures of space, and then returned to normal operating procedures, using pressurized water.

The final four pieces of the exterior of 'The Best Luck' would be sealed into place, and unless you knew exactly where to look, you would never know where the entrances to our spacecraft were.

(As she continued to talk, my mind wandered. The hardest thing left to do on the exterior of our craft was the painting of the names on it: UNITED STATED and THE BEST LUCK. I was also going to have the names of our investors painted on it, but it was going to be a Christmas present for them. Everything else going on the outside of this spacecraft was stickers. They were big, but they were still stickers. It dawned on me that we had not set up how or where we were going to put those stickers on the ship. We needed a design artist to do that.)

It took my daughter almost 8 minutes to go through this entire explanation, and I absorbed everything she said to me with a great deal of admiration for what she had accomplished. I must have had the largest smile on my face when she finished, because she said, "It's okay if we move it then right?"

"NO!"

She nearly jumped out of her skin. "No, what do you mean NO?"

"The opposite of yes, or you may not do it."

"Why?"

"It's supposed to rain Monday. I don't want the inside of our spaceship to get wet."

"Wouldn't it be better to know...? She stopped in midsentence, looked at me, and shook her head.

"Dad, you are impossible."