There Must Be A Mistake Ch. 30

Sandra stuck out her hand but Lucius bypassed it, hugged her, and kissed both her cheeks. She glowed a little, and was slightly embarrassed.

"Sandra, do you know how much you mean to this man? Do you have any idea what the mention of your name does to him? I have no idea what brought you back together, but you also brought back the Doctor that was in him. This was a Third World Hospital until Joseph began to act like a Doctor again. I know I stuck the gun in his mouth to do it, but it was in him all the time. I kept yelling at him, "What would Sandra think of you if she saw you acting this way."

It took losing a patient, who was very close to us for him to get his act together. When he did, all the other doctor's followed his lead. The nurses became more professional, the technicians and everyone down the line became more proficient. Our benefactor, William Zabo, bought the hospital, and turned it into a Not-For-Profit hospital. He brought in all new, state of the art, equipment and anyone that didn't follow his simple rules was fired instantly. Your husband was the leader in this movement, because of you, and he had no idea if he was ever going to see you again.

I feel privileged he asked me to be his Best Man, and you are going to be his bride again."

"Colonel, please stop, you're going to make me cry and ruin my makeup."

"I'm sorry Sandra, I just wanted you to know the type of man he is, and the type of man we are losing here in Temple."

This time Sandra hugged Lucius, and thanked him for his wonderful words about her future, and past husband.

"Telling the truth is always easy Sandra. Enjoy your life with him."

"I will, I definitely will Lucius."

Rebecca yelled, "All Aboard, That's Going Aboard. The Rest Of You Can Stay Here."

Lucius said, "Pushy Little Thing Isn't She?"

"Look who's talking Lucius. Are you going to join us?"

"Unfortunately, I have real work to do. I have to go ruin General Morgan's day, which I always enjoy. Then I have to update him on the coming weeks itinerary, which neither he nor I enjoy doing. Have a good time, and tell the children to keep their hands in their pockets. I don't want a computer chip missing on take-off."

"You adults always pick on the children."

"99 percent of petty theft is caused by children under the age of 16."

"It will not be us, we promise."

"You can take the cuffs off them. I'll cut their hands off if they steal anything."

Sam said, "I believe he would do it."

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"Dad, General Morgan had him kicked out of the Army, because of his tactics in gathering intelligence. When the enemy captured one of our guys, they brutalized him, then cut off his head and showed it to the public.

Lucius never went that far, but he had tactics that went far beyond the Geneva Convention. He got more good information out of his hostages than anyone else in theater, and then he acted on it without authority. He got pulled off the front line by General Morgan and was discharged for the good of the service. The way I heard it, given another week, he would've killed Milosevic, and that stupid Balkan war would have been over 5 years before it finally did end. Don't ask me how they're still friends because I don't know. Let's go inside and look at the spacecraft. I could tell you stories all day about that man, and how great he truly is."

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

2 and half hours later, Deborah and Rebecca were screaming, "This is not funny dad. Tell them to put us down."

"You 2 knew the rules. You were not to touch anything, eat anything, or sit on anything. Did you break the rules?"

"Our legs were tired. We sat down. Where was the crime in that dad?"

"I guess you're finding that out now aren't you."

The 2 girls were being carried upside down with their feet tied to a pole and their hands cuffed behind their backs. They would really have been indignant if they were wearing skirts instead of shorts.

As they were carried out of the spacecraft and down the ramp, the laughing started. As they moved towards the hanger area, it became a roar.

"You know we were set up Debbie."

"How could we be set up, mom and dad were with us."

"You just nailed it on the head. They had someone watching us, waiting for us to do something wrong. When we did it, they pounced on us like a cat on a ball of string."

"No, dad's not that smart."

A little voice from behind them said, "Your dad might not be, but your grandmother is."

"Grandma, how could you do this to us? This is totally embarrassing."

"Welcome to my world little ones. I live on practical jokes. If you try one on me, you will never see mine coming at you. Did you enjoy this one?"

"Would you get us down now please?"

"I paid the guys $50 for 30 minutes. It's not 30 minutes yet. I want to get your money's worth."

"Can we get turned right side up at least? I know I'm getting dizzy."

"I believe you're faking it."

"What do I have to do, wind up in a hospital to prove to you I'm not faking it?"

"That would be proof enough for me. Let me have your father take your pulse. If it's too high, I'll let them turn you right side up."

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

"Hello Girls, are you enjoying my mother's sense of humor?"

"How did you grow up in that household dad? Your mother's a deviant, and all your father does is talk about golf."

"It was easy kids, I studied all the time. I came home from school, I went to my room, and I studied. They called me for dinner, when I finished eating, I went to my room, and I studied. It kept me out of all sorts of trouble with them. They had the most vicious arguments about me, but they never argued with me, because I studied all the time. How can you argue with your child if all he ever does is study?"

As he took them off the pole, Rebecca asked, "Did you ever get laid in high school?"

"Young woman, a gentleman never kisses and tells."

"So the answer is no."

"I would be lying if I said no. Some of the most beautiful girls in high school were airheads. I was a heavily sought after commodity, when exam time came along."

"You took advantage of vulnerable girls?"

"Quite the opposite, they took advantage of me. During most of the year, they wouldn't even look at me, or give me the time of day. It was when they found out that their boyfriends were dumber than they were that they came to me."

"That'll be enough of that Doctor Finch."

"Yes my dear, however they asked, and like you, I enlightened them. Just so you know ladies, the woman I married was not an airhead. She has a college degree in political science, which she put aside to have both of you, and to help me attain my goal. She is an extremely bright woman, and no one to be fooled with."

"You never told us that mom."

"There was never a reason to tell you I had a college degree. I knew it, your father knew it, and both our families knew it. My diploma is packed away somewhere, and I'm very proud of it."

In duet, "Can we have it?"

"I don't see why not."

"What are you going to do with it? Show it to the Cadassians?"

"Why not, it might look like a peace treaty to them."

"I told you girls not to fool with your mother. She is one smart cookie."

"Can we have a bite?"

"Sure you can. I just don't guarantee what will happen to you afterwards."

As the girls looked at each other wondering what their next retort should be, Sam said, "Do you see children, college is not overrated."

"What college did you go to grandpa?"

"Hard knocks."

How about you grandma?"

"Vanderbilt."

"I guess we have to go to college Deborah, everyone else has."

"Let's look at it this way, if they made it through college, it will be a breeze for us."

"Before you leave Joseph I want to know what college on the landmass of the United States is furthest away from Chicago. I mean if the there is a college in Key West Florida, I want to know about it."

"When I go to work tonight dad, I'll look it up for you. I told you these 2 darlings were going to be a little test for you."

It was the thought of the $105 million each, and the word golf that got me. It was mostly the word golf. Teaching them to play the game in a Chicago winter is going to be thrilling."

"Deborah, we get to where bunny suits."

Joan threw her hands up and disgust.

"How didn't you kill the 2 of them, while we you were alone with them Sandi?"

"It was a very tough choice Joan. Either keep those 2 around, or be trapped with my mother and father, as my only companions. It was a lose/lose situation either way."

"We are not that bad Mom."

"Come here my babies."

Rebecca and Deborah rushed over to their mother and held her around the waist. She kissed both of them on the tops of their heads.

"I don't know what my world would be like without these 2 gorgeous, loquacious, brilliant young girls, but I sure would like to give it a try."

Deborah said, "We didn't have a choice in the matter."

"You are correct. You are the result of too much wine, too much passion, and your father was oh so good on our wedding night."

Rebecca said, "What about me?"

"Your sister finally stopped crying."

"Thanks Deb."

"You're welcome Becky."

"Sam, $210 million may not have been enough."

"I'll invest it wisely, and try to get another one hundred million dollars out of it in the next 7 years. It will be close, but we won't have to touch our nest egg."

"Deborah, let's see if we can make him eat those words?"

"Which one, nest, or egg?"

"I'm not sure, so let's try for both."

"Why do I have a feeling we're going to Harvard?"

"I'm not going to Harvard. That purple color doesn't go with my skin, and the gray that goes with it reminds me of the United States Military Academy. They might mistake us for artillery shells because of our size."

"They might do that now Becky, however in a few years our buds will turn into busts. A man might do a lot of things with a bust in his hand, but putting it into a cannon is not one of them."

"Could you stand here and listen to these 2 all-day dad?"

"They sure as heck are entertaining."

"Let's go to lunch, I've got to be at work in 3 hours, and at least 4 of you have some serious shopping to do. So let's put a move on it people, at least one of us is working today."

"What about my wedding dress Joseph?"

"I told you, I have that covered Sandi."

"You also have a minister or a Justice of the peace covered?"

"Do you have no faith in me at all?"

"You know how much I love you. It's just I would hate to be married to a dead man."

"Son, I believe she means every word she said."

"So do I mom, so do I."

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148. Testing Gordon's Theory

"This should be a real blast dad."

"Yes it should son. Either that or we are going to destroy a perfectly unusable 1977 Plymouth Fury and four overstuffed dummies."

Jeff asked, "What are we supposed to prove here again?"

"Simply put Jeff, what we are trying to prove here is that 2 forces working in opposition to each other, cancel each other out. If someone throws a grenade at this vehicle, the sensors pick up the oncoming shockwave, the lasers induce plasma channels of heated air that provide a pathway for an electrical discharge. This produces a plasma screen that contains wires and metal strips that attach themselves to the vehicle, and cancels out the oncoming shockwave and block the metal fragments of the bomb from reaching the vehicle, and killing the people inside it."

"Cool."

I laughed. "You military men have the most succinct way of praising a product that could save you, and tens of thousands of men like you in combat."

"I understood every word you said Doc, but I wasn't going to go on and on praising it. I just want to see if it works."

"Why don't we get behind the bunker and find out?"

For this test, Gordon put his prototype on top of the Plymouth and secured it by means of bolts cut through the top of the vehicle. The car would be pulled along a track moving at 30 miles per hour, until it set off a satchel charge containing 8 ounces of TNT, nails, and ball bearings.

Nails are normally found in pipe bombs, and ball bearings are used in shaped charges. The explosion would take place 90 feet away from the car.

The range safety officer sounded the klaxon warning everyone to clear the area, and did so verbally afterwards. He did this 3 more times at one- minute intervals. When the range was considered to be clear, he sent up a red flare, warning everyone the range was hot.

The car started moving down the track and reached 30 miles per hour. At the designated point, it tripped the switch that set off the explosion. Cameras from 16 positions, including above the explosion point were moving at high speed.

They were not only video cameras, but infrared, and x-ray videos to capture the wave pulses as they met.

The results were awesome. The Plymouth rocked 20 degrees off center, but never left the rail and continued to the end of the track.

We wanted to see the results of the tests, but we couldn't move until the range safety officer gave us permission, and fired the green flare.

Finally, he did, and I found out exactly how fast Gordon could run. When I reached the car, he was dancing. He grabbed me and made me dance with him.

"No damage dad, no damage at all. The dummies don't have a scratch on them, and the water-based paint we put on the side of the vehicle is as pure as the driven snow. It works dad; it works. I won't put my name on it. I'll leave it to Richard. He has been working so hard, I believe he deserves his name on a patent like this one."

. "You don't believe we can get this on the Good Luck 1 in time for departure?"

"What would we do with it?"

"Deflect incoming hostile missiles, or Fazers."

"We would need a really big one for that purpose dad."

"To quote my son, 'It was just a thought'."

"How big would one of these have to be to protect a tank, from an antitank missile?"

"At its current stage of development, it wouldn't. It needs to hear or feel the shockwave before it deploys. An antitank missile is not an air breather. It does not create a shockwave, until after it hits its target."

"Is there a way to create an artificial shockwave to engage the system, in order to protect the tank from an incoming missile?"

"Since this is one of your easier questions dad, I'll let Holden answer it for you."

"Very funny Gordon, I guess I deserved that one."

"Does that mean I'm only 997 barbs behind you?"

"No, it means you are growing up, and you're not afraid of anyone, anymore. I can't tell you how proud I am of the man you are, and the scientist you have become."

"They say the acorn does not fall far from the tree. When I fell from the tree of life, I was divided into 3 equal portions: my mother, my father, and my guardian. If you take any of those parts away from me, I am a failure. I needed each and every one of you to become who I am today."

"Don't tell that to Monty, she's waiting to beat the shit out of you when we get into space."

"Don't you dare tell her this dad, but when I fight with her I hold back. I don't want to hurt her, she is too important to me to be lying down in a bed."

"What did you just say to your father?"

"I said when you fight with me you hold back, because you don't want me in bed all day doing nothing."

"Is that what he said Doctor Luck?"

"Word for word Monty, you want him in pain, but you don't want him goofing off either."

"You better remember that Gordon. I'm going to take my frustrations out on you every day we are awake, and especially on the day before we go into stasis."

"I'll look forward to it Monty. I may even use the word, 'T U B B Y' to get your juices flowing."

"I hope Doctor Finch has brought along enough material for casts. If you use that word, be prepared to be in a body cast for a very long time."

"I've heard that within one year we are all going to be down to our high school weights. What did you weigh in high school?"

"Doctor, do something with his mouth, or I will."

"The day after we pass heliopause Monty, you two are free as birds."

"Don't use such big words dad; she will be in the dictionary all day."

"No I won't Gordon; I will meet with the smartest person in the Luck family, and ask her what it means."

"That's a very smart move Monty. Asking my mother for information is brilliant."

"I wasn't talking about your mother smart ass. I was talking about Teddy."

"You're out of luck there Monty. Teddy is in Austin shopping with her mother, the Finch family, Patti, and Rosalynn. They are getting dresses for the wedding Saturday."

"I'm sorry to burst all your bubbles, but Cee Cee is taking care of all the children in Delicious' home today. We have enough agents around her home, to prevent an invasion by the Russians."

"It seems you are our female version of Colonel Lucius C. Canyon. You know everything that's going on everywhere."

"Monty if you want to talk to Teddy to find out heliopause is the area where our sun no longer has any gravitational effect against any object in our part of the solar system, including our spacecraft, you go right ahead."

"You are no fun dad."

"You need to get laid Gordon."

"I'm on strike. A certain part of me does not answer the call, because a part of me is missing. Sooner or later it will come back, but it has not answered the call yet."

"Poor boy, he has entered male menopause at the age of 17."

"Shit happens, and it was poured on me."

"I feel so bad for you."

"Do you want to play golf?"

"I don't know how to play golf."

"I don't either, it will make us even."

"You are out of your mind."

"It is not the first, nor the last time, you will say that to me."

"Let's go back to your house; I want to crush your head in."

"That's the best offer I've had today."

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

"Did someone hit him over the head, while I was not looking Doctor?"

"No Monty, I think he has been pining over you for a while. It's Jeff, Jaden, you, and him. He's looking to move up in the standings, and you are in his way. He can't get past you, because he loves, and admires you. He will never get a shot at the top."

"I don't want him to get a shot at the top. Jeff would revert to his nightmare, and kill him without a 2nd thought. When he realized what he had done, he would fold himself up into a cocoon and go comatose. We would have to take him to the military hospital at Fort Benning again. He was there for four years the last time. His only saving grace is he doesn't remember what he did, or how he does it. They used so many drugs on him, in such a short period of time, when he was a POW with the Chechnyan'; he doesn't have that capacity anymore.

You can't move him from where he is, because he can't deal with any changes in his life. You didn't hear this from me. You didn't hear this at all."

"Why is he in charge of security at the nest Monty?"

"While he is stable Doctor Luck, there is no one better in the world at security than he is."

"Is he married?"

"He thinks he is."

"What is her name?"

"Devon."

"It's a very pretty name, for an imaginary wife."

"Don't say that to him; don't mention her name in conversation. He accuses her of cheating on him. She says he is so beautiful women can't keep their hands off him."

"Interesting conundrum isn't it?"

"Yes Doctor, especially when there is only one person having this conversation."

"Okay Monty, I'm going to work. You can work on my son's body, and everyone will be happy."

"You have that right Doctor."

149. It's Wake Up Time