Untimely Designs

by gerald hall

  “I don’t want to over-expand our production capacity at this point. Someday this war will be over. It would truly be a waste to have far more capacity than we could possibly use at that point. That is why I have started a cooperative venture with the French in Indochina.”

  “This is the first that I have heard of this. What exactly are you going to be doing there, Mister Cavill?”

  “I and several of my key investors are providing some seed money for the development of several heavy industrial facilities in French Indochina. Chief among these are an expanded shipyard in Haiphong Harbor and several large steel mills. We have obviously kept this information out of the newspapers.”

  “How much of an investment did you make?”

  “We really didn’t put in most of the money. The French have actually provided the vast majority of the financing. The most important things that we provided where the manufacturing expertise and the technology of the designs that will be produced there. The French and their subjects in Indochina would primarily provide the labor necessary. My partners and I will still profit nicely from our investments in any event, even after the war is over.”

  “Isn’t there a problem in the future that the French and the Indochinese could end up being a competitor to you after the war?”

  Harold smiled for a moment before answering.

  “No, I don’t think that they would be able to compete with my businesses here unless I really wanted for them to. I’m sure that I could find some way to build a better product than anything that the French could come up with in any event.”

  “I don’t think that you are giving the people in Indochina enough credit. Those French factories that you are going to help build there could very well end up being a problem for you, if not your children, sometime in the future, I think.”

  “I rather doubt it.” Harold confidently said before continuing. “As it is, I have enough to worry about with them concerning the more mundane elements of their growing up. They are now of the age that they are getting into everything. Mind you, they are all exceptionally bright. But I still want to protect them from the ugliness that is out there in the world.” Harold sadly noted.

  He couldn’t mention just how much mischief that Judith and her siblings were already getting into. More than once, the children very nearly caught Harold or Dorothy coming out of the secret door in his study. Harold nor Dorothy were simply not ready to reveal the time traveler’s secrets from the future to his children just yet.

  Harold Cavill’s Home

  Derby, Western Australia

  April 5, 1942

  Dorothy had just closed the hidden door in Harold’s study where the portable computer was kept when she heard someone knock lightly on the outer door. When Dorothy opened the door, she saw her oldest daughter Judith and the twins, Sarah and Beatrice. Bringing up the rear was six year old James.

  “How are all of you doing? Have you finished with all of your homework?”

  “Yes, Mother.” The three little girls replied immediately. James didn’t say anything, but he did nod slowly and very thoughtfully. They were all four very bright for their age. They all spent a considerable amount of time reading many of Harold’s extensive collection of books. In fact, it became necessary for Harold and Dorothy to add more bookshelves in the children’s bedrooms so that they could keep some of the books there instead of risking that their children would see the hidden door being opened.

  “Is there something that you need for me to help you with?” Dorothy asked.

  “I was reading the newspaper after Daddy had finished with it. There were several articles written in it about Daddy’s companies. Why do Daddy’s factories make so many weapons, Mother?” ten-year old Judith asked.

  “There is a terrible war going on right now, Sweetheart. The men on our side need what our factories are producing so that they can protect our country and our people.”

  “I know. It just all seems so wasteful.” It was becoming clear to Dorothy that Judith had become the self-appointed spokesman for her siblings at this point.

  “I understand how you feel, Judith. Did you know that your father’s companies make a lot more than just military things? We also make cars and trucks for people all across Australia. We also grow enough food at our farms to feed virtually everyone in this part of Australia. Our power plants provide electricity for more than a hundred thousand people around here and elsewhere. Other companies make lots of things that people all over Australia use every day too.”

  “What will Daddy’s factories do when the war is over?”

  “Your father has all kinds of plans for what he wants to do after the war. There are so many wonderful possibilities, I promise. He will have the people in his factories building some incredible things, I’m sure. But first, we have to defeat some very evil people out there. If we don’t, none of the things that we want to make for the benefit of all mankind will be possible.”

  “Is there anything that we can do to help?” Judith asked, speaking for herself as well as her siblings.

  “I certainly hope so someday. But for now, I want you to learn everything that you can. I also want all of you to remember to put others ahead of yourself, just like they teach in church about what Jesus said and did. It is selfishness that has caused so many problems in this world. We want to always do the right thing, even though sometimes it is very hard. Do you understand?”

  “I think so. But so many people out there seem to be very selfish.” A clearly thoughtful Judith noted. The expressions of her siblings seemed to echo her sentiments however.

  “Yes, I’m afraid that you are right. But we have a lot of friends here who are not selfish. They are even willing to lay down their lives to protect us if necessary.”

  “Is that why they have guns, Mother?”

  “They have guns for a lot of reasons. But mainly, our friends here have guns so that they can protect themselves, protect others who need protection and also to hunt for food. Shooting guns can also be a lot of fun if done safely and responsibly.”

  “Are you and Daddy going to let us shoot guns someday?”

  “I’m sure that we will. We want you to be able to protect yourselves. But your father and I want to be sure that you are responsible enough and strong enough physically before we take you out to learn to shoot. So all of you, please be patient.”

  “Ok, Mother. I guess that we will just have to wait for a little bit longer.”

  Dorothy saw the children back off to their room before coming back to Harold’s study to continue her research. This was what she often did on those days where she didn’t go to the airfield to train pilots or to Harold’s office to assist him on a project. Dorothy continued looking through his books until Harold came home from his office.

  “Hello, Sweetheart. How was work?” Dorothy asked as usual.

  “Full of headaches, deadlines, production roadblocks and more demands by government officials in Canberra. Basically, that means that it was a typical day.”

  “If only these people realized that you were trying to save all of humanity. Anyway, I’m terribly worried that our children are going to be forced to grow up all too quickly. Even the girls were asked when they would be given the chance to learn how to use firearms. That is hardly the sort of thing that a young girl who hasn’t even reached the age of eleven would be asking about.”

  “I know. This war is forcing us to do a lot of things that we had never imagined that we would be doing.” Harold replied.

  When he was James Stevenson and the year was 2040, he had no idea that he would be doing this. No one but his wife Dorothy truly knew what Harold Cavill came from or when. The rest of the world didn’t even realize how old Harold was. They thought that he was perhaps in his early fifties because that is what the birth records of the original Harold Cavill indicated.

  The reality was that the former James Stevenson was already sixty-two years old. He had taken care of himself, watching his diet, exercising, re
fraining from smoking and keeping his alcohol consumption to a reasonable level. That helped keep the appearance of being a man ten years younger than what Harold actually was. But in any event, Harold had no idea how many years that he had remaining to change the world and prevent the nuclear holocaust that had doomed humanity in his future. He certainly did not have access to the advanced medicine of the mid-twenty first century to help in case his health took a turn for the worse.

  Dorothy was over twenty years younger, but she lived her life in a much more vicarious and death-defying manner than Harold would dare do anymore. Harold had no idea from one day to the next if she would come back intact from one of her flights training a new pilot. The thought of losing his second wife terrified Harold. He already knew what it was like to lose a beloved spouse before. However, he could not bear to take away that joy in her life either. She might be able to carry on with Harold’s mission, but sometimes he worried that Dorothy was just too willing to introduce something that was too advanced for the timeline and for humanity’s ability to absorb the changes.

  Eventually, Harold’s and Dorothy’s children would have to be told, at least one of them would have to be. It all depended on the character and ability of each child as to whether or not they would be introduced to the greatest secret even known to mankind. Harold still hoped that all of his children could be trusted to carry on with the mission of saving humanity however.

  Derby Airfield

  Derby, Western Australia

  April 15, 1942

  Harold had driven out to the airfield just as soon as he learned that the Australian Ministry of War had sent an officer to serve as a liaison with the Derby militia.

  Major Harlan Burke stood out in the crowd after he got off of the Douglas DC-3 airliner at Derby’s airfield. He was certainly young for his grade at perhaps his early thirties. Major Burke was tall, very slender with a mop of red hair that peeked out from under his jungle hat.

  After he picked up the large duffle bag that had been unloaded from the back of the DC-3, Major Burke looked around until he saw Harold standing there. Immediately, the young major strode out towards Harold, immediately reaching out his hand as soon as he got close.

  “I’m very pleased to meet you, Mister Cavill. I’ve heard a great deal about you. Don’t worry. I don’t take any stock in the crap that your critics have to say.” Major Burke said with a smile as he vigorously shook Harold’s hand.

  “I’m glad to meet you also. We don’t have a lot of professional soldiers who reside out here in the wilderness so far away from Darwin or Sydney. I was quite surprised to hear that the Australian Ministry of War was sending an officer here to coordinate with us on the defense of this area.”

  “That’s alright, Sir. Personally, I am glad to get away from those places myself. There are just too many wankers out there who are completely clueless about how to fight a modern war. So when I heard about the opportunity to come work here, I just made sure that I was in the front of the queue. I hear that you have some very interesting ‘toys’ to play with here, Mister Cavill.

  “Indeed I do.” Harold silently thought, wondering how many people in Melbourne actually knew just how many ‘toys’ that he had here.

  Harold was also very curious about Major Burke himself. Here was someone who was obviously intelligent and quite capable as an officer. Why would the Australian High Command send one of their top men to what was in essence ‘exile’ in the Western Territories? Had he done something wrong to be shunted off away from the front lines?

  Obviously, Harold wanted to know. But he also needed to learn if Major Burke could be trusted. If Harold was going to be able to reveal the true extent of his preparations here to this young officer, he had to know for certain that this information would not be reported back to the authorities back in Sydney. In any event, Harold was never going to reveal to Major Burke anything about his true origins or the secrets that he closely held within Harold’s home.

  “Billy Hughes told me about the real work that you do out here. He also recommended that I come see you if I had the chance. I’ve known him since before I joined the service. My family used to work for him. So I trust Billy when he makes a suggestion to me about my career decisions or, more appropriately, when he suggests that I say ‘the hell with my career’ and go do the right thing for our country.” Major Burke explained as he and Harold walked towards Harold’s truck.

  Harold couldn’t help but smile when he heard Major Burke speak. This was the sort of officer that created victories in spite of the sheer incompetence of his superiors. Harold knew that if the Allies in the southwest Pacific were going to have any chance of holding back the Japanese without resorting to technology that was well ahead of its time, Major Burke would need all of the help that he could get. Of course, Harold wasn’t nearly as shy about using technology that was right at the ‘bleeding edge’ of this time though. Also, as unconventional as Billy Hughes had proven to be throughout his political career, an endorsement of any officer by him carried a lot of weight with Harold. Bearing all of this in mind, Harold decided to give Major Burke an unprecedented look at what would be available to him.

  “Come with me then, Major. I think that I have a great many things to show you now. Once you know what tools you have to work with, I think that we can accomplish much to protect our land from the Japanese.” Harold told the young officer before asking the Major to take a ride in Harold’s truck with him.

  Harold took Major Burke on a tour of virtually all of Harold’s factories in and around the town of Derby, even facilities as seemingly benign as the bicycle factory. After that, Harold and Dorothy took Major Burke to visit the area agricultural and livestock farms. Harlan took an unusual interest in the large horse farms that adjoined the area farms.

  “Did you know that most of the world’s militaries still use substantial numbers of horses to provide logistical support? They tow artillery and supply trailers in many armies for example. The Soviets also have quite a few of their Cossacks doing traditional cavalry operations as do the Japanese.”

  “No, Major. I actually wasn’t aware of that. I just happened to like horses. Plus the animals are very useful here at the farms. In spite of all of the rapid industrialization here, we still do have a shortage of trucks for commercial purposes.”

  “That is actually no different than with the rest of the world, so don’t feel left out there. I would recommend that we set up several mounted infantry and cavalry units for your militia. They can carry more weapons and supplies while substantially improving the unit’s mobility. We can also use your bicycles to help increase the mobility of your militiamen. They also can carry more and go a lot faster on a bicycle than on foot, just like the horse cavalry. They just won’t be as expensive nor need as much grain.” Major Burke chuckled before continuing.

  “Your bicycle designs are also very interesting to say the least, I have to admit. They are very fast and can carry more cargo than any other bicycle design that I have seen.

  I also saw that your wife has actually been training many of your pilots here. That is very impressive. You, Ma’am, have done a very good job training your fliers according to everyone that I have talked to.”

  “Thank you, Major. The pilot training program here has been my greatest pride and joy since its inception, well, except for my children and my dear husband here. ” Dorothy proudly replied as she smiled and lovingly grasped Harold’s hand.

  “Now, your pilots are good fliers but they are still going to need some additional training if they are going to be ready for combat though. We might be able to get some help from the RAAF, but I think that perhaps we need something a bit more unconventional.” Major Burke paused for a moment, then asked.

  “Have you ever heard of Claire Chennault, Mister Cavill?”

  “He’s the commander of the American Volunteer Group operating against the Japanese out of China, I believe. His pilots are operating American-built P-40 Tomahawk fighters in support o
f the Chinese government.”

  “Yes, that’s correct. I think that it would be more accurate to say that he is barely operating against the Japanese. The American government is not providing General Chennault with much in terms of logistical support due to the political situation in America. But the General is making the most of what he does have.

  He has developed aerial tactics that have proven to be very effective against the Japanese. I’m sure that he and his people would be willing to help train your fliers in those same tactics.”

  “I suppose that there is a price tag for this training, Major. There always is.”

  “The American pilots in China do need additional aircraft to replace their losses. I think that your Whirlwind and Dragonfly fighters would perform well in their hands.”

  “Who would pay for them? While I still am one of the wealthiest men in Australia, even my resources are being stretched thin here by the war.” Harold answered. He had already spent more money on his militia than some small nations had spent on their entire military, though few people outside of Dorothy and Harold’s most trusted accountants realized this.

  “The Chinese government would pick up the tab, of course. With enough new fighters and perhaps some new bombers, the Chinese can stop the current Japanese offensive. General Chennault could be convinced then to free up a few of his pilots to train your people in the fine art of aerial combat.”

  “That certainly sounds viable to me, Major. Someone will have to make the arrangements, of course. I can see if our production schedule can handle the additional orders.”

  “I can use my connections with the AVG to arrange for the Chinese government to approach you with a contract. A good businessman like you can certainly take things from there. But I do have one question for you, Sir.”

  “What do you need to know?” Harold asked while wondering if this very curious Major might have gotten suspicious about the source of Harold’s information.